Where did we go right?

In the dustup over whether the Hawaii chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union should invite Justice Clarence Thomas to speak here, Faye Kennedy, a member of the ACLU board who vigorously opposed the invitation, asserted that the ACLU had "capitulated to the right-wing media."

The right-wing media? The press often takes vocal fire from the right for being too liberal. Thus it may seem unusual, even refreshing, to be shot at verbally from the left. Ms. Kennedy said she had in mind newspapers like the New York Post and the Washington Times rather than the press in Hawaii, although she was skeptical about the Star-Bulletin.

Actually, the barrages come from both sides and, over time, about equally from either. Publish conservatives like Cal Thomas or Michelle Malkin and liberals get upset. Print liberals like Molly Ivins or Mark Shields and conservatives get their noses out of joint. Truth be told, whether a writer is conservative or liberal is most times more in the eye of the beholder than in the mind of the writer.

Further truth be told, it's reassuring to be in the middle as a target. Makes us feel as if we are doing something right.

--Richard Halloran

---