That is really upsetting! ------ Robert Handy Brazoria County Historical Museum 100 East Cedar Angleton, Texas 77515 (409) 864-1208 museum_bob [log in to unmask] http://www.bchm.org ---------- From: Ross Weeks[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, February 05, 1999 4:56 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: Was: Your TOP EVENT Now: news As a onetime newspaper writer, David, I agree entirely with your essay. On the other hand, newspapers adhere to a writing style that suits their audience; there are those that consciously write for those with fourth-grade educations. There are very few newspapers of quality left in the United States. Unfortunately, we're seeing evidence on this list of the "dumbing down" of literacy in America. For course credit, a Ph.D. candidate submitted to our publication an article which had so many incomplete sentences, spelling errors ("mansion" was "manison" throughout, and it was not a typo) and unattributed quotes. That person will get the Ph.D. from a respected state university, end up teaching history or even, Heaven forbid, on the staff of an historical museum. Ross Weeks Jr. Tazewell Va. [log in to unmask]