An Open Letter To The New York Times: Berkeley Balcony Collapse

Dear Sir, Madam,

I refer to the article 'Deaths of Irish Students in Berkeley Balcony Collapse
Casts Pall on Program'.


I was so disheartened to read this article when it first came out, and that emotion has turned to confusion as to why your paper insists on keeping that same article on-line.

The article itself was nothing short of insulting. I am a proud Irish-American dual-citizen who has spent several summers on the Cape and in Boston working with Irish people. I can tell you that our bosses found us to be loyal, hard working people, and your lazy, slanderous characterization couldn't be further off the mark. Further to that, the irony of an American newspaper taking shots at an entire race for partying is immense, considering the well documented, woeful behaviour of American students in Mexico and indeed Europe.

All of that apart, your timing could not have been more ugly and insensitive. You seem to have completely missed the point that 6 human beings, including one citizen of the Unites States, it should be noted, died that tragic night. Your opinion piece added nothing but pain and insult to the situation, and certainly didn't educate or report with any gravity.

To add insult to injury, I personally found great flaw in your apology. In same it was written that the article was “intended to explain in greater detail why these young Irish students were in the US”

That's nothing short of a lie I am afraid, as even after re-reading the article again today in a more calm mood, you can not make me believe that the context of the article was to explain in detail why students were in the US. It was a very targeted and very well aimed assassination piece, and to colour it as anything else after the fact is, I am sorry to say, cowardly.

You have really screwed up on this one, folks, and you deserve the people of Ireland, the people who read your newspaper Worldwide and, most importantly of all, the Irish and American families of the tragically departed a proper, heartfelt apology.

I previously visited the NY Times daily, as one of the few remaining trustworthy, quality newspapers of note. That relationship has been terminally severed for me, and I can guarantee you many thousands more Irish-Americans feel the same since the publishing of your insensitive piece.

Sincerely,
Cormac


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