Note: This was originally written on my old blog, Iowa Voice. I’ve brought it over here because I felt it was important. What’s even more important is that rather than issue a REAL apology, the Des Moines Register and the op-ed writer responsible chose to delete the material, instead…pretending that none of it happened.

As I reported earlier, there was a rather nasty and mean-spirited editorial/opinion piece in the Des Moines Register on Sunday. The gist of the editorial was that two Iowa men had died, both because of Iraq. One was killed in combat and, according to the author of the editorial, the other committed suicide by stepping in front of a truck. Iraq was to blame for that, too.

One problem: the death was ruled not to be a suicide, but a legitimate accident. I had an email exchange with the author and was treated at first like a boob who was being “sanctimonious”, and then like I didn’t know what the hell was going on in the world, and finally I was given a disclaimer of sorts: that the article was originally written before the medical report came out, so it wasn’t her fault.

Today, in the opinion section (a full 3 days after the original article appeared), we are treated with a standard “We’re sorry, but it wasn’t our fault” apology:

Some readers have questioned the Register’s publication of a Rekha Basu column in Sunday’s Opinion section that contained outdated information. Here’s what happened:

Basu wrote a column on Thursday about the deaths of two Iowa brothers, Casey Byers, who was killed in Iraq on June 11, and Justin “Paul” Byers, who was struck by a pickup June 20. The column stated that Justin Byers had deliberately stepped in front of the truck. That information was accurate at the time it was written and printed. The Crawford County medical examiner had ruled the death a suicide. The Opinion section was printed at 1 a.m. Friday. As is the case at other sizable newspapers, the Register’s presses don’t have capacity to run all Sunday sections at once, so several sections must be printed early.

Friday afternoon, the medical examiner changed his ruling, concluding that the death was an accident. A note to readers explaining that the Opinion section was printed before the medical examiner changed his ruling was published on Page One Sunday. However, the column was initially posted online without an editor’s note.- Carol Hunter, editorial-page editor.

This non-apology doesn’t square the fact that it was bad judgement in writing the article in the first place. Just another “It’s all Bush’s fault” rant. There has still been no apology to the Byers family, who surely were hurt by this.

And on top of it all, we’re supposed to believe that it was beyond the DMR’s power/ability to pull this one op-ed piece from the print edition AND the online edition? Don’t hand me that. The internet edition could be taken down with the click of a button, for heaven’s sake! And Friday till Sunday, well that’s at least TWO FULL DAYS to edit out that article and replace it with something–anything–in it’s place.

We’re on the verge of colonizing Mars, and they can’t edit one page?? Please, spare me. Papers do it all the time. If an operation such as the DMR can’t handle the removal of one article, they either need to upgrade and join the 21st century, or they need to get out of the business.

So while we forced the DMR into at least admitting they were wrong, they clearly did not go far enough.

At the VERY LEAST, they STILL owe the Byers family an apology.
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In the comments of the old site, this was left by the Byers family:

This sir is amazing. We thought that nobody cared, or even emagined the pain and the suffering that the crawford county attorney assisted by the Des Moines Register has done to us.Neither ever knowing our son Justin, decided to tell the world that he had taken his own life, which because of our losing our other son Casey made it news and so it appeared on every major newpaper in the country. We just want you to know how deeply appreciative we are that someone actually took notice and commented on it. To this day though we still receive books and mailings in the mail in regards to dealing with and coping with suicide. Are there any books around to tell ya how to deal with heartless so called professionals who make crucial mistakes and are still allowed to continue practicing their professions. We are very proud of both of our sons, who will always be heroes to us and to the nation, as they both continue on for their quest for truth and freedom for they will always be together side by side in Arlington National Cemetery. Once again we thank you. Bill and Ann Byers

I replied:

Mr. Byers:

I am at a loss for words, really. I want to thank you for your kind note, and also to extend my condolences to you and your family. I wasn’t kidding when I said that your sons are both heroes.

I lost a cousin in Iraq, too (I mentioned it, I think, in my posting). I know how hard this is for you, because I’ve been there. My cousin and I were very close. I still miss him.

My outrage on this was that Ms. Basu was caught in not one lie, but several, and to this day has not apoligized sufficiently to her readers or, more importantly, to the Byers family. She saw this, as the rest of the media did, as a chance to “get Bush” without regards to your family and how it might affect you. That was pure hatred, and it was disgraceful.

I would like to say on behalf of myself and my family, that I am truly sorry for what the DMR (and the rest of the media) have done to you and your family.

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