Monday 1 June 2009

Cairns Post issues apology to Mayor

Following my exposure of the hate-filled letter in the Cairns Post on Saturday, they have issued an apology to both the Mayor, and arthritis sufferers.
In today's Post apologised to those "who were offended by a letter on the topic."
Good on them for doing that, however, the real question is why it was published in the first place.
I think that the letter writer as well, one Jeff Barnes of Callum Street, Mooroobool, needs to apologise as well.

Didn't get your letter published?

Following a reader suggestion, I am pleased to announce a new regular CairnsBlog column, for all those that have sent a letter or online message to the Cairns Post, but it was never published.

Simply email CairnsPostSaidNo@CairnsBlog.net and I'll share it with the world.
Meanwhile, in Saturdays and also this morning's edition of the region's favourite daily, there's no mention what so ever about the Cash for Comments Investigator's report that is being locked away by Cairns Regional Council CEO? Why's that?

11 comments:

Unknown said...

that to me is an insincere apology to the mayor, and only serves to highlight the problems that the community has with the Cairns Post

S. Northy said...

I agree Unda. As a local, I have been just appalled at the lowering of standards at "The Cairns Post" since Alan Hudson retired as Editor. Alan would never allow anything as vindictive as that into his paper. Moreover, he would never have approved of Gavin King's commentary either.

Syd Walker said...

Once an apology is forthcoming, it's pure blood sport from then on, as demonstrated recently by the pursuit of Pope Benedict on the occasion of his visit to apartheid Israel.

I wish to record my outrage at today's Cairns Post apology, which is grossly inadequate.

I don't suffer from arthritis, but I for one was deeply offended by the notorious 'gangplank' letter. I know others who feel the same.

How dare the Cairns Post offend us again - this time by publishing a niggardly, conditional apology, far too limited in scope!

I demand a fullsome, front-page apology to EVERYONE for publishing the naff letter - including the letter writer himself, whose silly and unpleasant views been been exposed to public ridicule.

The Post should also apologize for being such a crappy local rag for years on end, with national and overseas 'news' contributed by the even more revolting pro-war News Corp Empire, which really merits a detailed apology stretching over every page of the Cairns Post for at least a month.

Apology on this scale would calm me down a little, but I can't speak for everyone. Some people are really cross. :-)

CBD Warrior said...

What a bunch of crybabies.

I don't see Michael Moore apologising to the city worker at the library he's slandered.

Denis Walls said...

Sorry S Northy but Alan Hudson IS the letters' page editor.

St. Lil at Yorkeys said...

I would not believe that Alan Hudson, who does have good journalistic credentials, & edited the Post for years, would have allowed such nonsense to be published. Perhaps it was his night off?
And perhaps Gavin King came back just to fill in some time? Just a joke, but Andrew Webster needs to fire whoever allowed that one to be filed & printed.
Whomever, whatever, it was totally offensive. I watched my mother struggle with arthitis for years, & have a friend with rheumatoid arthritis, & it is definitely no laughing matter, it bloody hurts, a lot.

Pat Macquarie of Cairns said...

The address and phone number you published for Jeff Barnes is wrong. He is not the letter writer. There must be another J Barnes in Mooroobool.
You got it wrong, again.
Shame you defamed an innnocent person in the process.
Heard from his lawyer yet?

Pat Macquarie of Cairns said...

Syd Walker said: "I demand a fullsome, front-page apology..."

Syd, climb out of your ignorance and look up the meaning of "fullsome" in the dictionary.

Syd Walker said...

Hi Pat Macquarie of Cairns. Because I hate being shown up by a sarcastic pedant, I took your advice.

This is what Answers.com says:

Fulsome: adj.
Offensively flattering or insincere. See synonyms at unctuous.
Offensive to the taste or sensibilities.


So it seems at first you are right, Pat. I had used a most inappropriate word for my purpose... or had I?

There's also a usage note (emphasis added):

USAGE NOTE Fulsome is often used to mean “offensively flattering or insincere.” But the word is also used, particularly in the expression fulsome praise, to mean simply “abundant,” without any implication of excess or insincerity. This usage is etymologically justified but may invite misunderstandings in contexts in which a deprecatory interpretation could be made. The sentence I offer you my most fulsome apologies may raise an eyebrow, where the use of an adjective like full or abundant would leave no room for doubt as to the sincerity of the speaker's intentions.
_________________

Advice: Before you try to drop a bucket of swill on someone else, Pat - best to read beyond the first few lines. Otherwise you might just drop it on your own flat foot, as in this instance.

(Incidentally, various spellings of 'fulsome' seem to be in use, including 'fullsome' - although the former is, I think, more common.)

Pedant Pat Macquarie of Cairns said...

Yeah Syd, it is used in that sense by ignoramuses worldwide. I seem to remember that Prez Bill Clinton was famouly fulsome in his apology for lying to the American public over the Monica Lewinsky thing.

Syd Walker said...

Pat - the problem appears to be that we don't all have ready access to the Only Definitive Universal Dictionary of the English Language by Pat Macquarie of Cairns.

Perhaps you could post it online?

Now get over it Pat. You tried to be a smart-ass but you muffed it.

No further correspondence will be entered into on this matter...