THE BORDER REPORT

A few words about comments on the site, and seriously, I'm keeping this short, it's been a hell of a night. I've long been opposed to newspapers allowing anonymous readers to comment on their Web sites. To me, it waters down the content and frankly, it draws inanities that little lend themselves to furthering discussion. Newspapers like comments because it provokes readership. It nearly always draws cheap name-calling and insults. This says something about homo sapien I suppose. Take away our individual identity and we revert right back to poop-flinging chimpanzees. Allowing people to post comments anonymously attracts more comments, again, most of little use. And I don't like to think what it says about journalism and the mainstream media that it's using inane hate to prop itself up. When they're resorting to these tactics, after a while, you have to ask, what's the use of the media? Because you're not furthering public thought by allowing people to spout insults and lies, that's for certain. This brings me to us. I respect many of the commentators on this site; they give us insights and perceptions that actually do advance what we know about this place, this border, the organized crime syndicates and the movements of the U.S. and Mexican governments. Occasionally, it's going to happen, as it's been happening over the last few days, that someone is going to take their disagreement and turn it into an excuse to fling more shit. So here's the rule and I'm going to make it simple and easy because I've got better things to do than babysit the bullshit artists. If you would not walk up to someone in a bar, sober, and say it, do not say it here. Disagree, debate, offer to duel with acid-tipped blades, I don't care. Go off on how "illegals are ruining this country" or how much you hate "la migra;" it's fine. It's better if you can back your point up with facts but either way, it's fine. For the lawyer-types, consider this as a template: I've dumped half a dozen comments from four people this weekend that I found unacceptable. Anything else that remained is fine. You wouldn't walk up to a person in a bar and start spouting off, so don't use this Web site to do so. And if you are the type that would, keep in mind that I'm the one paying for the drinks.

-- Michel Marizco