LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Monday, June 30, 2008

Ken Harty Presents Racist Opinion as "Worth Thinking About"

Ken Harty, the publisher of the Wahpeton Daily News, owned by Wick Communications of Arizona, presents a racist meme as worth considering by the people of Richland County.

I base this statement on "Iowa flooding raises questions by Ken Harty, Publisher."

Ken Harty bylined this "Opinion" as Ken Harty, Publisher of the Wahpeton Daily News -- even though he didn't actually, you know write it himself, or least didn't write most of it. He presented that viral meme of righwingrethuggery, "an e-mail from a friend," sans any verification addresses, phone numbers, e-mail or url citations. IOW, this whole thing was made up, but Ken Harty made the choice himself, to spread this lying, racist meme into the minds of the people of Richland County. He's not reporting a racist meme as news. He's presenting it as his opinion. Since this meme consists of lies of omission and commission, logical fallacies of false equivalents, and of straw men, why did he choose to spread it?

There can be only one answser. Ken Harty chose to spread a racist meme because he favors racist thinking.

My friends who live in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri and, yes, Louisiana, have been watching and discussing these catastrophic spring and early summer floods since before they began. Friends who live in Wisconsin fought over a 100 feet of snow over the course of the winter. They knew floods were bound to happen. When flooding of this extent happens upriver, the downriver Mississippi communities -- and, inevitably, New Orleans are affected. Again, the city has flooded because of the volume of water pouring down the river from Iowa, in particular. The levees just barely held. New Orleanians are still holding their breath.

In another entry I will break down Ken Harty's 'opinion'. Ken Harty tried to fool people into thinking that if he presented racism as an 'opinion' no one would notice that it was HIS opinion. A lie is still a lie, even when presented as 'opinion.' And so is racism

4 comments:

Foxessa said...

Do you think this is the same family?

Harty's Boat Rental Bait Shop and Moorings
1920 E Medicine Lake Blvd
Plymouth, MN 55441-4235

Ken Harty doesn't live in Wahpeton, or even in North Dakota.

He lives in Fergus Falls, the eastern gateway to Minnesota's Land of a Thousand Lakes.

Foxessa said...

My goodness, there are a lot of Hartys in Minnesota. Some even claim a family crest!

Foxessa said...

Ken Harty can be asked questions here:

kenh@wahpetondailynews.com

Wick Communications can be contacted here:

Suite 302
Sierra Vista, AZ 85635-1756
Phone: 520-458-0200
Fax: 520-458-6166
www.wicknet.com

Please do!

Foxessa said...

harty thanked me for my opinion via e-mail, i.e., he paid no attention to it. Auto response.

Exactly what one would expect.