Richard Cato: Putting racist on front page makes them seem more important than they are

Re “This is a huge victory,’ Oakdale white supremacist says after deadly clash” (Front page, Aug. 15): I have to take you to task for your front-page story about the comment from an Oakdale white supremacist. The story may be newsworthy but does it deserve front page coverage? It couldn’t go on the back page of the ads section or even on the inside of the front page?

Giving these people front-page coverage only emboldens them and gives them a false sense of importance. These fringe groups fomenting hate and anger are not what folks in the Central Valley are all about. We may need to know that these people exist in our midst, but you should take a stand against giving these people an inflated sense of relevance. They have nothing of value to add to the debate. They only serve to distract us from the good that others do to advance good citizenship, safety for all citizens and promoting a positive image for our children and the outside world.

Your superficial take on this person ignores the real story of how a former military member is still in school at 31 and has apparently sunk into a hate-filled philosophy we fought a world war to eradicate.

This story was originally published August 16, 2017 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Richard Cato: Putting racist on front page makes them seem more important than they are."