Hits & Misses
MISS: Most often, we find ourselves in support of actions taken by the American Civil Liberties Union, because we believe people’s constitutional rights should be protected. In a few cases, though, the ACLU makes a misstep, and we think that’s true of the case it intends to bring against the state Department of Corrections regarding the DOC’s handling of legal mail. The DOC took the action in an effort to keep contraband out of state prisons, following a number of incidents in which officials believed drugs smuggled in by mail – particularly a synthetic marijuana known as K2 – had sickened DOC employees. According to a report in the Philadelphia Inquirer, under the previous system, staff opened legal mail with inmates present, checked it for contraband and turned it over. Now, staff photocopy the mail, still with the inmates present, give them the copies and keep the originals on file for about a month and a half. Frankly, we can’t see the problem with this, and unless there’s some evidence that confidential documents are being mishandled or read by the wrong people, we believe the ACLU’s efforts could be better applied to some other issue.
MISS: Having “Jeopardy” host Alex Trebek moderate the Monday night debate between Gov. Tom Wolf and his Republican challenger Scott Wagner was seen as unconventional in the days leading up to the face-off in Hershey. In the days after, it was seen rightly as downright disastrous. The 78-year-old Trebek was panned for monopolizing the conversation while Wolf and Wagner were left to look on and twiddle their thumbs. The undoubted nadir of the event was when Trebek brought the proceedings to a halt to serve up a meandering tale of his days as a Catholic boarding school student and how he never saw any evidence of sexual misconduct in that time. Well, that’s great, but how about sounding out Wolf and Wagner on their views on topics like recreational marijuana and property tax reform? Trebek released a statement Wednesday, saying that he was trying to offer a “light-hearted approach” and that he “failed to recognize the seriousness of the event for the voters.” If the debate organizers had gone with a more orthodox moderator, the event might not have generated as much buzz, but it certainly would have been more illuminating for voters.
HIT: When “The Night of the Living Dead” was first screened at what is now Pittsburgh’s Byham Theater 50 years ago this week, the folks in attendance surely had no idea that it would become a cultural touchstone that would influence legions of filmmakers. To them, “The Night of the Living Dead” was a good night out at the movies, made even better by the presence of regional landmarks and personalities like broadcaster Bill Cardille. But it’s a measure of the achievement of director George Romero and his brand of low-budget moviemaking that “The Night of the Living Dead” remains so celebrated and so imitated. It’s listed on the National Film Registry maintained by the Library of Congress, and still remains as fresh and chilling as it was a half-century ago. Everyone who lives in the Pittsburgh region can be proud that “The Night of the Living Dead” is part of its heritage.