J. David McSwain, the editor of Colorado State's Daily Collegian paper, got lucky this week. He's keeping his job after coming up fire for a two-word editorial chastising President Bush.
He should have been canned.
I am all for editorial freedom and I deeply believe in the First Amendment, but McSwain engaged in buffoonery that further tarnishes the reputation of journalists. The editorial, which read "Taser this: FUCK BUSH," was ostensibly in response to the tasering of a University of Florida student at a John Kerry event. Let's be clear: Bush didn't taser the kid. Overaggressive campus cops did and, despite your thoughts on Bush, he didn't encourage their behavior.
So the political statement is lost in a mixed metaphor of sorts.
Why should McSwain be fired? Quite frankly, the editorial was a grab for attention, not a provacative statement. Newspaper editorials should be thoughtful accounts of opinion, not trigger-happy zingers that have no literary value. The paper provided a disservice to its readers...and continues to do so, as advertisers jump ship.
McSwain proved to be an irresponsible editor and that's why he should have been fired.
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