Welcome, SIJ! :)
I work in a notorious heavily-republican county. One of our representatives was recently speaking to folks at a nursing home during a reception in his honor. One woman commented during a Q&A time about how upset she was that a school recently outlawed prayer in a graduation ceremony, and expressed outrage that baccalaureate services could not be held in school or on school time.
"It's a sad day when we have to make that separation," the representative replied. "I don't see anything wrong with being able to pray at graduation," I wrote that he wrote, adding that graduates were going out to a harsh world and needed all the help they could get, that faith needs to be part of our whole life.
The woman followed up by asking if he saw long-term plans to put God back into the schools. Vaguely, he replied: "I sense a change in this country... maybe it's not a good one."
Maybe it's just me that finds this a bit astounding (the representative). Yes, I'm a Christian, but the nation was founded on freedom of religion.
As a reporter, (had I a publisher who'd let me mention it any way about it), is this something one should make a big deal about? How would you address this statement? Would you ignore it because he's indulging the elderly, or would you print it?
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3 comments:
Well, consider your audience. Would they consider it slander, loss of freedom of religion, etc? Is your paper read outside of the great red county?
I don't think this quote is anything spectacular in the the great red county. Nothing to make a flashy headline over - nobody cares about PC religious freedom there. But I think it could be mentioned in the article.
I don't think he's indulging the elderly. But you're right about the quote being vague--I wouldn't use it, simply for that reason (unless you got him to clarify exactly what he meant by the statement).
I think you're making a bigger deal out of this than you should. He didn't say whether the change was for or against faith in government, nor which side one might view this "not a good" change from. Ambiguity is the politician's friend, and they will use it as often as is necessary.
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