Mt. Juliet is not a suburb of Nashville. It is its own community, with its own government and civil services. It is not even in Davidson Co.

Posted by: Katherine Coble at June 13, 2006 10:52 AM

Hey, The Tennessean (and our federal government) believe illegal aliens have more right to be here than you and I.

Posted by: Donna Locke at June 13, 2006 2:00 PM

The more correct way to write this story: A 27-year-old illegal immigrant living illegally in Madison was charged with vehicular homicide Monday in the deaths of a Mt. Juliet couple killed in a car crash Thursday.

Not if you actually want to do legitimate, ethical journalism. It would be professionally irresponsible and unethical to describe someone as factually engaged in illegal behavior unless and until a court of law has made that determination. The writer was right to cite the police mention of his possible illegal-immigrant status, rather than to turn it into a fact inthe lede. And if the man lives in Madison, then there is nothing wrong with shorthanding him in the lede as a "Madison man." It signals merely his place of residence (legal, illegal, short-term, long-term, whatever). Your anti-immigration fervor appears in this case to be eclipsing your understanding of journalism.

Posted by: Journalism Police at June 14, 2006 4:41 PM

"Your anti-immigration fervor appears in this case to be eclipsing your understanding of journalism."

Really? Well your oh-so-leftist and politically correct fervor appears in this case to be eclipsing any capacity you might once have had for a modicum of common sense.

Anti-immigration, or anti-ILLEGAL-immigration?

While you were performing your precious little nitpicking act, it should have occurred to you that you, in all your prissy perfection (you sound like a college professor), were being guilty of inaccuracy yourself.

Enough with the dishonest sleazeball semantics, "Journalism Police!"

The particular illegal in question had a record of 14 criminal arrests, and was drunk and fleeing from police when he murdered the Wilsons.

As an illegal alien, he had been granted the "right" to a driver's license by an utterly stupid state legislature, and had been given the very best available tender loving liberal care by several local judges who were meticulous in showing the utmost politically correct solicitude for his "rights" during each of his 14 court appearances.

The legislators AND judges involved should all be recalled or voted out of office.

The fact that federal immigration authorities are malfeasant or nonfeasant -- and they certainly are -- does not relieve state and local officials of their responsibility to protect the public from illegal alien criminals.

And, since you're such a great authority on journalistic accuracy, you might take note that "immigration" and "ILLEGAL immigration" have distinctly different meanings. As if you didn't know, you little rascal you!

Posted by: Diogenes at June 21, 2006 9:19 PM

Yo Diogenes, your rant about how the criminal justice system and the legislature may have failed us because this guy is was on the loose and behind the wheel is all well and good, but irrelevant. BH's post was criticizing the paper for not writing the story a certain way. My comment merely pointed out that writing it BH's way would be incompetent journalism (although it might make for a better polemic). I suspect BH is smart enough to know that I'm right on this point.

As for the distinction between anti-immigrant and anti-illegal immigrant, I stand by the view that those who view immigration reform the way Congressman Tom Tancredo does are, in fact, anti-immigrant, shrouding their disdain for all things foreign in a self-righteous law-and-order crusade.

Posted by: JP at June 23, 2006 1:30 PM

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