Stoney Creek Hospitality Corp., a Midwest hotel chain, has blocked CNN from the selection of TV channels it provides to guests, claiming that an Oct. 18 report showing Iraqi insurgents shooting U.S. troops was “shocking and repulsive” and “supported terrorism.” James Thompson, president of the company, which operates hotels in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin, told the Associated Press that he acted in “a moment of conscience.” He said his decision to remove CNN from his hotel guest rooms was permanent.
Yes, I suppose it’s true. One man’s “moment of conscience” is another’s DUMB@$$ moment. James Thompson may think he’s doing the right thing, but all he’s really doing is demonstrating that he’s willing to give free reign to his own ignorance and prejudice…even if it comes at the expense of his customers. Thompson is probably the kind of person who thinks that Fox News Channel is indeed “fair and balanced”, and that CNN is just another member of the America-hating, terrorist-loving “Liberal Media”. Ignorance is apparently still a verb.
It’s one thing to register your disagreement with a news story. It’s quite another to put your ignorance and prejudice out there for everyone to see. Not only that, his ignorance and reaction may well hurt his business. Some folks- like myself, f’rinstance- rather enjoy CNN, even though we recognize it’s hardly a storied member of the “Liberal Media”…whatever the Hell that even is.
I’ve never stayed in one of Thompson’s hotels, and now I can assure you that I never will. Why should I reward a DUMB@$$ for his ignorance, prejudice, and reaction? If Thompson’s going to think that he has the right to censor what news I can see while staying at one of his hotels, I will happily take my business elsewhere. And Thompson can rot in Hell with his DUMB@$$ AWARD. He deserves it.
