Move On Editor: I have followed with interest the controversy regarding Dan Johnson. I don’t know him personally but I was pleased to see that you ran an article on him so as to get his side of the story (“Meet Dan Johnson,” Oct. 10). While I would be the first to agree that plagiarism is wrong, I find it hilarious that not one letter printed in your Oct. 17 edition was in support of Dan Johnson, rather it was further piling on, including a letter from someone who claims to have been bullied by Mr. Johnson in grade school. Shades of the Mitt Romney bullying story that was pulled in the last presidential campaign. How low can we sink? Mr. Johnson may not be properly apologetic enough for you. I personally believe that his apologies may lack something due to the perception of his critics. I don’t know Mr. Johnson’s politics but I would venture to say to his critics, he appears to be another rich, successful Republican businessman. In other words, guilty as charged and not to be forgiven! Enough already! I just bet that every single one of the people who wrote letters scolding Mr. Johnson voted for the candidacy of Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Do these same people know about Mr. Biden’s past history of plagiarism? Do they even care? Mr. Johnson is a school board member. Mr. Biden is vice president of the United States. Get some perspective, and as they say, “move on.” Kathleen Essa, Bayside Editor: “I didn’t even know what the fuck plagiarism was.” No shit, Dan. The point is that you know what plagiarism is now, but appear not to give a damn. Truly exceptional people don’t stand
static and trumpet their accomplishments; they also know how to admit their faults with grace. You have not done that. Instead, you’ve made “yeah-but” justifications and blown off detractors with the time-honored middle school retort when caught red-handed: “You’re just jealous!” Not so, Dan. I have a life I consider a success, too, and I not only don’t begrudge you your successes, I say that you should enjoy the fruits of you labor to the fullest. But I stand firm in my belief that you made a mistake at the Arcata High commencement, and that you continue to compound that mistake in the most egregious way by making excuses for your actions. You could have served as a wonderful role model to students by demonstrating that the bigger person shows humility when caught in a blunder. Instead, you’ve become an example of how to make a bad situation worse. On the bright side, you’ve provided local educators with a fantastic object lesson when teaching their students about the scourge of intellectual thievery. You may be Superman or you may be Lex Luthor; I’ve never met you and so cannot say, and frankly don’t care. If my students perpetrate plagiarism in their work, I cannot weigh their relative character qualities when holding them accountable. The consequences fall equally hard on the plagiarizer whether she is a brilliant honors student or he is a lazy ne’er-do-well. Either way, they must face the consequences of their actions. You’re busted, Dan. Do the right thing. Step down and move on. Carla Baku, Eureka Editor: That was a subtle hatchet job Ryan Burns did on Dan Johnson. Several years ago I opposed (in print) the developer’s over the top multi-use project for the old Roger’s Garage site opposite Jacoby Creek School. It included
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three tri-story buildings, 90 parking spaces, shops, apartments and two schools! It was OK’d by Tom Conlon of the city of Arcata despite or because it would be a wedge development which would bust open the north end of Bayside for further commercialization, which is the very reason I loathed it. Even with my objections to that project, I think Dan Johnson deserved a more balanced published interview. The last words in an article often carry the most weight. It is abhorrent that Johnson lies so often and that he’d sooner cripple the school board than face the probable humiliation of resigning. But a little more digging on Burns’ part might have unearthed multiple Dan Johnson kindnesses to offset the darkness so well documented at the end of the interview. That would have provided the balance I look for in Journal articles. Patricia Zephyr Markowitz, Bayside Editor: Thanks to Ryan Burns for another thoughtful, well-crafted and morally significant cover story.
KAREN ORSOLICS
I knew nothing about Dan Johnson’s roots, his prodigious energy and enterprise from an early age, or that he was the guy in that recent plagiarism flap. The cover picture recalls a recent president, but the enormous difference between Mr. Johnson and “W” is that our neighbor really did build his empire out of wit, sweat and a sharp eye for the main chance — rather than college, club and political connections. However, there is an unfortunate similarity, too. Each seems to be unable to acknowledge — even to himself — when he has crossed that line that delimits decent civil behavior. Plagiarism is the sin committed in stealing someone’s intellectual work; notably contemptible when done to snatch money, snag glory or grab an unearned grade. The students were quite properly sensitive to the subject. A wiser head, (say, a teacher or board member?) might have suggested to Mr. Johnson when the issue arose that an apology on the order of “Hey, I wasn’t bucking for a grade here — I just wanted to tell my daughter and her classmates continued on next page
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northcoastjournal.com • North Coast Journal • Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013
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