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Newspapers Face Ugly Side Of Web Future

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez 's attack on The Courant for allowing readers to post racist and hateful speech on the paper's online comment boards raises an issue increasingly confronting newsrooms across the ...

Full Story: Hartford Courant

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mmmm

Newington, CT

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#2
Jun 18, 2008
 

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This is America Eddie. I do not agree with racist commnets but will fight for the right to allow others to comment.
Part of the media

Hamden, CT

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#3
Jun 18, 2008
 

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TOP STORY?

Legal Bills Mounting For Mayor Perez Probe

The city of Hartford has paid roughly $95,000 to cover legal expenses incurred in connection with the state's criminal investigation into allegations of corruption in the administration of Mayor Eddie A. Perez.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-grand...

He just wants the Hartford Courant to remain silent on the issue.
Free Speech

Willimantic, CT

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#4
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Eddie! Free speech means that YOU won't always agree with it but it is OUR right. What do you think the citizens talk about - offline? The SAME things. If the truth hurts, then be a real Mayor and do something about it.
BiasedAhole

Meriden, CT

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#6
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Truth hurts, huh Eddie?

Why don't you go focus on the real problems confronting your city?

Loud mouths like me are the least of your cities troubles.
Dave

AOL

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#7
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Hartford Courant Editors please keep the Comment Boards open they are fantastic and allow often very well informed and inside comments along with a few fools. I buy the Courant hard copy but find the posts very enjoyable.

As for Eddie Perez being upset does anything really need to be said? He has no control over the boards and the truth hurts sometimes. Hartford is broke and all the states money will not fix it's broken schools, bloated inept bureaucracy, bloated pensions, and most importantly the in over his head mayor. If these comments are racist, the Courant should become PC and close the comment boards or do like they do when they know a story will generate "Heated" comments, and not offer a comment section. I guess Mayor Perez and Hartford are off limits, everything is fine. It's a Rising Star.
Part of the media

Hamden, CT

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#8
Jun 18, 2008
 

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From Story:

"If the model is a town meeting, well look what really happens in a town meeting, where there are rules of order and people actually stand up and talk fully identified. We've never had so-called unregulated discourse to the extent we allow it on the Web. And it's false to say that these people out there posting these hateful remarks represent 'the public.' No. They are people who are nuts."

Now I'm offended. I am a part of the media and this post sickens me!

Who in the heck has the right to say which person represents the public and which does not?

"In a free society, it's important that you have a chance to speak your mind and be anonymous," Tolles said. "It's unfortunate that our society still has a fair amount of folks who use this free speech to express racist remarks."

Remarks are free speech, even if you don't like them!

What a bunch of Anti-American propaganda.
Frank

New Hartford, CT

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#11
Jun 18, 2008
 

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J Stan McCauley wrote:
At the end of the day it is the Hartford Courant that provides the opportunity for readers to respond to the stories that appear in it’s paper. So it will be up to the Hartford Courant to make the final decision as to how to deal with unruly posters.
Having said that when any elected official calls for even the hint of a limit in the free exchange of ideas; even when they are deemed offensive by some, we begin to go a very slippery path. I hope that the Courant will not give in to the pressure of an administration that now believes they also have the power to control what we say and how we say it.
When I read something that I find offensive I stop reading it. I do not need the corrupt Perez administration to protect me from mean speech on the internet. I need them to protect me from the effects of stupid decisions that might be made in City hall.
We are neither wards of the Perez administration nor the other elected officials who signed his letter, they are our employees.
WELL SAID STAN
Skeptic

Wallingford, CT

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#12
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Quit whining Mr. Perez.
This is freedom of speech.

Don't want people to talk about you? Unplug yourself from the cash cow and get out of politics.
Defamation

West Hartford, CT

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#13
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Truth is the best defense to defamation. Why doesn't Perez do something about the conditions in Hartford instead of attacking the messengers. The truth hurts Eddie, since you rigged the city charter to become a strong mayor, conditions in Hartford have rapidly decreased. Maybe its time for Eddie Perez to look in the mirror, as the old saying goes "We looked in the mirror and the enemy is us".
traveler

Cheshire, CT

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#14
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Sometimes just sometimes the real truth hurts, and whats on peoples minds should come out, the story in question wasn't just in the courant it was all over the country in its papers and on the news of the major networks and there commentators made some diffrent statments of the video that would of offended some but it was the truth no one Helped and I bet they are helped each month.
Reevee

Newington, CT

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#15
Jun 18, 2008
 

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I regularly read the posts and will even comment occasionally. It doesn't take long to recognize the posters that will further what ever agenda they are passionate about and I've learned to scan the names before I read the comments so I can skip the people I find most offensive. However, even people whom I don't often agree with have the right to write their opinion. That they are unable to do that without resorting to name calling and insults speaks more about them than the Courant. I say let them post to their heart's content. Most people understand this is their only way of blowing off steam and behaving in a way they wouldn't dare to if they were in a room full of people. They invalidate themselves much better than a monitor ever could.
Tim

West Hartford, CT

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#16
Jun 18, 2008
 

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I would say I would like the comments toned down a bit. I have mostly stopped using the forums b/c people post the stupidist stuff. If things were a a little less anonymous, posters would put a little more thought into what they want to say or basically not post useless crap.
ahmed

Wallingford, CT

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#18
Jun 18, 2008
 

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How about making Albany Avenue safer instead of worrying about what is on the comments?
Perezed

Glastonbury, CT

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#19
Jun 18, 2008
 

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It is called FREE Speech Eddie. The truth to the matter is that the Word Barbarian is not racist. If you feel that we are insensitive to Hartford look at the beast who ran down poor old Mr. Torres. They are the ones who are insensitive. Stop trying to draw attention away from the real issue here. You may get my Tax dollars but you are not going to get my freedom of speech.
William Costigan

Middletown, CT

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#20
Jun 18, 2008
 

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The Courant cannot possibly say that this is an open forum. When the public opinion goes against their agenda they frequently pull the plug on the posts. They only want what they want to be discussed. I'd hardly call that an open forum
Yo Momma

United States

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#21
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Let see if the Courant censors or limits the forums in any way... they take more heat here than anyone.
Dave Clark 5

United States

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#22
Jun 18, 2008
 

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The ugly side of the web? I don't think so. This is tame, Eddie is a racist, and that's the truth.
Johnboy

Granby, CT

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#23
Jun 18, 2008
 

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It is best for government and the public to hear what the people really think, good bad and indifferent. If you want to change what people think and say or write, then change the reality.
No one comment should stand on its own, rather guage the state of reality by the tone of the majority, then you will know how society really feels.
Miss Anthropic

Manchester, CT

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#24
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Oh the Courant censors already. Don't believe it? Try putting one of the many colorful four letter English words into one of these comments, then get back to me about "free speech".
Pat

Cheshire, CT

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#25
Jun 18, 2008
 

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Well, these comments were much more civilized. I cannot understand why language which has appeared in many forums has to be used. There are unwed, underaged pregnancies in all populations - perhaps the reason it is down in the white population is because a lot of those kids use birth control methods. There are a lot of words we could use to get our point across without showing bigotry and hate. I find myself at times wanting to wring the necks of those who come off as offensive - LOL! Just about all 18 of these posts were civilized.
I ask all of you who post hatred and bigotry to look at yourselves instead of others first and find a more civilized way of expressing yourselves. I think you would learn to like yourselves better. Ask yourselves before you hit the post comment button - who is the barbarian?
Would you like us to alert you when someone adds a comment?
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