Friday, April 1, 2011

FOOD FIGHT!!!

You simply.can.not.make.this.up. Her Laddness published an April Fool's Joke on the Jackson Free Press website today:

"In an exclusive interview with the Jackson Free Press, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has broken with the Republican Party's tough-on-crime stance to press state legislators for an end to the death penalty in the Magnolia state.

"I had a 'come-to-Jesus' moment when I realized how much putting a man to death was costing the good people of Mississippi," Barbour said. "All y'all know my position on spending unnecessary money: In these tough economic times, it just makes good fiscal sense to keep 'em locked up forever instead of putting 'em to death..."
Article

The story now has a satire label on it. Problem is, it didn't have one most of the day and more than a few people thought the story was true. Death penalty opponent and attorney Jim Craig posted on his Facebook page:

"Note: the JFP story claiming that Gov. Barbour plans to seek repeal of the death penalty is an April Fool joke."

Well, a food fight broke out as some people were not amused. Here it is for you um, review:

"Judi Manning: Some damned joke. What MORON thought that one up?
5 hours ago

Jim Craig: I'm sure it was meant to be supportive. They must not have thought about the effects on friends and family of the prisoners. 4 hours ago

Judi Manning: Apparently, but when I get done with them, be assured they'll know it. 4 hours ago

Valerie Lauro Nettles: That joke makes me nauseated 4 hours ago

Eric Ray: Wow. Poor taste. 4 hours

Jim Craig: I'm sure they meant well - they've always been with us in this fight. 4 hours ago

Donna Ladd: Folks, all of the links in the story about the costs of the death penalty are real. This satire is meant to make a point. An anti-death penalty one. 4 hours ago

Judi Manning: Regardless of links and intent, it is still disturbing and unacceptable. 4 hours ago

Donna Ladd I disagree with you, Judi, but of course you're entitled to your opinion. 4 hours ago

Jim Craig: I posted simply because I was getting emails from folks taking it literally. 4 hours ago

Donna Ladd: Understood, Jim. There is a link at the bottom of the story revealing it as untrue. But seriously, we purposefully chose this topic because it was a chance to get people to read information about the "costs" of the death penalty who wouldn't otherwise. Our resident expert on the issue, Ronni Mott, wrote it because she knows the issue so well. We believe in satire as a different way to make people think, and hope to do it more often (inspired, in part, by folks like Jon Stewart, of course 4 hours ago

Jim Craig: I understand. I've always appreciated the JFP's contribution to this struggle. 4 hours ago

Judi Manning: I had people calling me and actually crying tears of joy and relief only to find out it was a hoax. These people have loved ones on DR and are now extremely crushed and now trying to pick up the pieces once again. No matter HOW you spice up the reason, it was still a disgusting and juvenile thing to do. 4 hours ago

Donna Ladd: I'm not spicing up anything. It was written and meant as satire to make a point about our governor and his position on this issue, which makes no sense whatsoever. Folks who assumed it was true must have just scanned it and not read the story. The "quotes" were over-the-top ridiculous in an Onion kind of way. Regardless, though, I'm not trying to convince you. We can agree to disagree, and continue fighting the battle in our own ways.
4 hours ago

Donna Ladd: Ronni Mott posted this quote on her FB page: "Humour is the weapon of unarmed people: it helps people who are oppressed to smile at the situation that pains them.” —Simon Wiesenthal 4 hours ago

Judi Manning: Nobody 'smiled' about this one. 4 hours ago


Donna Ladd: The point of satire isn't always to make people smile -- although I do know people who smiled at this who are ardent opponents of the death penalty. Not everyone gets to the same place in the same way. 4 hours ago

Justin Cook: I thought it was pretty obvious satire myself. Decent satire at that. 4 hours ago

Donna Ladd: This note on Rep. Mayo's site might interest y'all. I encourage you all to join the larger conversation there about the death penalty with folks who don't agree with us: http://www.facebook.com/notes/john-mayo/a-cruel-joke/206647796030514

Judi Manning: Stop defending this assinine joke. There's no way to explain the turd in this punchbowl. 2 hours ago

Donna Ladd: Nice one, Judi. No one is trying to explain any turds. We are trying to have a real conversation about the death penalty. I invite you to join us. Your insults mean nothing to me. 2 hours ago

Judi Manning: Yours mean nothing to me. I am not insulting you. I am disgusted with this whole fiasco. If my comments are so insignificant, then shut up.

Judi Manning And yes, this is about this biggest crock of s**t I've seen in quite a while. 2 hours ago

Donna Ladd: Ms. Manning, with due respect, do not tell me to shut up. I am trying to be respectful to you despite our disagreement, and I request that you do the same. 2 hours ago

Jim Craig: Can this be taken to a forum other than my Facebook page please?
about an hour ago"

and here is Representative Mayo's note on Facebook:
"A Cruel Joke by John Mayo on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 5:37pm

I just got a call from a lady in Wisconsin thanking me profusely for my opposition to thje death penalty (only member of the legislature who publicly opposes capital punishment) and thanking me for getting the governor for coming to "our" side.

I said, "Lady what are you talking about?" She forwarded me a "breaking news story" from the Jackson Free Press that the Governor would ask the legislature Monday to abolish the death penalty.

While, I certainly would hope he or any other governor did, had she read to the next page she would have found it was an April Fool's joke.

I am a supporter of a free and unfettered press and I like a good joke as well as the next person. But, this is cruel and tasteless. And, since the JFP calls me often for a "good" quote, I also believe in "not until you apologize" to the people you have offended.

The death penalty is nothing to joke about, JFP."

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

since the JFP calls me often for a "good" quote

When your paper is being subtly disparaged by someone it regularly celebrates, your career in journalism has seen better days.

Kingfish said...

I'll put it this way. This tablogger has given more and deeper coverage to Mayo's pet cause, Medicaid, in the last six months than has his progressive magazine. I'm more concerned with keeping Downs Syndrome kids on the rolls or providing speech therapy to kids who need to talk than worrying about a museum.

Anonymous said...

What's that old saying, give a fool enough rope and they'll hang themselves? I can't help but think of that when checking out DL's latest stunt.

She beats all for thinking how clever she is, self-congratulatory even. Smug. Even if I agreed 100% with what she did, I can't bear her sanctimonious crap.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, it's pretty much a given that every other one of her columns is going to digress into a lecture on how to do journalism.

Look at her comments from the Facebook discussion...she comes off like she's explaining satire to a junior high newspaper class.

Anonymous said...

It wasnt until this evening that Donna added "SATIRE" to her diddies.
I wonder if Kennie had to explain himslf tonight.
http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/jackson_council_seeks_pro-gay_city_040111/

Anonymous said...

It amazes me that nobody has mentioned that there may have been a dead victim's parent who also mistakenly read this story as factual and had to relive the agony caused by the man a jury sentenced to death but now would be allowed to live.

http://off2dr.com/smf/index.php?topic=9599.0

Anonymous said...

This is shocking.... When did JFP get a sense of humor?

Paul Mitchell said...

Um, she actually linked "real" posts that say it is cheaper to keep someone in jail for life than to put them to death? I have heard this ridiculous statement so many times in my life that it is mind-boggling. I actually used MATH to prove that point ridiculous.

The one thing that I did not include in eviscerating that idiotic "Progressive" argument is the legal costs. Since someone that is in prison for life would have access to much, much more legal stuff, I think that we can agree that the higher costs are on the "jail for life" side, too.

DonnerK proves her stupidity simply by BEING. And her jokes are patently unfunny.

Anonymous said...

People on death row get free attorneys until they are executed, exonerated, or given a less-than-life sentence. Then there's the cost of the government attorneys. In Mississippi, taxpayers have been paying Sonny White forever to do as little as possible to move these cases along. And of course, one has to factor in the cost of the time spent by the judiciary. This hardly compares to what one non-death-sentenced individual could expend in legal costs for a lifetime filing lawsuits on his own behalf.

Kingfish said...

This is what happens when you try to do the funny and suck at it. Same thing happened to Alan Lange last year with same results when he tried to be funny. There is only one Kingfish.

Rebekah said...

I like how she always tries to take over someone ELSE's facebook page- just like she tried to do to mine until she (sniff sniff) deleted me. OHHH the horror!!!!
She goes on someone else's page and tells other people what to do.
Nice...

Anonymous said...

Donna doesn't do satire well. That piece was a flop.

Donna has made herself irrelevant. Which is too bad. She has a talent. And the JFP could be a publication that makes a big difference in this community.

That tirade on Rep. Mayo's Facebook page was painful to read. It's yet another reason professionals in her field who know her don't respect her.

Anonymous said...

Prediction for next month's " Best of " awards by the Jackson Free Free:

Neshoba-Donna, winner of the JFP's satire of the year award.

Anonymous said...

So, does this "stunt" that went on for hours (beyond satire) fall under her definition of cyber-stalking? As I read the law, someone who tries to associate negative commentary (untrue) to influence search results would be guilty of a crime under the statute.

Mr. Barbour should have someone from staff at a minimum ask the AG to take a look at it given her comments of past.

Curt Crowley said...

You dumbasses just lack the intellectual capacity to comprehend the true genius that is Donna Ladd.

Anonymous said...

Thank God for Curt!

Anonymous said...

12:13 am his the dalient point - not one of the feuding wannabe pundits in that mudslinging trashfest even mentioned the victims who died at the handd of the scum on death row. They have neber shown normal human compassion for the families of the victims, and slobber themselves into a frenzy over the cruelty heaped on those innocent victims of a racist, homophobic, patriarchal, yadayadayada society that wants to end their beautiful lives.

Comedy lesson #1: If you have to explain a joke, it's not funny.

Satire lesson #1: If you have to explain it's satire, it's neither satire or funny.

Rebekah said...

Yes...I am afraid you are correct Curt...Sadly enough...Sigh...maybe oneday I can be as smart as Ladd... It is on my bucket list.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know anyone ever took the JFP seriously. I always pick it up when I need a good laugh.

Rebekah said...

I never even pick it up anymore. She runied her credibility with me

Rebekah said...

And....I am 100% for the death penalty...
Life is simple- Don't commit crimes. Don't be around those who do.
See how easy that is?

someoneinnorthms said...

Mr. Mitchell: If you don't worry about the Constitution, it IS quite a bit cheaper to inflict the death penalty than to keep them in prison for the rest of their life. It's that silly Constitution that makes it so much more expensive.

Paul Mitchell said...

Someone in North Mississippi, I am assuming you mean the Mississippi Constitution, but again, even with that caveat, you are most definitely wrong and I proved that, too. Facts are curious things.

someoneinnorthms said...

Mr. Mitchell: The United States Constitution (as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court) compels due process, with appointed counsel throughout that process, before a person can be executed in a manner that comports with the Eighth Amendment. Ensuring full compliance with the Sixth and Eighth Amendments requires the appointment of counsel who are paid out of the public coffers. Surely you would agree that lawyers cost more than one bologna sandwich a day, wouldn't you? The absolute cheapest way to handle the situation would be to take a defendant out back of the courthouse as soon as the verdict is rendered. If, however, the State actually follows the United States Constitution and appoints counsel, it is MUCH, MUCH more expensive to impose a constitutionally-vetted death sentence than to allow that defendant to remain behind bars until he dies naturally. Your analysis is like saying a person who eats one bologna sandwich a day has a lower standard of living than a steak-eater while the sandwich eater lives in a mansion and the steak-eater a house trailer. You're not looking at the full picture. But, back on topic, Donna was very cruel to the families of both the victims and the defendants by printing this story.

Paul Mitchell said...

Yeppers, you are correct and anyone that serves "life" in prison is going to chew up ten times the legal costs as someone put to death, so you prove my point. Thanks for the your wrong opinion of the legal issue costs. I did not do them because most normal people would understand someone that serves life in prison is going to chew up ten times the money with their court appointed attorney costs trying to get out.

By the way, Ronni Mott wrote the post in question.

Anonymous said...

Non-death sentenced individuals only qualify for an attorney on direct appeal. They don't get taxpayer-provided post-conviction and habeas counsel. Mr. Mitchell, you really have no clue about this topic. Regardless of whether you think the death penalty is right or wrong, death penalty cases cost a shitload of money.

Kingfish said...

All right you two. Don't recreate that hotel room scene from Borat.

Paul Mitchell said...

Kingfish, indulge me for a minute, please. Ronni Mott's post at JFP was about this very topic. Albeit, a person with normal intelligence would see how stupid the argument is. That is why I linked my post with the actual math of the situation. I simply cannot sit idly by and let those idiotic statements go unchallenged, otherwise, we will wake up a few years down the road, and the Supremes will have found a "Separation Clause" pertaining to the cost of putting a criminal to death v. keeping someone alive for life in prison and utter the idiotic statement that it is more expensive to put them to death.

Anon 11:01, while I appreciate your superior knowledge on the legal topic, your vast knowledge obviously ignores reality. People in prison for life get unlimited court time and legal fees for the entire duration of their incarceration. Such is the nature of our national philosophy now.

Again, it is infinitely more expensive to keep someone alive and imprisoned for life than it is to put them to death. To say otherwise ignores reality AND logic. Of course, I am not a lawyer, but I do know a little about job costs and why legal fees cost so much.

Anonymous said...

I don't think it is appropriate for the media (even trashy, quasi-newspapers like JFP) to print April Fools jokes.

I find it extremely distasteful (and DARING) that JFP "quoted" the GOVERNOR in their attempt at humor/satire. The part of getting it from his momma's milk--was disgusting to say the least.

Regardless of where I stand on issue of the death penalty or what I think of Governor Barbour, this article was a piece of trash and a deliberate defamation of character of the Governor and everyone else "quoted."

I like Judi Manning's comments about the turd in the punchbowl. Unfortunately, Ladd is such a huge turd that no toilet on Earth could flush. Perhaps the Governor could help out as a plumber on this one???

Anonymous said...

It is not funny that all those without humor about this April Fools joke make obscene jokes at the expense of those put to death. IOW, you can dish it out but you can't take it.



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In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


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If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

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