Dear Editor,

As a mass communication freshman eager to explore The Maroon, I picked up this year’s first issue and began to read. Overall, I was quite pleased with the paper. Then I reached page 15.

After finishing Sergio Lobo-Navia’s column ‘McCain continues Bush policy.’ I was appalled and quite upset with my first impression of The Maroon. I couldn’t believe what I had just read was in Loyola’s paper, for it would have been much more appropriate in a slanderous online blog. I understand it was a column expressing his opinion, which he is absolutely entitled to, but in my opinion, this column crossed a line. It went beyond opinionated and was downright hateful.

The amount of slander, disrespect and complete lack of journalistic tact was shocking. If this young man sees no other reason to give John McCain and George Bush any respect, he should at least consider the fact they are elders and fellow countrymen. That should be more than enough to have prevented him from attacking McCain’s service in Vietnam and using the repulsive pun that “after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, President Bush hijacked our horrors and anxieties.”

Was any consideration even given to the fact that this column was printed within two weeks of the Sept. 11 anniversary? This wasn’t about party affiliation, although Lobo-Navia’s title of being “slightly left” seems like an understatement. In writing this, Lobo-Navia offended Republican and Democratic politicians, war veterans, Sept. 11 victims and their loved ones, voters and countless others. I had heard so many wonderful things about The Maroon. However, after reading this vicious rant I was left with a horrible first impression that will take time and better journalism to forget. Hopefully “The Maroon” will be more discerning in the future, unless they are trying to turn into a trashy biased tabloid.

Sincerely,

Kaitlin Christopherson

mass communication freshman