Sunday, October 24, 2004
‘We really do need new thinking ...’: More from Reader No. 1 on l’affaire Herald:
“Your reader with the 'breathtakingly dumb' observation (see update below) raises a good point, but pulls the trigger way too soon on judging whether or not good will come from it. If 'non-lethal' weapons don't have a lethal outcome again in Boston -- and future fan 'celebrations' are less dangerous -- those would be good outcomes. We won't know that for awhile. Let's heed the words of that very wise writer you quoted the other day.
“Eileen McNamara, as usual, gets it half-right (‘time for an inquest’) and half-staggeringly wrong with her call for a 'blue-ribbon panel' on the destructive behavior of fans. Please provide an example of ANY 'blue-ribbon panel' that has had salutary effects on public behavior. Blue-ribbon panels are not very good at moral issues, increasingly less so over the years. We really do need new thinking on this problem, as well as some old thinking (ie the Paddy Wagon)."
“Your reader with the 'breathtakingly dumb' observation (see update below) raises a good point, but pulls the trigger way too soon on judging whether or not good will come from it. If 'non-lethal' weapons don't have a lethal outcome again in Boston -- and future fan 'celebrations' are less dangerous -- those would be good outcomes. We won't know that for awhile. Let's heed the words of that very wise writer you quoted the other day.
“Eileen McNamara, as usual, gets it half-right (‘time for an inquest’) and half-staggeringly wrong with her call for a 'blue-ribbon panel' on the destructive behavior of fans. Please provide an example of ANY 'blue-ribbon panel' that has had salutary effects on public behavior. Blue-ribbon panels are not very good at moral issues, increasingly less so over the years. We really do need new thinking on this problem, as well as some old thinking (ie the Paddy Wagon)."
