In today’s Paddle News: “Tariffs Set to Hit Paddlesports Hard.” Is paddling.com now taking a stance on political issues? Or allowing people to submit political articles for publication? I agree with the writer’s political position in this case, but this should have been called an editorial rather than placing it on the “Learn” page. It clearly represents the view of a stakeholder. The author’s name—John Hoge, VP of Sea Eagle—should be posted at the top of the page, not the end, so we know who’s writing it and can read it accordingly. I have no objection to such articles if they’re called what they are, editorials.
Where do I sign up to submit a political editorial related to paddling? My pitch: If the present administration isn’t removed soon, you won’t have clean, protected waters to paddle in and you won’t enjoy paddling when the temperature is over 100 degrees from May through October and smoke from massive fires blankets your state. I hope John Hoge is doing what he can to fight the battle on those fronts as well—it’s not all, or even mostly, about how much things cost! The larger questions are about the planet.
Also, is paddling really a middle-class thing, as Hoge states? (“Paddlesports have long been a way for the middle class to enjoy the outdoors on a reasonable budget.”) Ouch. That’s a risky statement. It’s striking that in recent years the political discussion has been around the middle class and the wealthy. Low-income people don’t really exist anymore. They have no place in debates like tariffs and climate change.
Lots of assumptions in the article and it certainly was nothing more than op-ed,. Now for a little levity the Related Articles were about animal attacks on kayakers…!
Now if only the tariffs would get the unsafe boats off the Walmart aisles… That is where the middle class comes in… Price rules.
I wonder the real effect on the market. Some of us are not in the market for boats very often… Of course new paddlers find themselves in a different situation
We don’t need, or I should say I don’t want any political posts here, which clearly yours is.
I come here to learn, get advice and give advice on PADDLING Not politics
@JackL said:
We don’t need, or I should say I don’t want any political posts here, which clearly yours is.
I come here to learn, get advice and give advice on PADDLING Not politics
Interested in paddling; NOT politics.
Ease on down the road; plenty of other sites to fulfill your political needs.
This is paddling.net, NOT politics.net.
@JackL said:
We don’t need, or I should say I don’t want any political posts here, which clearly yours is.
I come here to learn, get advice and give advice on PADDLING Not politics
Are you saying that Paddle News can send us political op eds but we can’t comment on them in a forum? That’s pretty bizarre. If a topic is deemed appropriate for Paddle News I’d say it’s appropriate for the forum, since both come from the same source. I assume you read Paddle News to learn as well? So how do you feel about being sent a political op ed? “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Meaning, if someone sends me a political statement, I’m going to reply in that person’s forum.
I think, moreover, that advocacy is entirely appropriate for members of an organization that supports a particular activity, like paddling, especially if there are conditions that threaten that activity. The op ed writer, John Hoge, writes at length about a condition that he feels threatens the paddling industry. The condition—tariffs—is entirely political in nature. I support his effort to bring the issue to our attention. There are other issues that are an even bigger threat to paddling.
@thebob.com said:
Interested in paddling; NOT politics.
Ease on down the road; plenty of other sites to fulfill your political needs.
This is paddling.net, NOT politics.net.
BOB
Maybe you didn’t read your Paddle News this morning, or maybe you’re not a subscriber?
No Paddle bird, I don’t get paddle news.
If that is the same one that the ACA used to put out ,I gave it up years go, and one of the reasons was what I stated above.
This is the last comment from me on this subject
Interesting, I just read the article and came back to say the same.
It seems I got the article but didn’t read it. Perhaps because the topic, that tariffs on products from China affect the price of products from China, was covered in the headline.
The site administrator owns the site. I should mention that it is awfully rare for someone to complain about what gets posted in News on a Board. So it seems that people are generally OK with his decisions. I am personally happy to leave it to his choice.
@JackL said:
No Paddle bird, I don’t get paddle news.
If that is the same one that the ACA used to put out ,I gave it up years go, and one of the reasons was what I stated above.
This is the last comment from me on this subject
Paddle News is the newsletter mailed by the owner of THIS SITE to subscribers. See, you missed that part. YOUR site owner sent out a political op ed to subscribers today. I’m commenting on a newsletter sent to me by THIS SITE. I’m not just pulling a random political topic out of the air. Please read more carefully before you start judging.