Influential?

It seems certain people and entities have done all they can to dismiss the importance of a new local Political Action Committee (PAC). The Connect Duluth PAC has been maligned by so many people you'd think they are the enemy of the State. They have been branded right wing extremists, bigots, racist, homophobes, hate mongerers, etc. The Tribune has gone so far out of their way to malign this group, they have spent more time investigating them and a related blog than they have on Herb Bergson's recent "accident" or on the looming unfunded health care liability the City of Duluth faces.

So why all the hubub about a group of Duluthians? If you read their website at connectduluth.com, you won't find anything inflammatory, hateful or distasteful. You will find quite the opposite. They have numerous articles featuring research and statistics that likely make the Tribune reporters blush with humility. The facts and figures presented on this site are impressive in scope and depth.

There is a "Links" section featuring links to sites all across the political spectrum. Also linked there is the Duluth Citizens Blog, a blog originally operated by Connect Duluth but ultimately spun off due to concerns that it might cause them to run afoul of PAC laws. It is now found at duluthcitizensblog.com. This is another forum that has stirred controversy and has also been branded with similar unflattering labels and smeared aggressively by the Tribune. However, if you read it, you will see that it is merely an open discussion among Duluthians and some former or non-Duluthians.

It is a moderated discussion to some degree and there are screeners who filter out the garbage and comment at times about the subject matter being discussed. While people speak freely and at times passionately, the discussion is intelligent and civil. Isn't this precisely what so many in our community have been calling for? Open, intelligent, thoughtful discussion from all sides is what is truly needed to solve the City's biggest problems. However, again, the Tribune and specifically, reporter Scott Thistle have gone to great lengths to smear, demean and silence this important forum.

Several others, who I care not mention have also gone out of their way to smear, demean, silence and predict the demise of the Duluth Citizen's Blog. Despite their efforts, it is the single most popular, heavily visited discussion forum in the City of Duluth. Why is it so popular? People are allowed to post under anonymous pseudonyms. The cloak of anonymity without the fear of reprisal for speaking one's mind keeps this forum alive and vibrant.

Why would one want to silence such an important and constructive forum? Maybe, it is becoming too influential. The efforts of the Tribune and their reporters have been to claim this forum is bad for Duluth and promotes hate speech and hateful rhetoric. Go there and read it yourself. You will see, nothing could be farther from the truth. If anything, the Moderators have gone overboard in their efforts to keep the forum civil. The fact remains that this is the most heavily participated and viewed forum in the City of Duluth.

The Tribune has had a monopoly on public opinion and influence for so long, and recently purchased all but the smallest independent local papers, further cementing their monopoly. Knight Ridder has gone to great lengths and great expense and risk to "buy" this monopoly. It does stand to reason that they see any challenge to this monopoly as a threat and will do anything in their power, including slanderous accusations, libelous reporting and outright intimidation to silence this voice of reason in Duluth. Unfortunately for the Tribune, recent court decisions have upheld a person's right to anonymityon the internet. Courts have been reluctant to get sucked into cyber-suits involving discussions on the internet as to do so would be in direct conflict with the right to free speech.

So the next time you read an article in the Tribune dismissing or demeaning a local internet forum, go to the forum and read it yourself. You will see what the Tribune is afraid of. Radical views are not the norm as they are propagated by the Tribune. More moderate, thoughtful and generally better informed views are presented and real solutions are being discussed. The real fear of the Tribune...Competition. Just like respect, influence is earned, not purchased, a lesson long ago forgotten by the Publisher of the Duluth News Tribune.