Morales' Blog Post Crossed the Line

Okay here’s why you haven’t heard from me in a while.

During the Christmas break I had worked on a piece about the Local Government Center. Unfortunately during that time Scott Morales also came out with a blog that not only attacked one of the commentators about his opinions, but also purported to reveal personal information related to the person commentating. I say purported because Morales admits in his attack piece that he wasn’t sure if he had identified the right individual, but never the less would continue to harangue him.

Now I must say I am not the gentlest blogger on the planet, but I try to target my missives towards the actions of individuals. I understand that by writing a blog or commenting on a blog or an article that others may have a strong difference of opinion. That’s fine with me. Hows that old saying go; I don’t care what you call me, as long as you don’t call me late for dinner. You can even blame all the problems of our city, state and country on people who think like me and I won’t take it (too) personally.

Morales not only tried to determine who the individual was who so strongly disagreed with him, he printed that information in his next blog. And even though Morales wasn’t positive he had identified the right individual he went on to publicly claim this person worked for a government agency (if it was the right person) and was using paid time at work to comment on blogs Morales had written. The worst of the comments to Morales attack blog was an attempt by another individual to identify the home address of the commentator who Morales had attacked.

This to me is crossing the line from rough and tumble public discourse, to becoming a potentially dangerous situation by identifying someones home address. The question I ask is should the originally blog by Morales have been published. I don’t believe it should have and here’s why.

This blog by Morales was nothing more then an attempt at intimidation. If it was an attempt to show that there is waste in government jobs and that public funds are being used improperly there are certainly better ways to accomplish that message then endangering an individual by the information you write. It is clear to me that Morales was tired of having his ideas challenged and he decided he was going to do something about it. Well he did, but that doesn’t mean Patch had to publish it.

Morales’ blog is the worst kind of yellow journalism. Someone doesn’t agree with you - smear ’em. Someone thinks differently then you - they’re communists (or fill in with the group you hate the most). Someone dares to challenge you - don’t respond with facts, use innuendo to libel them.

Patch not only let Morales attack this individual, but they opened up the potential, as we saw in comments, for further identification of this individual (remember Morales wasn’t even sure he had the right person, although patch claims to have confirmed it was) to not only written attacks but the potential for a physical assault on his property or himself.

This was a dangerous choice by Patch. I hope in the future that more consideration is given to the implications of what (not who) they publish. Ideas are fine. Even ones I consider different then mine. But going after an individuals personal life because they disagree with you is crossing that line. It has given me pause as to whether or not I will continue to blog on Patch. While I’m sure my decision - either way - is not a big deal for Patch, it is something that I am still working through. So while I have read Tony’s response as to why he didn’t take down the blog, I still believe it was a mistake to publish the blog in the first place.