Editorial Of The Day

From the Denver Post editorial board:

If you're going to sell wedding cakes in Colorado, you have to sell them to everyone who comes into your shop. You can't pick and choose among customers based upon your belief that some weddings are immoral. That's the principle that administrative law judge Robert N. Spencer reinforced with his recent ruling that the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood must sell wedding cakes to gay couples. It's the right call — and not even a close one in our view. Masterpiece Cakeshop is a commercial enterprise, not a religious institution, even if Phillips believes he honors God thr0ugh his artistic efforts in cake decoration. It is not unusual for merchants to deal with people whose values or behavior they disapprove of. If you're in business, though, you have a duty to sell your wares to all comers.

Denver Post To Launch Marijuana News Site, But Will Drug Test Its Reporters

From the news director of the Denver Post:

Colorado will open the doors to legal recreational marijuana sales in the new year. We have been covering the medical marijuana industry for more than a decade. But last year, voters approved legalized recreational marijuana. We have written extensively about the research on marijuana, the regulation, the wrangling in the legislature, cooking with marijuana and growing it. The new year will bring all angles together in a way that is challenging and exciting for us. We plan to do what we do with any major story: throw our best muscle, creative minds and ingenuity at the project. We’re going to have some fun – with a mix of news, entertainment and culture stories. Say what you want about the newspaper industry, but The Post is the most powerful news organization in the region. We know how to cover big stories. And with pot, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Denver Post Editor Defends Front Page Photo Of House Speaker Kissing Partner

Early this morning a JMG reader sent us his photo of the front page of today's Denver Post.  Anticipating complaints, the paper has published a defense of the photo.

We have received objections to our photographs of gay couples before, so we all knew there would likely be a negative reaction to running the picture of Ferrandino. The civil unions vote was historic for Colorado and celebrating it was not a surprise. That led one editor to note, “We have no issues showing a straight couple kissing on election night.” Another detail that made the photo so compelling was the baby bottle on Ferrandino’s desk. It belongs to the child he and his partner adopted; given that the civil unions bill offered protections for children and families, it was another element that gave context. “We were aware that some may object, but we wanted to put the truth of what the bill means to this couple,” [photo editor Ken] Lyons says. “It’s an example of what it means to many couples.”

The Post closes its defense by welcoming comments on the issue. Hit the second link, they use Disqus. I'm sure you have something to say about that headline.

UPDATE: The first 50 or so comments on the Post site appear to have come from JMG readers. (Thank you!) The editor has read your comments and has posted this update:

After reading the comments, I’m altering the headline from “no matter how objectionable,” to “even if it offends.” I’ve certainly dealt with some callers who are upset with the use of the photo, but my intent was not to label the photo (or the act) objectionable. As I’ve often said, everyone needs an editor, and I appreciate the comments. — Lin

Good job, everybody!