I thank all the Collegian staff for their willingness to promote all of the positive aspects of my campaign to the CSUF student body. Much thankful.

DREAM Act, Universal preschool and university education, amnesty ahora, progressive tax brackets, full union membership, affirmative action, expansion of Title IX, bilingual schools, driver licensing for undocumented workers, and only 6 more years in Iraq!!!

I agree that this piece did not express support for a particular candidate or political point of view. It simply gave an opinion on the wisdom of using Fresno High as a backdrop for a campaign stop. Certainly nothing inappropriate there. Furthermore, even if the piece did take a side, the opinion section is the place for it.

Where I do part from whatever, is in the belief that the opinion section is the same as the editorial section, with the terms completely interchangeable. You quite correctly point out that an editorial is an expression of the editorial staff views (though it is not correct to suggest it reflects the views of all editors unless that is the case). And an editorial belongs in the opinion section. Yet, the opinion section is not the sole domain of the editorial staff, nor should it be. You point to the fact that newspapers usually have a letters section for reader opinion but ignore that these same papers also have columnists who write opinion pieces. These columnists should not reflect only the view of the collective editorial staff opinion, but a range of views and differing perspectives (unless you are the NY Times).
I have not found the Collegian opinion section particularly unbalanced this year. A range of views have been expressed, which is as it should be. Yet, it is also true that most of the topics don’t deal with political issues and it will be interesting to see if the balance remains as we head deeper into the political season.

In your hasty, rigid liberal vs. conservative outrage above, you fail to realize the point of this ridiculous argument.

You said the opinion section was a place to present both sides of a story. This is wrong. The editorial portion of a newspaper presents the editors’ opinion and why they think you should agree with them. Usually a paper will have a letters to the editor section for reader opinion.

The paper’s editorial section might get a little long if everyone’s opinion was included. “Some people say baby-eating is A-OK!”

If you don’t agree with their viewpoint, go ahead and call them out on it. But suggesting that your opinion is more valid than theirs based alone on the fact that your opinion exists is pretty lame.

This editorial even lacked any political opinion, besides saying democratic candidates shouldn’t ignore Fresno.

It looks as if you read this, got really mad because you don’t like Hillary, and started typing whatever popped into your head.

The Collegian Freelance Writer Comment

And one correction, i have read a newspaper before, several in fact, and it seems the majority are always on the left wing, and if this is representative which cleary it is as you all pointed out, then its amazing and appalling actually, since I was taught to believe the majority rule also, that so many conservatives are elected.

Even though its obvious I am conservative, if this is the case and liberals are in this overwelming majority and simply are forgeting to vote or something, then by all means something should be done so that the majority is properly represented.

In fact now that I’ve had time to examine this, maybe Hilary’s decision to come to Fresno was wise because maybe its only voters who are conservative and most non-voters are opposite but are blind, as I am, thinking conservatives will always take the vote in this area and therefore not bothering to go to the polls. This makes Hilary’s efforts worth some applause, if its indeed the case.

So forgive me, I will no longer offer my childish views on the world to this site, in fact I’ve just been informed that there is a rule against my doing so, but in this instance I felt the need to defend myself and apoligize.

Thank you for helping me realize my errors.

The Collegian Freelance Writer Comment

Forgive me for i was wrong, I suppose the majoity at Fresno State differs from that of the Valley as a whole, I still had it in my mind that most voters in the area were conservative. Obviously the term liberal education escaped my mind. I’ll roll over and play dead now.

I didn’t say you weren’t.

The Collegian Staff Comment

Moral, argumentative and judgmental was meant as a single unit, not as individual qualities.

I don’t think anyone this side of Scott Neyman would disagree with me being called either the most argumentative or most judgmental person on the staff.

The Collegian Staff Comment

Selected comments from the Web site will be featured in Friday’s edition of The Collegian as a part of the regular Web-Spe@k feature.

This piece is intended to reflect the views of The Collegian’s editorial staff.

Apparently Valerie hasn’t read a newspaper before. It’s never too late to start though, so don’t feel bad. Being wrong is forgivable, but the problem here is that you wrote as if you knew what you were talking about.

What kind of Opinion (editorial) piece takes the bold stance of, “Many choices exist and there is no wrong answer” ?

Newspapers have a powerful ability to affect public opinion. The editorial section presents the opinion of the publication’s editors and tries to convince readers to do or think something in a certain manner.

This editorial merely applauds Clinton’s choice to come to Fresno High.

Regular hard news stories (a bank was robbed, someone got shot, etc etc) are the ones that are supposed to be free of opinion.

And I think Baxter should write a column about why he is the most moral person on The Collegian staff!

The Collegian Staff Comment

I hate to accuse someone of being naive, but you seem to miss the point of an editorial.

Newspapers print no dissent. There is one opinion, the consensus opinion of the majority. That’s what newspaper staffers write into an editorial.

I’m the last person at The Collegian who’d support Hillary, but I can openly applaud the political savvy in choosing Fresno High School.

I’m probably the most moral, argumentative and judgmental person working at The Collegian, and I can still appreciate political finesse.

Using this editorial as evidence of the liberal media misses the point completely. The editorial says, in part:

“While the staff of The Collegian stands divided on our support of Clinton as a candidate, we applaud the candidate for the extent to which her visitation might help facilitate political discussion…”

I’ve said several times that writing skills are the most important part of being involved with student journalism.

It seems, Valerie, that you’ve proved me wrong.

If the staff is divided, why would all appluad?? You address critics by dismissing their claim. Last I heard an opinion page is suppose to display all viewpoints, even ones the majority don’t agree with.

This short summary of the opinions expressed seems bias and liberal, and though I didn’t expect the short novel I wrote to appear in the collegian, I expected maybe a line of it along with lines of other views, suportive of mine and opposing. Definetly didn’t expect this dose of bull.

It makes conservatives, or anyone who dislikes hilary for that matter, look like dogs willing to play dead and appluad people they don’t like or agree with because they suposedly are to moral or something to stand up for their political ideology.

Next time be respectful and just stick to using quotes from the student comments, it just comes out more balanced that way, and makes it look like the liberal media at Fresno state is at least attempting to be open-minded.

For venue I would’ve argued for the SSU or SMC here on campus. Fresno High? Were three teachers not assaulted on that campus in 2006-07?