At a loss: Sometimes shock delays an appropriate response

We've had the distinct pleasure of speaking with a great number of our readers recently, given the many changes you have undoubtedly witnessed us go through here at the News-Argus.

Some of those interactions have come at events to which we have been invited to speak or attend. Many more have come via phone call or letters to the editor, the latter of which you might have seen printed in this section of the newspaper.

Some have canceled their subscriptions due to any number of the recent changes, others have renewed because of them. And so it goes. In any business there is turnover. When someone does, however, call or come by to cancel or stops us when they see us to tell us why they have done so, we always listen closely to see what the reason was. Maybe there was something we can change or do a better job of in the future to try to win that person's business back, or if there was some indefensible transgression we committed that resulted in our losing that person's trust or confidence, we need to know that also.

In any case we are almost always disappointed to see them go. Almost.

One person recently shared with us his rationale as to why he made the decision to longer subscribe, and to his explanation we had no immediate response.

After considering what was said, we are satisfied that our lack of response was, at the time, the correct one. Also, so as not to paint any group with a broad brush as this person chose to do, we will not disclose the person's name or affiliation because we truly don't believe their perspective is that of the larger group.

The comment was made that the decision to no longer receive the News-Argus was made because this person was tired of seeing, and he used the N-word here, on the front page of the paper eating watermelon and fishing.

Other than our shared pigmentation, we cannot figure out why this person felt so comfortable in saying such a thing in so casual a manner in which it was said.  Upon further reflection we feel confident that it speaks more about the person who said it than it does us. And so, given the time to ponder it some, we have crafted what we believe to be a well-thought out, metered response which we regret not having been able to think of on the spot.

"Bye."

Published in Editorials on January 2, 2018 10:04 PM