I am wrestling
with the fact that The Plain Dealer has
apparently renamed former judge Lance Mason as the “disgraced former judge”.
I offer no
defense for Mason, who is properly being held on $5 million bail, charged with
the murder of his estranged wife in brutal fashion, four years after he viciously
assaulted her in almost incomprehensible anger in front of their children.
Following that
first assault, Mason fell from grace: he pleaded guilty to assault, was sentenced
to prison for two years, resigned his judgeship, and lost his law license.
It was a sudden
and complete fall from grace. In 2014. What he's accused of doing last month stands alone in its depravity, evidence of a frightening but unfortunately not rare state of mind. I suspect it has little if anything to do with any job or honor Mason ever had.
So, what’s my
issue? I have an uncomfortable sense that Mason’s status as a black man
may have subconsciously factored into editorial coverage decisions.
 |
| Headline, caption, and first sentence each refer to Mason as disgraced. |
I do not recall that former county commissioner and Democratic Party chair Jimmy Dimora was so regularly characterized, although he fell from the county’s top electoral spot in the county for his participation in ongoing public corruption schemes. Likewise for former county treasurer Frank Russo, former judge Bridget McCafferty, and a host of other once-respected public servants turned intentional malfeasants.
Is this over-sensitivity or hyper-vigilance on my part? Some may certainly think so. But when the term "disgraced" is pounded relentlessly via headline, photo caption and lead sentence, it seems more than mere click bait, reportorial laziness or editorial indifference.
Words have power. When repetitively combined with images of a black man in an orange jumpsuit in this highly politicized environment, it seems that intentionally or otherwise, a subliminal message is being sent.
I welcome your comments.
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