Editorial
It's not easy, believe us
Editorial Staff
Issue date: 5/15/09 Section: Opinion
Because of a recent opinion piece in El Paisano that was critical of the Associated Student Body, tempers and letters started to fly.
Every two weeks the Journalism students of Rio Hondo put out a newspaper, by the name of El Paisano, in order to inform the people of Rio Hondo as to what is happening. This is done out of love for our craft and love of Rio Hondo.
It's true. Rio Hondo and its people have allowed us to achieve great goals; some may even call them dreams. We have met and had great adventures with great students and what we do, we do in order to raise Rio Hondo up.
We know that ASB members and all club members put in a lot of hard work and do a lot of good. We also put in extremely long hours and work just as hard as ASB or any other school entity.
In fact, every two weeks we Journalism students put ourselves out there in the form of our articles, for the whole school to judge and judge us they do! This includes every instructor and staff member on campus. How many instructors can say that they would publish every report or paper that they received from each student? That's what we do.
Can you imagine writing an essay or report and putting it out for the entire school to judge every two weeks? Few on this campus can.
Yet, we know what we're getting into and we take it in stride. We don't go complain when people accuse us of not getting quotes right or snicker and laugh and say things such as "You know El Paisano (wink wink)." Even though we go through excruciating pains to make sure quotes are always right.
It's simply amazing what people will claim they "didn't say" once they see it in print.
Yes, we know what the score is because we're adults. We know that we're out there and people are going to judge us and thus, it bewilders the mind when others such as ASB don't realize their roles as well.
Recently, a greater concern has arisen; El Paisano has been told that the ASB had wanted to "Boycott" the newspaper. Some even wanted to "get rid of" El Paisano. These are the democratically elected students who live in a Democracy where the ultimate freedom is, freedom of the press.
It is in dictatorships, and communist countries, that they remove the free press. What Stalinist genius in the ASB, who wants to serve in government, thought of the boycott concept?
Is this the type of governance that ASB is learning? If someone doesn't agree with you, eliminate them.
It bears quoting Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Potter Stewart, when he said "Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime."
This is what the Rio Hondo community must remember. When a track coach is fired, when students are not allowed to carry signs at a rally, when the Wray Theater has an event or perhaps to inform the students about the study abroad program, it's the El Paisano that is the best vehicle to get the word and the truth out.
The community may look at the paper and laugh and jeer, but in actuality the more they ridicule, the more they hurt themselves.
Every two weeks the Journalism students of Rio Hondo put out a newspaper, by the name of El Paisano, in order to inform the people of Rio Hondo as to what is happening. This is done out of love for our craft and love of Rio Hondo.
It's true. Rio Hondo and its people have allowed us to achieve great goals; some may even call them dreams. We have met and had great adventures with great students and what we do, we do in order to raise Rio Hondo up.
We know that ASB members and all club members put in a lot of hard work and do a lot of good. We also put in extremely long hours and work just as hard as ASB or any other school entity.
In fact, every two weeks we Journalism students put ourselves out there in the form of our articles, for the whole school to judge and judge us they do! This includes every instructor and staff member on campus. How many instructors can say that they would publish every report or paper that they received from each student? That's what we do.
Can you imagine writing an essay or report and putting it out for the entire school to judge every two weeks? Few on this campus can.
Yet, we know what we're getting into and we take it in stride. We don't go complain when people accuse us of not getting quotes right or snicker and laugh and say things such as "You know El Paisano (wink wink)." Even though we go through excruciating pains to make sure quotes are always right.
It's simply amazing what people will claim they "didn't say" once they see it in print.
Yes, we know what the score is because we're adults. We know that we're out there and people are going to judge us and thus, it bewilders the mind when others such as ASB don't realize their roles as well.
Recently, a greater concern has arisen; El Paisano has been told that the ASB had wanted to "Boycott" the newspaper. Some even wanted to "get rid of" El Paisano. These are the democratically elected students who live in a Democracy where the ultimate freedom is, freedom of the press.
It is in dictatorships, and communist countries, that they remove the free press. What Stalinist genius in the ASB, who wants to serve in government, thought of the boycott concept?
Is this the type of governance that ASB is learning? If someone doesn't agree with you, eliminate them.
It bears quoting Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, Potter Stewart, when he said "Censorship reflects society's lack of confidence in itself. It is a hallmark of an authoritarian regime."
This is what the Rio Hondo community must remember. When a track coach is fired, when students are not allowed to carry signs at a rally, when the Wray Theater has an event or perhaps to inform the students about the study abroad program, it's the El Paisano that is the best vehicle to get the word and the truth out.
The community may look at the paper and laugh and jeer, but in actuality the more they ridicule, the more they hurt themselves.
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