Just who is the "scumbag"?

At a time even the wackos at MSDNC are at least giving lip service to the cause of civility, are at least giving lip service to the need to speak moderately, the "editors" and, indeed, the publisher of the Times Free Press continue to publish hate.

For example, in the issue of Sunday, 16 January, in (as usual) the lamentable Perspective section, in (as usual) the despicable "TheRant" feature are these vicious and ugly and -- worst -- anonymous comments:

ANYONE who says Sarah Palin's Facebook "cross-hairs" postings had nothing to do with the Arizona shootings is a liar.

SARAH PALIN might not have pulled the trigger in Arizona, but she sure enough pulled the strings.

BOY! THIS week has really shown that right-wing loudmouths can dish it out, but can't take it. Typical of bullying nature. (This from, remember, an anonymous person.)

HEY RUSH, big boy, are you doing a dancing jig this week on your show? (Honest, sic.) (No, I don't know what it means, either.)

SCUMBAG SKILLERN and Conniving Coppinger. What a duo! We truly have sorry excuses for county commissioners if the others go along with this dirty pair. (Fact: Fred Skillern had been chairman of the county commission and by law was set to become interim county mayor. Mr. Skillern has a son undergoing some serious and ongoing medical procedures so Mr. Skillern is having to manage the son's business. He felt [reasonably in my opinion] he could not do that and be available for his son and be county mayor; so he resigned the chairmanship position and someone else became county mayor. All this was done in broad daylight, was announced beforehand, and nothing sneaky or dishonest was done, not that such facts -- or, apparently, any facts -- matter to anonymous Ranters.)

So back to the title question: Who is the real "scumbag"?

I suggest it is the editing and publishing personnel of the Times Free Press who allow, nay, who encourage such vicious vitriol -- such anonymous garbage -- in the pages of an alleged "news" paper.