Commenters Bash Cops on Addy Indy Site
The Addison Independent recently put a controversial poll on its website, asking if readers think the police are doing enough to find missing Middlebury student Nicholas Garza.
The poll has generated 727 votes, and two pages of reader comments, many of them critical of the Middlebury PD. Apparently, the cops asked the Indy to take down the poll, and editor/publisher Angelo Lynn refused.
This is from Lynn's comment on the poll:
The criticism of the Middlebury Police Department is no reason to take the issue off the site. Rather, the police department and its supporters should view this discourse as a measure of public concern, frustration and anxiety about Nick Garza’s disappearance. By understanding the frustration and anxiety, they can better respond to that aspect of the operation.
The Indy is moderating comments to some degree — their web editor has posted a statement on the homepage about the discussion.
Speaking as a member of the website team at the Addison Independent, it is great to have comments coming onto the site. However, several comments have been removed due to personal attacks and relevance to the subject.
I know many people feel very strongly about this issue, but there is no need for name calling or direct attacks on individuals. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and are free to post their comments here. Remember that your opinion carries no more or no less weight than anyone else's.
Because this section of the website is for public input on various topics and this topic remains at the forefront of community discussion, we are not going to remove the poll by suggestion and/or pressure from community members or public services. You have the right to participate in the discussion or to ignore the discussion entirely.
If you feel there are comments that are inappropriate for the discussion, please "report as spam".
