Just because I KNOW somebody will copy and paste

[MineralMan]

15. You can address whatever it is you wish to address.

That's none of my business. And I will address sloppy journalism when I see it. We are forever pointing out the crap that is published by Fox News and other outlets. I pointed out a piece of poorly done journalism. I will continue to do that, since I have pretty high standards for reporting and journalism. I worked in that field for many, many years, and was held responsible for the accuracy and fairness of what I wrote. If something I wrote was as sloppily incorrect as this story was, I'd have been instantly out of a job.

There are standards. Certainly, the Internet has woefully diluted those standards, giving a platform for lousy reporting and writing wherever you turn. But, I don't have to accept those lousy results. And I won't.

You can do whatever you wish. I have no control over what you, or anyone else does on the Internet. I can only control what I do. Calling me to account for what others do is a waste of time. I don't write what they write. I am not them.

If you write to me about what others write, then you're aiming at the wrong target.

On DU, I'm not a journalist. I've never done political journalism. I've never been paid for any writing about politics. If I'm posting factual information, I use the same standards I have always used. If I'm writing humor, I write humor. If I criticize a story that is posted here because I think it was badly researched and is incorrect, I will do that.

You seem to find me a useful target for your scorn. That's OK with me. You're welcome to target me as much as you like. But, you will not do it without a response from me. If you have criticisms of something I've written, then post them, by all means. But if you criticize others in your posts to me, I will simply suggest that you go criticize them directly. That's what you can expect. If you address me with regard to something I have not written, but that you expect me to write, for some reason, then I will tell you that your criticism is misplaced.

The original story that triggered all of this was incorrect. It was wrong. It was amateurish in reporting, writing, and editing. If you wish to defend it, go right ahead.