Am I the only one who thinks your survey question this morning (30 June) is a little strange? 

You asked, "Do you thnk blogging has helped or hurt the news industry?"  Your answer choices are "yes" and "no". 

Helped OR hurt?  Yes or no?  Now, I could understand if you had asked if we thought blogging had helped the industry or if we thought it hurt the industry, but pray tell, how do you answer yes or no the the question asked?  If the answer is yes, that means that blogging has helped or hurt the industry.  If the answer is no, that means that blogging has neither helped nor hurt the industry. 

Look what one accusation has done.  The city is split.  Five indictments so far and we might not be through yet.  Many want to hang the former sheriff from a tall tree.  Some want to ride the District Attorney out of town on a rail.  There are threats to recall the entire city council.  All because of one acccusation. 

Let's talk responsibility for a moment.  There is a guy who claims to be the victim of sexual assault by the former sheriff and he says he wants justice.  If he was interested in obtaining justice, why didn't he come forward at the time he says he was assaulted?  Crime victims have a responsibility to report the crimes.  If not reported, the police cannot investigate.  If not reported for more than nine years, the police investigation is exceedingly difficult.  Evidence disappears, witnesses forget or die or move away.  In this case, the victim didn't report the alleged assault because he was embarrassed.  It was his responsibility to make a crime against him known to the authorities regardless of any embarrassment he might have felt if he truly wanted justice.  A person's life must not be destroyed by an unsubstantiated allegation.  It is the responsibility of the police, the District Attorney and, indeed, the newspapers to make sure they don't publicly accuse someone of a sordid crime soley on the accusation of a so-called victim.

It is the responsibility of the District Attorney to try a case in court, not in the newspapers.  I think Tyler has done a good job of this.  I don't know what kind of evidence he has -- or thinks he has -- because grand jury proceedings are secret.  Apparantly the grand jury thinks there is something to the allegations because they handed down an indictment against the former sheriff.

It is the responsibility of the police brass and the mayor and other city officials to not interfere with an investigation.  If they think it is being handled in a slipshod manner, it is their responsibility to take those concerns to the DA, not the local newspaper.

It is the responsibility of the local newspaper to ask questions of anyone the editors think might give them information.  In the final analysis that is what newspapers are for -- keeping an eye on public officials and ensuring that politicians do their jobs.  It is not the responsibility of the newspaper to withhold information with which people supply them.  It is, rather, the responsibility of the person being questioned to know what can and cannot be told to the reporter.  If someone shoots off his mouth because it makes him feel important or if he has a grudge against someone else, the responsibility for that lies at his feet, not the reporter.

Where did the Advocate get that disgusting cartoon for the editorial page today (23 June)?  We can have all the oil that washes up on the beach for free...This is an outrage.  Texas beaches may not be the cleanest in the world, but, it isn't because of off-shore drilling.  I see all sorts of litter and trash left by people who go to the beach, but, I have never stepped into oil from an off-shore well.