Oh really?? Now you say that you have to print everybody’s opinion. Whatever happened to you editing & promising no personal attacks? That certainly was a personal attack on Officer Torres. I don’t care if you are next door to the police station you were wrong & you have to own it. Perhaps you should do away with the pulse line altogether. It’s just full of mean and spiteful nuts.
In response to the Westfield News explanation in Thursday’s paper defending their decision to post those despicable comments. I understand what you, (the PulseLine), were trying to get across, but frankly still think it was terrible taste and simply wrong and shameful to post them because of their totally inappropriate and certainly UNTRUE comments. Whether or not the PulseLine’s policy is that it doesn’t edit or refrain from printing items because of what feedback they have received from the public, bottom line here?, it was 100 percent wrong to post them… PERIOD!! Decent human beings go with their gut feelings and do not care about whether or not they break their own rules, sometimes there are exceptions to the rule. Respect should have been the route taken here. You know, the higher road. As far as I am concerned, those comments should have never made it into the paper! Also, to the idiot that made those horrible comments in The Westfield News this week. How sick can you be to put something so disgusting, appalling, insulting, disrespectful and above all so hateful in the newspaper the day that Jose Torres was being laid to rest? I did see the horrible entry that was posted on masslive directly below the story of Jose’s accidental death article. I was so pissed off that I called a local radio station to ask them to contact maslive and ask them why they had not removed it yet. I was very happy to find out that it had in fact been taken off the website. What a sick SOB it was that posted that comment. Money isn’t always the goal, I think it is also because some of these jobs are just too dangerous, hence, our subject. I will not, (out of respect for his wife. children and other family members), give the ignorant, worthless and sick individual the satisfaction of putting those comments into The Westfield News. Let’s say, rather bluntly, that I was ready to personally hunt down this a**hole and smack him/her upside their head. It was very upsetting to say the least. Since then, I posted a comment on my FaceBook page with remarks about Jose and what a wonderful man he was to EVERYONE!! He served this community for about half of his life did so with pride, respect and love for our, (his) town. As for his pension, I will say it again because not all PulseLine readers go on FB. I have heard a rumor whichI really hope is true. I was told that the City of Westfield was considering posthumously promoting Jose to a “position that he would have eventually earned in his 27+ year career”. If the City was to do this, it would increase his pension for his family. After 27 yrs. of public service, how can anyone doubt that he would have accomplished this? It is only a rumor that I have heard, but I want to ask all of the members of this community to contact the Mayor and other city officials to make them aware of how we as a community support this decision. Clearly, the amount of supporters outnumbers the amount of ignorant, (and quite frankly…..stupid), people that are making these remarks. The PulseLine, Facebook and telephone are only some of the ways we can get our message out to the Mayor and other city officials that have the power to push this through. Please, everyone take a second to call or email the City to ask them to approve this and promote Jose. Like I said on FB, the last time I saw Jose was at the store. I will never forget that big smile he had when he walked out the door. I’m sure that even he was not aware of all of the people in this world that loved and respected him so much. He was a fantastic police officer, husband, father, friend and decent human being. He deserves all the respect in the world. Someone who also loved him said to me, (and I am going to try to put this as nicely as possible, but with the purpose of getting my point across)… This person asked me, “why does it always have to happen to the most loving, caring and good people in the world”? My response? I truly believe that the reason for this is that someone up above chooses these loving, caring people for a purpose… And, (I believe the others are left for the obvious destination in which they truly deserve. And clearly, that is not up above, but down below!!) Their time will come and the saddest part for them will be the countless numbers of people that will not come to pay their respects, because they lived their lives with so much hate and disrespect for others! RIP Jose, My husband and I will miss you terribly and you are missed by many, many, many good and loving people that you have touched in this world. We will never forget you and will always keep you close in our thoughts and hearts!! Dawn
Congratulations to Sabrina Fox, a junior at WHS, for her being chosen to model American Eagle jeans on the company’s Times Square NYC billboard. Way to go, Sabrina!
With freedom of speech comes responsibility for civility. Let’s raise the bar on how we express our opinions. I am pleased that others have strongly objected to the recent posts. Sadly, the blogs have become the forum for some who should be silenced due to a lack of common decency. In the name of ‘freedom of speech’ we allow the outrageous few to express profound disrespect in a manner that is a poor reflection on Westfield. I am certain that the brilliant forefathers who wrote the constitution did not intend ‘free speech’ to be so destructive to humanity. I fear for the children growing up in a world devoid of respect, decency or compassion. I worry that the voice of the majority is not heard because many choose not to participate for fear of becoming fodder for the blogs. Who would run for public office? Look at the treatment of our elected officials. Since it has gotten to the point where the PulseLine is so destructive to truly decent people, I will not be reading it until the Editorial staff creates some guidelines for publication. In the name of common decency and for the betterment of our community, show some leadership and create some rules (with a community panel) and stop hiding behind ‘free speech.’ There is no such thing – it is costing someone. …’ words will never hurt me’ is not true. Words have hurt members of our community very deeply. It’s time to stop.
Because submissions are the opinions of the people in our community, just like you stated, I will be canceling my subscription due to your so-called policy.
Hi. I’d like to comment on how great the American Legion Band has been. They played on Wednesday’s at Stanley Park this summer and do an excellent. I think it would be great if they could get together and maybe put on a holiday show. Hope everyone sees them next year.
This is a just comment in regards to the idiot that called in to The Westfield News about Jose Torres’ death. Would he have felt better if this was a civilian? I mean, he was totally off the wall with his comment for such a tragedy. Thank you.
To the person who called in that distasteful comment regarding the late Jose Torres: It is people like you in our society that makes me like animals more than I do most humans – you being one of them. Kindness is the oil that takes the friction out of life that people, such as you, put into it. You are disgusting, pitiful, and I cannot understand how you are alive having no heart at all. And to The Westfield News for publishing that article especially on the day of the funeral, you’re trying to make an effort to pacify your readers with all that mumbo-jumbo explanation of yours, places you on the same bus as the person who called in that distasteful article. Minds are like parachutes; they only function when opened and yours is in dire need of repair. What a wonderful thing for a wife and sons to read on the same day his wife and sons just buried their husband and father. There’s a song titled “People Who Need People” and I don’t need people like the two of you.
