A personal apology to Dr. George Flinn, his family, and campaign

I’ve been writing here for nearly 12 years. In that time, I’ve gotten a lot of things right, and a lot of things wrong. One thing I’ve tried to do, is stay on the right side of right as much as possible.

But mistakes happen.

And that’s what happened this morning when I wrote this post about a mailer sent out by the Flinn campaign.

After viewing the original image, something I didn’t have the benefit of before I published the post, its clear the image was altered (decolorized, desaturated, and slightly squished horizontally), but there was no evidence of a specific attempt at anti-semitism.

I send my sincerest apologies to Dr. Flinn, his family and his campaign for mischaracterizing this mailer and accusing him of anti-semitism.

No apology will truly undo any harm, or completely correct the record. I hope that my efforts to be transparent and up front about this will at least be seen as a sign of goodwill and my commitment to correct that record.

How this happened

The original image side by side with the mailer image

While writing the post, I searched for the original photograph or one that was at least close to the same angle. I didn’t find it.

I did find several others that led me to believe major alterations had been made to the image.

Images tell stories. They convey emotions better than words, and play on those emotions with more impact.

I’ll admit to getting caught up in my feelings.

Honestly, all of this shocked me. While I don’t know Dr. Flinn very well (only in passing), he’s always been very friendly to me in person. I published that piece feeling pretty confident about my assertions.

But no amount of confidence makes you right.

I’ve updated the original post to correct the record.

Not Burying the Retraction

Retractions happen in any kind of reporting.

I’m not saying I’m a reporter, but you get the idea.

Typically, those retractions are buried in newspapers, or broadcast media.

I’m not doing that. I believe you have to own your mistakes. I’m owning this one.

So, this post won’t go away. Neither will the updated original post. Both will live on, as an effort to make it right.

I think its important.

I also think that honor…the idea that you adhere to what is right…even when its uncomfortable…is more important than just about anything.

In closing, I just want to again express my sincerest apologies to all those involved.

Thanks for reading.

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