That’s the theme of the N&R’s editorial page. For starters, there’s this letter to the editor from Anne Cassebaum of Elon:
The United States starts another year without single-payer, government-funded health care. Europe, Canada and Japan adopted this humane policy decades ago.
…then there’s this Counterpoint from Mona Shatell of Greensboro, responding to another Counterpoint criticizing the UNC system’s proposal to allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition:
From an economic standpoint, improving the opportunities for a college education makes sense; college graduates have greater earning power and therefore pay more taxes.
According to the Immigration Policy Center, “a 30-year-old Mexican immigrant woman with a college degree will pay $5,300 more in taxes and cost $3,900 less in government expenses each year compared to a high school dropout with similar characteristics.”
But it is more than business and economics. It is what is moral and just. The anti-immigrant sentiment evidenced in Krawiec’s Counterpoint, in addition to several recent letters to the editor, has made me question, Where is our humanity?
On another note, N&R editor John Robinson asks readers what improvements they would make to the newspaper if it were sold, which appears to be a strong possibility. Talk about a loaded question. Robinson asks readers to be nice when making suggestions, and, aside from firing the entire editorial staff and wishing to see columnists Jeri Rowe and Lorraine Ahearn working at McDonald’s, they have been.
Update: Don’t know what’s spawning the wishful thought that the Bryan Foundation would step in and save the N&R from corporate owners. In the comments, John Robinson says he thinks it’s not such a good idea:
The Bryan Foundation is an interesting idea — and only speaking for myself — not necessarily a good one, unless such a deal is structured with some high walls in place. I base that on my understanding of journalistic principles and my experience with stories that Bryan Foundation reps want us to pursue and want us to ignore. Their idea of news and traditional journalistic principles conflict more often than you might think.
Gosh, I would never think that about Jim Melvin. That said, all the cheerleading for New Bridge Bank Park could never convince Melvin to get into the newspaper business. That wouldn’t be proper handling of Joe Bryan’s money, would it?
