The comment section of the Morgan Hill Times has been steadily
growing the past year or so, and with the increase comes the
racist, rude, and downright hurtful comments. The danger of the
comment section is its anonymity and its impersonalness. While this
can often free up people to voice their true thoughts, the same
sense of safety also encourages some people to say things that they
would never say to another person’s face.
The danger is its anonymity
The comment section of the Morgan Hill Times has been steadily growing the past year or so, and with the increase comes the racist, rude, and downright hurtful comments. The danger of the comment section is its anonymity and its impersonalness. While this can often free up people to voice their true thoughts, the same sense of safety also encourages some people to say things that they would never say to another person’s face.
For example, some of the postings from Realist are generalizations that demean an entire race due to the acts of a few. “It’s always Mexicans causing problems around here. I get angry responses saying I don’t know what I am talking about,” he writes about the police blotter.
Vast majority of postings are positive
As residents take advantage of the comment section and its unique ability to connect people of all walks of life in Morgan Hill, they must remember to practice empathy.
And, for sure, the vast majority of postings are empathetic and often constructive. There’s the postings offering condolences to the family that lost their 2-year-old twin girls in a drowning accident. There are the thoughtful debates regarding a medical marijuana dispensary in Gilroy. And then there is the somewhat friendly banter between Live Oak and Sobrato high school footballs fans, that acornfan seemed to put into perspective when he wrote: “Wow, isn’t all this getting way out of hand? Morgan Hill has two teams that they should be proud of and support … I for one am proud of both Sobrato and Live Oak. Let us let the kids have their high school rivalries and us adults keep it in perspective … Honor the game!”
Harness the power for positive and productive discussions
The vast majority of people on the comment board are regular folk who share a common interest – the success of Morgan Hill and the happiness of its residents.
Rather than using the relative safety of the comment board as an excuse to dispose of civility, let us harness its power to have productive discussions about the issues and city that matter most to us. The comment board is intended to reflect what the community thinks, and unfortunately some residents are racist. If you read something you believe is racist or goes overboard, post a thoughtful response.
We do remove any obscene language or libelous comments and we invite feedback as to what type of public dialogue we should have to further enhance the comment section. One final note. Jack Bates, the executive director of the California Newspaper Publishers Association, said he has no objection to free speech, but readers should keep in mind what they are reading. “What (a comments section) lacks is what newspapers are good at, which is providing a very good news source.” We couldn’t agree more.
