This letter sent to the Argus Endorser by Ben Birks was denied publication with a handwritten note that said, “No such refusal occurred. No action taken to deny voters their own decisions.”
Before I begin, I would like to congratulate Rep. Deb Peters on her victory and wish her all the best in the State Senate.
Last Friday October 29th, a District 9 Senate debate was held at the Maricar Community Center. There was an excellent turnout of Democrats and Republicans alike, & it should’ve been a big deal. Earlier in the month, Rep. Peters skipped the Argus Leader editorial interview while later gaining the Argus’ endorsement. That Friday evening during the debate, Rep. Peters made some pretty jaw-dropping statements about Indian country in South Dakota.
Thanks to the First Amendment, Rep. (now State Senator-elect) Peters is entitled to her opinion, but the Argus Leader and other major news outlets in Sioux Falls refused to let the public know how a three-term legislative incumbent felt on the issues. As Argus Leader Managing Editor Mr. Patrick Lalley alluded to on Election Night, legitimate stories can fizzle if the news media doesn’t find what’s happened expedient or relevant.
As someone who reads the ArgusLeader.com every morning, I ask you to seriously consider how you select your news. It seems disingenuous to me that on one hand you would champion open government in Pierre but on the other hand, deny voters the chance to decide who should be elected to a particular position in government.
Ben Birks
It seems the Argus Endorser gets a little testy about criticism of their endorsement policy.