Michael Ijams: That wasn’t a nun who wrote about cannabis bans
Your op-ed “It’s time to remove the canna-bans” (Page 11A, Feb. 6) by “Sister Kate” of the “Sisters of the Valley” was misleading and irresponsible in not clearly noting that Katherine Meeusen is neither a nun nor even Catholic. (See http://abc7news.com/health/central-valley-nuns-fight-to-keep-their-marijuana-business/1144114/.) You placed the term “Sisters of the Valley” in quotations in the body of her opinion piece, but not in the tag at the end of the article, which stated the author “describes herself as Sister Kate.” Unfortunately, those measures would be lost on many readers. Including a picture of the author in a nun’s habit, without any disclaimer, created an even more immediate impression that she is a Catholic nun.
As responsible journalists, I urge you to print a correction on the editorial page without delay
Michael Ijams, Modesto
Editor’s note: Sisters of the Valley is not a religious order and its members are not affiliated with any religious order.
This story was originally published February 8, 2016 at 3:15 PM with the headline "Michael Ijams: That wasn’t a nun who wrote about cannabis bans."