I read with interest your publication’s article about Facebook posts made by a Bennington school board member. However, I have some concerns about your reporting, in particular the sentence below:
“Ed Letourneau, serving his third term and seventh year on the board, has posted comments on his personal Facebook account that many are calling racist.“
According to what you published in the article, Letourneau’s Facebook posts ARE racist. It is clear and inarguable. The framing of this piece is a classic example of hedging and “two side-ism.” It’s pretty clear that VT Digger knows the posts are wrong, but refuses to say it.
Why not call the writing what it is: racist. Pretending otherwise and giving Letourneau a platform to defend what are clearly aggressive, racist statements by an elected official is perpetuating the very racism the article sets out to illuminate.
Please consider this feedback during the editing process.
George Patterson
Bennington
