Did you hear about the furor at the New York Times over “Op-eds?” This distinguished paper published “Op-eds” by Russian leader Vladimir Putin, the Taliban (a cousin of ISIS in Afghanistan), and a US Senator from Arkansas. After an uproar, the Editor in charge of op-eds was fired.

Can you guess which op-ed author created the uproar? Well, it was not the Communist. It was not the Muslim terrorist. Yes, a Republican Senator caused the furor. Oh, it was not the readers who were furious; it was the employees!

In 1932 “I” had my own dispute with the paper. The NY Times syndicated my daily and weekly columns, but the Editor took exception to my comments. He did not like that I insisted European countries repay the money they borrowed from us to fund the World War (“Pay or Default”). In my own way I responded to his editorial in my next syndicated article:

“I would like to state to the readers of THE NEW YORK TIMES that I am in no way responsible for the editorial or political policy of this paper. I allow them free reign as to their opinion, so long as it is within the bounds of good subscription gathering. But I want it distinctly understood that their policy may be in direct contrast to mine. Their editorials may be put in purely for humor, or just to fill space. Every paper must have its various entertaining features, and their editorials are not always to be taken seriously, and never to be construed as my policy.” DT #1979, Dec. 7, 1932

(Adolph Simon Ochs was the Publisher back then, and his great-grandson, A. G. Sulzberger, is the Publisher today.)

Have you noticed there is a distinct difference between “peaceful protesters” and “rioters/looters?” Of course you do. Does that make you wonder why many newscasters and public officials do not distinguish between them?

I don’t think it was peaceful protesters who burned a police headquarters in Minneapolis, stole Rolex watches worth $2.5 million from a jewelry store in Beverly Hills, ransacked the iconic Macy’s store in New York, or destroyed/vandalized thousands of businesses and government properties. By the way, I think the police will keep an eye on pawn shops and eBay to track down the thieves. That assumes mayors and council members do not eliminate the police.

“Defund the Police” is a new theme among some mayors (including the one in Washington, DC) and other Democrats. Gee, I hope Joe Biden does not allow that to be his slogan for November. That would be as disastrous as the one used by Democrats 96 years ago: “(In 1924, John W. Davis) foolishly ran on Honesty, and I told him at the time he would never get anywhere on it. It was too radical for Politics. Mr. Coolidge ran on Common Sense and the returns showed that there was 8 million people in the United States who had Common Sense enough not to believe that there was Honesty in politics.” WA #101, Nov. 16, 1924

Will Rogers was quarter-blood Cherokee. He is famous for saying, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Today, he would say “person.”