some choice selections from my inbox today

First, two points:

a) I should have known that writing a story about guns & gun control would bring the crazies out of the woodwork.

b) My editor whacked my story after I left, and I blame him for all the negative comments. The story that came out today is unrecognizable as my own. My story was balanced. I hate editors.


Now, here's what I've been reading this morning:

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"How much do you appreciate the freedom that you have as a journalist in this country – and do you know who paid the price so that you would have that freedom?"

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"Molly,

You stated in your article: "Did the framers of our Constitution ever envision something like a semi-automatic weapon?"
Are you saying everything should be banned except muskets?

Please pull your head from your ass."

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"If you had "dug deeper" you would have found reasonable arguments worth reporting. Regardless of your individual view, a good reporter would have gone the extra mile to show each side. Again, you must stay neutral, and in this case, you did not."

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"You know that guns are not the problem. You also know or should know that a revolver shoots more accurately and faster than a semi-automatic weapon. Your real intent is obvious and blatant as displayed for all the world to see in the last sentences of the article. You trade your credibility away so easily you might as well sell it also. You should have more self respect and professionalism in your work. Reporting is about fact, not your personal opinion. Save your opinion for the editorial page. You will have to write in separately for that as you are unlikely to become the editor until you first become a successful reporter."

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So I'm feeling really good about myself right now.

Really though - it's up to 700-something comments. That's pretty impressive, at least. The comments aren't directed at me at all; they're just discussing/arguing among themselves. And that's a lot of traffic that I'm bringing to the Web site.

With the e-mails...I toughened up by the end of the day. After all, as our cops reporter told me this morning, if I want people to blow sunshine up my ass, I'm in the wrong profession.

Love always,
molly