Reporters should report

A recent “news” report by Mark Hornbeck and Charlie Cain (“Opposition to race ban wanes”, 10/6/2006) was better suited for the editorial pages. Hornbeck and Cain revealed their bias when they described Proposal 2 as “the so-called Michigan Civil Rights Initiative” which “bans affirmative action.” The last time I checked, the MCRI did not have the negative moniker “so-called” attached to it.

In addition, the clear and unambiguous language of Proposal 2 bans “affirmative action programs that give preferential treatment.” I would think editors and reporters are well versed in how language manipulation and omissions affect meaning. For the integrity of your newspaper, I suggest reporters stick to reporting.

[Letter to the Editor - The Detroit New. Submitted 10/11/2006.]