tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post2085747529203005763..comments2024-02-19T08:12:53.815-05:00Comments on The Right Thing: Whose past is it, anyway?Jeffrey L. Seglinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15648051034425906705noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post-69376668561679677922011-10-30T17:01:54.558-04:002011-10-30T17:01:54.558-04:00As I read this example, I had just finished watchi...As I read this example, I had just finished watching a feature on The Military Channel about the life of Adolf Hitler and the feature was about how Hitler and the Nazis with practically no protest by the German people nearly erased an entire group (Jews) from the face of the earth simply because they were Jews. And, in today's example, we have a person who knows something about an associate which is not exactly nice and in fact is simply about some very bad things, yet happened in the long ago past and yet this person is worrying over whether he should report this person because he thinks it is necessary and by so doing, might be the cause of this person losing his job. Have we come to the place where knowledge about something like this burns such a hole in the conscience of the would-be squealer that he considers ruining this man's livihood? What a monster! Isn't there a saying, "are we not our brother's keeper?" <br /><br />Charlie Seng<br />Lancaster, SCAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21166579.post-38110462329148533582011-10-30T09:58:58.869-04:002011-10-30T09:58:58.869-04:00Jeffrey,
As a general rule, misdeeds of the long ...Jeffrey,<br /><br />As a general rule, misdeeds of the long past should probably be left in the past. To that end, most employers only ask about convictions in the last ten years. And don't even get me started about how plagiarism is more if an academic faux paus than it is a crime... but journalism appears to be one arena where this history matters.<br /><br />All three "youthful discretions": the plagiarism, the falsification of work product and the shoplifting reflect on the honesty (or lack thereof) of the person. Since a publication rises and falls on the honesty of its writers and several major publications have suffered large scandals when their writers have turned out to be less than honest (See Zachery Kouwe and the New York Times) then yes, I would say that, if your reader values having a truthful publication, he should inform the editors of these facts and let them make the determination on what and how to inform the readers.<br /><br />The decision on whether to inform the editors or cover for a former friend speaks volumes as to the reader's character.<br /><br />William Jacobson<br />Anaheim, CAWilliam Jacobsonnoreply@blogger.com