In a recent Living Out Loud column for CityBeat, I wrote of my regular bartender and how she lost her job downtown. You can click here to read the story.
The column received quite a bit of mail with most realizing this was simply a tribute to a good friend who stood by me through good and bad times. However, not everybody got it including Tony George. Here’s his letter that got printed in CityBeat last week.
I am a very prominent businessman in the Cincinnati area and have been involved with some of the largest restaurants and taverns in the city. Larry Gross’ column “My Bartender and Bar Politics” (issue of Nov. 12) was horrible — if he only knew how difficult it is to be in business in this day and age and the cost of operation.
The column was onesided with no comments from the establishment in question, Madonna’s. My brother in law is chief correspondent in the White House for Associated Press, and he said the column should never have been written without hearing both sides.
My friends and I have discontinued the use of your magazine and will not permit it in our businesses! Terrible, terrible writing and poor editing!
— Tony George, Downtown
Hey Tony, please note that your letter printed in CityBeat is in the “Voices” section of the paper – “Voices” meaning opinion. Also please note that’s where my column appeared.
Voicing opinions is very difficult than reporting. Your chief correspondent brother in law is right when he says both sides of an issue need to be present for a news piece but that isn’t the case for an opinion.
I can say the world is flat. I can say the sky is green and that the stars come out during the day. This would, of course, be silly – but if these were my opinions, it wouldn’t be necessary to prove that I’m wrong and show the other side.
Your letter was an opinion. My column was an opinion – which, by the way, I still totally stand by.
Now, go have a beer at Madonna’s.
(Photo from Google)
Madonna’s has been a ghost town lately. Your bartender being canned pissed off a lot of people and now your article tells the truth behind the situation.
I no longer no in. It truly is like high school in there.
Madonna’s has been a ghost town lately. Your bartender being canned pissed off a lot of people and now your article tells the truth behind the situation.
I no longer no in. It truly is like high school in there.
Larry, I think you miss the point. Opinions are most persuasive when informed by facts. By failing to ascertain the facts, namely by getting the other side of the story, readers were left with nothing more than your friend’s perspective and your speculation. Saying the sky is green isn’t an opinion; it’s simply ignorance.