Comments on: The ‘particularly vicious blogger’ in the Trib today?

By: Wacky Mommy

Wacky Mommy — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:49:12 +0000

So you all have actually read the book, right? And not just the excerpts or the reviews? (I posted a review on my blog today, fyi.) It’s an outstanding book, well-researched and well-written. Denfeld is the first author to fully delve into this topic so I give her kudos for that.

For what it’s worth, I didn’t think the article in the Trib, or in today’s Oregonian (2/4/07) did anything to “glamorize” the problem or the book. And the book doesn’t make the Thantos family, or any of the other people involved, look glamorous or enticing. It’s a book that makes you want to throw up after you read it. It’s brutal. The smaller details and the bigger picture are terrifying. I think it’s important we talk about the problem — which is a huge problem, are we in agreement on that? — and not attack Denfeld.

Your saying, “Do I wish I’d been a little gentler? Yep – and in fact, I said so myself a day later in the post itself…” is not the same as saying, “I was wrong to say this,” and yanking the post. So do you think you were wrong?

By: Nick Budnick

Nick Budnick — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 11:47:35 +0000

Betsy,
What your post attributes to a “sidebar” by me was actually an excerpt from the book by Rene Denfeld. That’s why what you linked to began with the words:

‘The following is an excerpt from “All God’s Children: Inside the Dark and Violent World of Street Families” by Rene Denfeld.’

I never wrote a single word about you or your blog– nor Chuck Currie, for that matter. My name appears elsewhere in the package because I interviewed Denfeld and wrote a sidebar based on interviews with a couple of social service providers and cops.

BTW, I am a fan of MWIL — one of my favorite blog names — and had been meaning to drop you a line to that effect months ago.

By: Old Horsetail Snake

Old Horsetail Snake — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:34:46 +0000

Well, at least you knew what you meant — and that’s all that should count.

By: terrilynn

terrilynn — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:06:24 +0000

My problem then – and now – is in our collective willingness to wallow in the easy sentimentality instead of doing the hard work necessary to prevent another child’s loss.

Yes, this. It’s one of my real hot-button issues and I’m glad you spoke your piece.

And no, you weren’t vicious; you weren’t even snarky.

By: Zee

Zee — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 06:38:18 +0000

I don’t want to come off as defending that reporter (because not contacting you was just not ok or good journalism, as far as I can see) but it is possible that he included more information/context in his originally story that was cut out (because of space concerns, typically) by an editor after he turned it in. When I worked at The O, a couple reporters I knew had “before and after” versions of their stories taped up to their filing cabinets – shining examples of what copy editors can do to a once-insightful (or at least balanced) story.

Again, I’m not defending or justifying; just saying it’s possible he was more balanced to start out with.