The recent extended exchange of personal opinions and quips between Robert Zirgulis, a candidate for the School Board, and me have gone beyond the range of Civility.
Because I chose to dare question his rationale for running for a seat on the School Board by comparing him to one of the most beloved literary characters in the Western world, Mr. Zirgulis resorts to silly, infantile name-calling.
His response was to call me “Mr. Quack Head.”
I pointed out in an earlier article just how easy it was for any “Bob, Dick or Gary” to be become a candidate for this office.
I will re-iterate my original question that started this whole childish mess:
Is he really running for office or just trying to stay in front of the public's eye.
It seems that when an issue he is advocating has run its course and no longer is newsworthy, he jumps to another hot topic of the time just to grab the public's attention.
He tries to wrap himself within each issue, attempting to insulate himself from outside criticism. If you criticize him, you must be critical of his proposal, too. Baloney. The messenger is totally different than the message itself.
Mr. Z seems to just crave publicity. He seems to feed on it. He knows the editor will print his letters, thereby, enabling him to get yet another fix of the spotlight.
A New Disease?
You don't suppose he has the yet undiagnosed syndrome typically afflicting young, publicity-seeking Hollywood starlet wannabes of today, the dreaded Public Attention Deficit Disorder?
As entertaining as our correspondence has been for his readers, by continuing to print Mr. Z’s letters, the editor is encouraging him to commit even further silliness.
Is this what journalism has become, debased entertainment?
For the life of me, I cannot believe I actually wrote “Poopy Head” in one of my responses.
I would like to apologize to the newspaper’s loyal, partisan readers.
If the editor will not draw his own journalistic line of civility and put a stop to this silliness, then I guess I will.
I'm through with this ever-increasing childish exchange.
But any time Mr. Zirgulis wants to have a civil debate about his candidacy, I will be happy to re-engage him here.
Mr. Laase may be contacted at GMLaase@aol.com
