FAYETTEVILLE — The photo captured a moment of your typical child at play: A 7-year-old girl climbing a soccer goal before her game at Bentonville's Memorial Park. The photo was snapped by Daily Record photographer Sarah Nader, and it ran inside our paper on Sept. 18.
I suspect most people didn't give the photo a second thought when they saw it, but it bothered at least one reader.
"While this is a cute little girl, kids are killed every year by hanging from goals and then the goal falls over onto them," the person (I shall withhold her name) wrote in an e-mail to our editor, Kent Marts. "This is something that is a huge no-no in the soccer world and to see that you would publicize this is just irresponsible."
The writer had a point: Tragedy has been known to follow when kids hang on soccer goals.
Yet another reason that soccer is not your friend, kids. Truly, it is an evil sport. Stay away.
But seriously, the writer makes a good point. If your kid is tempted to climb a soccer goal, nudge them in the direction of the nearest oak tree.
They're much sturdier.
Earlier this month, we printed two photos of a child having fun playing at the local Bark Park.
These photos also prompted criticism. A letter writer pointed out that a dog park is for dogs, not children, and she chastised our photographer for daring to take such a picture. "The two photos of the children playing at the city's Bark Park were painful to see because all I could think of is, why would anyone set their kid up to be bitten?" the person wrote.
These are examples of a complaint virtually every newspaper deals with occasionally. The reasoning behind it is that by printing a photo of a dangerousactivity or stunt, we are somehow endorsing it - or worse, promoting it - as acceptable, harmless behavior.
Journalists are supposed to document the world around them. People do great things, people do dumb things, people do crazy things; reporters write about it, and photographers take pictures of it. Then we offer what we've observed for the world to see.
That girl climbing the soccer goal? I'd be willing to bet she didn't learn how to do that from the newspaper. She climbed it because, well, she's a kid and that's the kind of things kids do.
No, our photographer didn't put her up to it; Nader simply was there to catch her doing it.
As for that kid playing at the dog park, I'm pretty certain that happens a lot. And yes, there's something to be said for being careful about letting your kid run around with strange dogs nearby. But isn't that an argument for taking the photo and publishing it? If we censor it for fear that we're "promoting" the activity, aren't we suppressing needed discussion of a problem? What good does that do?
Same goes for the kid on the soccer goal. By running the photo, we inadvertently started a discussion about the threat soccer goals pose to kids. And I bet before reading this column, you never even thought about it.
I hate to fall back on a cliche, but it's true: Journalists are doing their jobs when they're holding up a mirror for the world so that we can see not just our good side, but our flaws and imperfections, too.
Bisbee's beef
Benton County Judge Dave Bisbee has moved on from his many years in the state Legislature. Or has he?
Last week, the Republican Bisbee was at a gathering at Cafe Baristo in Rogers to introduce Buddy Rogers, who was announcing his candidacy for Blanche Lincoln's U.S. Senate seat. Bisbee told those in attendance that he was supporting Rogers and another friend of his, state Sen. Kim Hendren of Gravette, in the race.
Afterwards, according to Bill Bowden's story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Bisbee said he would support just about any of the Republicans in the race - except for state Sen. Gilbert Baker. Why not Baker? Because, Bisbee said, Baker didn't support his bid to be president pro tempore of the state Senate in 2005.
In response to Bisbee's comment, Baker told Bowden, "I enjoyed my service in the state Senate with Sen. Bisbee, and I think he's doing a good job as county judge."
My question: How does Judge Bisbee get around, what with that enormous chip on his shoulder?
But seriously: What happens if - come January 2011 - Baker is Arkansas' new U.S. senator, and Bisbee is still our county judge? Will Bisbee let bygones be bygones, or will the judge still hold a grudge? And if his grudge persists, what does that mean for Benton County's relationship with the new senator?
Just wonderin', that's all.
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Dave Perozek is opinion page editor of The Benton County Daily Record. Reach him at (479) 271-3754 or davep@nwanews.
com.
Opinion, Pages 14 on 09/27/2009