A Reader
Shares His Thoughts on a Recent Anthem Today article and Reprinting its Contents
on Ron Johnson's Today's Anthem View
Anthem Opinions received
an email from a reader who wished to comment on a degrading and
offensive article written by Marcia Kosterka, sanctioned by
Rana Goodman of the Anthem
Today forum, and subsequently (for some unknown reason), reprinted on Ron Johnson's Today's
Anthem View....
...after seeking and
being given permission to reprint the many articles written by Forrest Fetherolf
as "Mr. Fix-It".
We at Anthem Opinions,
immediately WITHDREW our generous offer to Mr.
Johnson as a result of his reprinting such degrading comments about an
individual, yet wishing to publish that same individual's
valuable home improvement tips.
A subsequent post
expressed by Mr. Johnson stated that Anthem Today's
Marcia Kosterka, publishing a comment claiming a Board candidate "hates women", somehow
has merit and deserves repeating.
In our estimation, this
was a deplorable comment by an individual who has no
formal education other than a high school diploma, no experience in diagnosing
any psychological disorders to make such a claim, and certainly has no place on
ANY PUBLICATION, much less considering it newsworthy.
States Mr.
Johnson:
"It is my
belief that the views expressed by one of the administrators of Anthem Today,
however intemperate and offensive, are significant community news
stories."
Anthem Opinions has no desire to be included in any such
publication that would write or include within its contents such a defaming
article that would place us in the same
category...
...that this "significant
news story" is one that belongs in a supermarket check-out line amongst other
tabloids.
As for Anthem Today's,
Marcia Kosterka and Rana
Goodman, they might wish to explain how this character assassination of a
individual does not violate its own forum guidelines which read as
follows:
RULES OF THE ROAD
When
posting please “talk” to others as you would like to be spoken to yourself.
Personal attacks, foul language etc. will be removed. Bottom line, we are all
here to enjoy information, news, fun topics and anything else we all have to
share. If anyone wants to be hostile, this is not the place for it.
We received the following correspondence from
one of our valued readers that was so well written, we decided that it deserved
to be printed as a separate article.
Writes Lawrence
Peterson, a relatively new but well informed resident of Sun City Anthem,
responding to Mr. Johnson's reprinting the Anthem Today article and his belief
it was newsworthy:
- - - - - - - - -
I was shocked to see,
just today, the latest blog letter from Ron Johnson’s The SCA View-Journal,
Inc. Normally I have always respected Mr. Johnson’s literate articles and
informed opinions, even when I may disagree.
Today’s articles changed that. I am
involved in the campaign to elect Forrest Fetheroff, one of the most qualified
candidates on the ballot, and felt compelled to write on a blog, which is
something I rarely do.
Mr. Johnson chose to
post, from Anthem Today’s blog, the most vile, mean and insidious piece of
journalism I have read in decades. Her comments about Forrest Fetherolf, the
man who is constantly helping people for free as Mr. Fix-It, were completely
uncalled for; and certainly taken out of context.
The only reasonable
explanation for her writing is to allow Ms. Kosterka’s vicious nature to
overtake any intelligent conversation during this election. The hatred this
woman holds in her mind belongs to the extremist regimes of the world, not in an
election in Sun City Anthem.
I will not repost her
comments here. If you didn’t read it, consider yourself lucky. There are no
arguable points in her tirade, merely character assassination and trash
journalism at its worst: an attack on the character, motive, and principles of
Mr. Fetherolf, rather than attacking arguable issues related to Sun City
directly.
I know Forrest and he is one of the finest people in our community. To
describe him I employ words such as; honest, discerning and
trustworthy.
Were it not bad
enough, that this was posted (the original received dozens of complaints) but
Mr. Johnson has had the incredibly bad taste to re-post it. He includes every
last mean word of the writer and by doing so claims she has some authority,
although her fallacious arguments make it clear she has none.
The thousands of
people in Anthem who know Forrest would agree he is none of the horrendous
things this Kosterka wrote.
And to top it all off,
Mr. Johnson’s next section of his blog promotes the free Home Improvement
articles by this self same Forrest Fetherolf, who in this and other endeavors
does hold good authority.
Sorry Ron, I’ll have
to unfriend you.
- - - - -
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We at
Anthem Opinions would like your opinion on this form of journalism...or if you
consider this journalism.
Send your
comments to:
Anthem
Opinions Administration
I a fully aware that when you throw your hat into the ring and run for pubic office, you surrender some privacy, and open yourself up to public scrutiny and public comment (both good and bad).
But Kosterka, Goodman, and Johnson should realize that there is a thin line between expressing an opinion and defamation of character.....there's too many lawyers in Las Vegas looking for their next fee.
They're all "haters".