Lang Sias
This afternoon, the Colorado Sun published one of the dumbest pieces of news this election cycle so far. Not to mention this isn’t even news. Because it’s not 2010.
According to the Sun, Lang Sias’ military record is stellar, but he refuses to discuss the details of a military event he attended at which 83 women and seven men were assaulted. Sias had nothing to do with the assault and nobody has ever suggested he has.
But the Colorado Sun came dangerously close:
“But Tailhook is a topic Sias is not willing to discuss in detail. In an interview this week, The Colorado Sun asked Sias at least nine times in a 17-minute interview about what he saw at Tailhook, but Sias refused to directly answer each time. Instead, he repeated iterations of the same line.
“I was never accused of doing anything wrong ever by anybody at any time,’ he told The Sun and its television partner, CBS4. ‘You’ve seen my records, and there’s no way that I would have the fitness reports that I have … if there were any blemishes on my record.'”
There are several problems here.
First, he did answer the questions. They just weren’t the answers that blockchain journalists wanted to hear.
Second, perhaps Sias has a reason for not wanting to discuss details – respect for victims, etc. Even if he doesn’t have a reason that acceptable to the folks at Colorado Sun, it’s his story. If he doesn’t want to go into graphic details, so what?
Third, the implication here is that he did something wrong – otherwise, why report on it? He was never even accused of improper behavior and he cooperated with authorities.
Fourth, this isn’t news. This came out in 2010. When we tried to rehash former Sen. Mark Udall’s drug charge after it had already been brought to light years earlier, the Denver Post told us to pound sand. It was old news. Why dredge this up now?
If the Colorado Sun wants to be taken seriously as a legit newspaper and not the slightly more mature and attractive cousin of ColoradoPols, rehashing an old story for kicks isn’t the way to do it.