Editorial Page Editor Greg Kesich’s June 3 response to the criticism of Cynthia Dill’s May 27 column speaks out on behalf of the wrong woman.
It’s not that your readers don’t want a variety of opinion or that we can’t tolerate debate. We do, and we can.
It’s that when there are lines like, “The weakness of (Jessie) Lacey’s story is not that she deserved what she got or is at fault but that she didn’t go deep enough in her analysis to make a difference,” we wonder if it’s poor writing alone (is the clause “because she absolutely did not” missing?), or poor writing coupled with a demand that a victim do far more than simply tell the truth.
It’s that when Dill bizarrely and unsuccessfully tries to link Lacey’s speaking out about harassment and white women disproportionately voting for Donald Trump, we say, “What in heaven’s name does that have to do with this!?”
It’s that when the paper neglects to provide any context – former Maine Media Collective publisher Kevin Thomas’ apology to Lacey and affirmation of her account, his stepping away from his company and the current CEO’s taking the allegations very seriously – we know that’s totally inappropriate.
I called Dill, because I wanted to understand her better. Two things I came away with: Dill was critiquing the essay of someone she believes is a writer. Lacey is a graphic designer. Her expertise is visual, not written, yet Dill is under the illusion that she was in a “debate,” writer to writer. Not so. Dill also affirmed, with a disbelieving, “Come on!” that Lacey’s experience was just not traumatic enough to be taken seriously. This is such a regressive and damaging line of thinking, and one with which the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram is clearly in alignment.
Finally, Greg – Dorothy Parker was arch. Cynthia Dill is just disorganized, illogical and mean.
Tavia Gilbert
former Portland resident
Brooklyn, N.Y.
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