I have a comment...

I have a blog reader named "Dottie" (no last name) who has a comment...I'm waiting for their full name - even though I won't post the name I must confirm who it is...

She says I was fired and RJ was not. That's true. If you don't leave when you're pressured - you do get fired. R.J. was the best copy editor the Register & Bee had. His leaving was their loss. But he had a filthy mouth. I liked him but I didn't care to hear the constant cursing and the denouncement of Christianity as "bullshit" and "a crock."

Both myself and another reporter went in to talk to Arnold and complain about how the other copy editors were harassing and bullying R.J., calling him "crazy" and mental. So, TWO OF US, independent of each other - complained about how R.J. was being bullied - just as I was bullied and just as others have been. He left for whatever reason not having been there a year. He was the most well-read and brilliant copy editor in the place - but cursed like a sailor and I don't think he'll dispute that assessment at all.

The other copy editors sucked the juice of the leads and the story and butchered a lot of good writing - more than they helped. I have an email from Tampa about just that very thing. I'll post it tomorrow. R.J. polished stories, he didn't rewrite them in an attempt to be the reporter. He will be hard to replace. He was not appreciated either. It's not his talent or abilities - it was his language I didn't care for.

And yes - I was terminated because I started a blog about the sexual hostility and harassment that was going on down there. When you're in a little cliche where you get your rush trashing everybody...you don't see that.