Bubba Banton’s Blues
I admire the man, and I think he has a point. When I first heard of his call Friday, my first thought was that we should print all ads. But then I remembered that the Journal does, in fact, have a policy of refusing at least one class of advertising on moral grounds — that is, advertising from tobacco companies. “We’ve had a longstanding thing on tobacco, because it’s one of the most evil drugs and it causes so much damage,” said Journal Publisher Judy Hodgson when asked about the issue Monday.
This seems honorable enough, but why is tobacco more evil than, say, homophobic lynch mobs in Jamaica? If we refuse the one type of ads, why should we not refuse the other? Hodgson said that the issue had never come up before. Which is true enough, as far as I know.
The upshot of all this is that the Journal will be developing a written policy on ad refusal. As Hodgson noted, this will be a tricky thing — in ultrapolitical Humboldt County, probably not a week goes by in which some segment of our readership or another would prefer to ban some advertiser or another. But incitement to murder, combined with insufficient atonement for same, might be a reasonable place to set the bar.
If you have any thoughts about what such a policy should look like, please e-mail me at hanksims@northcoastjournal.com. I will pass them on to the relevant parties.
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on the cover
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Some Other Proposed North Coast Railroads
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Exposing this east-west rail nonsense
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Undeterred Will
Will chides Andrew for lack of attention to detail and makes plans for his inevitable victory.
Recent the town dandy
Jan. 13, 2011
The Golden Boy
Dec. 23, 2010
Wish Lists
Dec. 16, 2010
The Train Geeks Return
Today
44th Annual Kinetic Grand Championship Race
STAFF PICK / events, art, outdoors, sports, for kids, free / 9 a.m.-6 p.m. A 3-day, 42-mile kinetic sculpture race over land, sand, mud and water! LeMans start at the Noon Whistle on the Arcata Plaza. Follow the race through Manila, Eureka and into Ferndale on Memorial Day for the Glorious Finish. kineticgrandchampionship.com. 889-3024.
Flow 2012 Fashion Show
STAFF PICK / events / 8 p.m. Arcata Theatre Lounge, 1036 G St. Student designed and produced clothing. Fundraiser for Arcata Arts Institute. $35/$25 students. artsinstitute.net. 822-1220.
Woodside Preschool's Rummage/Bake Sale
events / 8 a.m.-noon. Woodside Preschool, 900 Hodgson St, Eureka. www.woodsidepreschool.com. 445-9132.
Lanphere Dunes Restoration
STAFF PICK / outdoors / 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Meet at Pacific Union School. Help remove non-native invasives at the Lanphere Dunes Unit of the Humboldt Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Tools and gloves provided, wear work clothes and bring water. Carpool to the protected site. 444-1397.
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SEVEN Comments
Comment / By Truth is Rising / Oct. 8, 2009, 8:36 p.m.
This article is poorly writen and is garbage. This is more trash for the Arcata journal!
Most of your claims are very exagerated, and your letter sounds more like a hate speech of its own! You have compleatly overreacted. Also you fail to leave out that this was not a motion by the community to get this show canceled. This was a deliberate act by a handfull of extream gay activist from arcata/eureka area who were butt hurt over the idea that buju banton was coming to humboldt. So they decited to show there political gayness force and ruin what would of been a perfectly good concert. Somehow this author would like to say that people who listen to reggae music specificly buju banton must all be a group of bigot racist assholes who want nothing more than to murder all gays and that is why they are going to the concert is to show up for the “hate fest”. This could be nowhere near the truth! I dont understand what the conflict is, buju banton wrote one song called boom bye bye. The song was writen when buju was 15 and it was in response to a very public rape case at the time in witch a predatory man was raping young boys. Yes it is somewhat wrong to sing songs about killing people etc. But this is no diffrent than any what is said in any other type of music. What can be said about this is that just like the christian community now the gay community must force its ethics and morals upon everyone else. Well i for one will not take it! Everyone has the right to listen to what music they want. Let it be known that there will be a Freedom festival in humboldt very soon, the details are still in the works, but we will be bringing buju banton back to humboldt to perform! This concert will not be stoped by any means! It will be held on private property and will be held to raise awareness of freedom of speech, Buju will be playing boom bye bye and the gay community will not be invited!
PEACE LOVE RESPECT
Comment / By Thirdeye / Oct. 9, 2009, 1:51 p.m.
http://www.jamaicancaves.org/boom-bye-bye-lyrics.html
Where is the reference to a predatory man raping young boys? Banton has no kind words for lesbians either.
Gays won’t be invited to a future Buju Banton concert? Wow, they must feel wounded by such a slight. Gotta love these brain dead Humboldt hippies.
Comment / By (previously taken fake name — ed.) / Oct. 9, 2009, 8:01 p.m.
Batty bwoy = Man who rapes boys!
Learn your jamaican slang better!
Lesbians are just as unatural and Bujus music is pure rasta.
All buju banton sings about is positive good things for you!
You would have to be an unmoral manipulated, brainwashed, backwards nasty man/women to want to have sex with your own gender. Talk about retarded logic. you people make me sick!
Comment / By Hank Sims / Oct. 9, 2009, 8:26 p.m.
And to think I called you guys “bone-dumb”!
Comment / By Thirdeye / Oct. 9, 2009, 9:27 p.m.
Alright ladies, you heard the man. Jah say lesbian is unnatural so find yourself a nice stinky lice-ridden dreadhead to jump in the sack with. Enjoy the rasta.
Comment / By Susan Fox / Oct. 11, 2009, 7:01 p.m.
Comments 1-3 should be considered with all the seriousness that they deserve. ROTFLMAO Bwahaaaaaa.
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The world is not dangerous because of those who do harm but because of those who look at it without doing anything veilinestdeta9981