Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Martin Beatch on November 14, 2014 at 2:39pm

I tried to get outraged by this one. I really did. But mostly, I just found it boring.

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Permalink Reply by Joe Guzzardo on November 14, 2014 at 7:59pm

Ok, here's what we do.

Let's start a fundraising drive to purchase the world's coolest bike and present it to John for Christmas. Once he takes that beauty out for a ride he will become a born again cyclist, guaranteed.

Having said that, the though occurred to me that maybe he never learned how to ride a 2 wheeler when he was a kid and his viewpoint is a reflection of that angst. 

Maybe the next Critical Mass bike ride should target John's 'hood. 

But maybe the original idea was the best. The Trib web site has become much harder to view since they redesigned it and most of the articles there (including John's column) are accessible only on a subscription basis. So I visit the Sun Times site more now for local news. If I'm going to pay for the privilege, I'd sooner get an online subscription to the New York Times, a much better news site.

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Permalink Reply by Juan 2-3 or more mi. on November 15, 2014 at 6:05am

One of the best quotes; This column makes it clear (perhaps clearer than ever before) that Kass derives perverse pleasure from bullying and baiting cyclists, who are already threatened, harassed, injured, and even killed simply for trying to get from one place to another. Cyclists are vulnerable to begin with, and this highly paid man with a huge public platform has made it his mission to foment hostility against them.

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Permalink Reply by Jaik S. on November 15, 2014 at 11:00am

Hint: Disable javascript when visiting the Tribune website. You can read everything free.

In Chrome, goto menu, more tools, then developer tools. On the right side of the screen there will be a gear/cog. Click that, then check the box that says disable javascript. Uncheck it to re-enable it.  

Joe Guzzardo said:

The Trib web site has become much harder to view since they redesigned it and most of the articles there (including John's column) are accessible only on a subscription basis.

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Permalink Reply by Nancy L. Fagin on November 16, 2014 at 11:51am

Years ago, an editor friend who worked with children's books, told me about a "subsitution" test she had, especially for older materials.  Would you still use "Indian madien" if it was "Jewish maiden" or "Indian brave" if the character was Italian?  So if one were to do a subsitution drill of Jon Kass' writing, who would even put up with "Little Polish People", "the little Black folk" or "Little People of Winnetka"? 

It is very ugly writing.  I have suspended my subscription to the Chicago Tribune.  I don't use the adveritizing, either.  

Nancy L. Fagin

Chicago

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Permalink Reply by David Barish on November 16, 2014 at 12:49pm

I think that makes sense but we have to understand that Kass is intentionally baiting bikers and is intending to write with irony.  I am no friend and find that his diminutives bounce back on his little foray into essay writing. He may have a decent salary at a large city paper but his little pieces really don't rise to the quallity expected in a high school paper.. That being said, his  little opinions do not come across as they would if he called me a little Jew. I really don't think he is that stupid or hateful. He is  not evil, he just lacks in ability and creativity. He is doing the best he can.  I think its much easier to see his little essays when viewed through the lens of an AYSO parent. He  is trying and  doing the best he can with the ability or lack thereof that he was born with. I see attacking Kass much the same way I saw the pooer  kid with Aspergers on my train last  week. He was on the quiet car and carrying on a dialogue with himself. I felt bad when another passenger started telling him to keep quiet. It was clear the kid was trying and doing the best he can.  Much like Kass, we have to  understand that some people only have so much to give and we can't expect more out of them.  I would not cancel my subscription to the Tribune based on him. True, his little pieces have been tarnishing page two for many years. True, using him as a replacement for Mike Royko is like having Abe Gibron replace Bill Belichick. I have considered cancelling my subscription based on their political endorsements over the years but have kept it because I want to have a paper that hires union photographers. I just gloss over the little waste of space on page two and move on to the news. Still Nancy, your decision differs from mine but I understand it and cannot really question it. Not a "little" bit.

Nancy L. Fagin said:

Years ago, an editor friend who worked with children's books, told me about a "subsitution" test she had, especially for older materials.  Would you still use "Indian madien" if it was "Jewish maiden" or "Indian brave" if the character was Italian?  So if one were to do a subsitution drill of Jon Kass' writing, who would even put up with "Little Polish People", "the little Black folk" or "Little People of Winnetka"? 

It is very ugly writing.  I have suspended my subscription to the Chicago Tribune.  I don't use the adveritizing, either.  

Nancy L. Fagin

Chicago

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Permalink Reply by Anne Alt on November 17, 2014 at 4:39am

Agreed. It sums up the problem very well. Similarly, radio personalities with large audiences can make things worse for us by stirring up anti-bike sentiment.
 
Juan 2-8 mi. said:

One of the best quotes; This column makes it clear (perhaps clearer than ever before) that Kass derives perverse pleasure from bullying and baiting cyclists, who are already threatened, harassed, injured, and even killed simply for trying to get from one place to another. Cyclists are vulnerable to begin with, and this highly paid man with a huge public platform has made it his mission to foment hostility against them.

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Permalink Reply by Doug Haynes on November 17, 2014 at 4:50am

I think we should all take a moment and contemplate how lucky we are that we have it so good in life we have free time to get this upset about what a moron says in the paper.

Is this really something that is worth investing time in?

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Permalink Reply by OLB 0.1 on November 17, 2014 at 5:08am

Thanks for the tip. I'll probably use it for some of the other content, but I'm also leaning towards getting my news elsewhere. Their site has been getting progressively more annoying with the advertising and is seldom worth the hassle.

Jaik S. said:

Hint: Disable javascript when visiting the Tribune website. You can read everything free.

In Chrome, goto menu, more tools, then developer tools. On the right side of the screen there will be a gear/cog. Click that, then check the box that says disable javascript. Uncheck it to re-enable it.  

Joe Guzzardo said:

The Trib web site has become much harder to view since they redesigned it and most of the articles there (including John's column) are accessible only on a subscription basis.

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Permalink Reply by David Lieb on November 17, 2014 at 6:38am

Since, as you say, it is a commercial paper and makes decisions based on things like circulation, the only solution that has any probability of success is to address the commercial viability of his vitriol. Merely unsubscribing to the Trib removes all of your ammunition in one shot which, although somewhat gratifying, lacks much chance of succeeding in your goals. Perhaps it would be more effective to look at the advertisers on the pages of the paper which are visible when reading his column and write to these companies and point out that you cannot bring yourself to patronize an enterprise which appears to be endorsing the views of a person who is stirring up hate against you and, in fact, is endangering your life. Eventually, it is possible that the Trib will have difficulty selling those spaces. If it is clear to them that it is because of the Kass content on that page, they will reluctantly take steps to protect their income.

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