Reporting on Private Lives

Re “Moratorium on Mud,” editorial, March 7: When you state that there is “no absolute line between responsible reporting and the spreading of fodder for shock or titillation,” you abdicate responsibility for your reportage. There is a standard you could choose that would establish an absolute line with responsibility: refuse to print hearsay, refuse to print a story which comes from a root source who refuses to be identified and refuse to report what cannot be verified independently by persons who should know. The responsibility to report truth is yours. Don’t duck it.

DAVID ZINK

Altadena

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It may well be President Clinton’s improper sexual behavior was not impeachable, but surely it was highly “resignable.” As the impeachment dither fades, one wonders if the biggest political blunder was not by Republicans but by Democrats, who failed to clean their own house by forcing Clinton to turn the baton over to Vice President Al Gore in an orderly transition of power from a man who had lost his ability to both politically and morally lead his party. It would have required neither declarations of outrage and possible criminal charges nor calls for mercy and forgiveness; a mere act of profound statesmanship by Democratic leadership would have sufficed.

So now here we are, stuck with the lamest of all ducks, an indecent president touting decent programs and leaving all of us feeling vaguely unclean.

DAN COPP

Ojai