Syndicated columnist Amy Alkon (aka Advice Goddess) is looking for Ithica-based bloggers to petition a newspaper publisher there from dropping her column.
If you read my column in Ithaca, and are a fan, here's some bad news: The publisher wants to drop it after getting complaints about a line I wrote — "Sex isn't special." Here it is in the context of the column (entire text of the column here):
Where you go wrong is thinking sex is special. It isn't. Monkeys have it, and not because somebody gave them flowers and expensive jewelry. But consider this: while your girlfriend was the antithesis of selective about the men she slept with (apparently, not only sowing her wild oats, but a soybean crop equivalent to that of mainland China's), she appears quite picky about the man she relationships with.
Now, I have no problem with people writing in to say I'm wrong or immoral. In fact, I welcome dissent. Papers should, too. Instead, daily newspapers tend to bend over the moment three old ladies (or some church group) complains. I work very hard to tell the truth and present data-based answers in my column instead of taking the easy way out: simply rubberstamping the status quo. Sadly, many papers would rather foster docile readers than spirited discussion.
If you live in Ithaca (ONLY if you live in Ithaca and read me — this has to be an honest reflection of reader opinion), and if you like my column and want to continue to see it in the paper, please call the publisher:
Jim Fogler, President/Publisher (607) 274-9252 jfogler@ithaca.gannett.com
