The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1940-09-27
TOO
LATE
TO
CLASSIFY
GOSSIP MONGERS!

earnest, sincere ana anxious to
serve his community and make it
a better place in which to live,
recently turned his editorial tai
ent to pointing out an evil that
was doing his town more gen
uine harm than any other one
thing-a growing tendency of its
citizens to engage in idle gossip.
Because his message is timely
and because it applies equally to
your community and mine, l am
taking the liberty of reproducing
it in part While it was intended
originally for a certain small
community it nevertheless con-
tains food for thought for you and
me and a lot of other folks.
Emitting his masterpiece 1.-THE
Right of Privacy, this country
editor said:
Il am at a loss to fathom the
reason behind our community's
sudden and passionate desire for
gossip and SANDER concerning its
own people; its longing for half
truths and exaggerationS about
its leading citizens.
There has been no discrimina-
ton concerning the victims of
this chief summer diversion. The
gossip mOngers have spared few
if any, of our foremost families in
their ruthless invasion of pri-
Vacy.
"a mans home is his one re-
treat from the horrors and filth
he must encounter on the outside;
it is his lone fort of privacy re-
manning in this mad world of
ours today. If we invade that
cathedral with lies, insinuations
or even truths, we destroy our
own rights to protection against
similar attacks.
''MOre than one happy home in
this town has been destroyed in
the past few months as a direct
result of this wave of gossip.
others are lettering on the brink.
There must be an about face
if we are to salvage our own self
respect and integrity. The home
life of our neighbOr must be
guarded if we are to expect our
just share of personal privacy.
1--WE want our CITY to grow and
build and progress, but it cannot
do so when its residents are
spending most of their time spec
ulating as to which Of their asso-
ciates are contemplating divorce.
or weighing in their minds the.
marital happiness of their neigh
Dor.
Il neither condone nor con-
denim divorce as an institution.
If a man and his wife are not
compatible. l am of the sincere
belief that they have the right to
separate and settle their differ
ences in a calm manner without
public interference and Specula-
ton.
''One newcomer to our COM
munity. who has the background
and culture to easily find a place
in our so-called society, was ask
ed recently why she made no eff
fort to occupy that niche.
One glimpse was enough,
she said. 4 can see nothing to
justify my participation in your
gossip conscious social circles. l
would find no pleasure in listen
ing to a group SANDER a member
who has just taken her leave: nor
would l enjoy the thought of my
new friends taking me to pieces
when l am not present at their
CAB sessions"
IAN extremist. l am forced to
admit, but she certainly hit the
nail on the head in some re-
SpectS.
"ImmeaSurable damage has
been wrought locally by gossip,
much Of which has been spread
innOcently by persons other than
the perpetrators. thinking their
information to be authentic.
And so young Billy Waddell
holds the mirror up to the folks
In his town.
Unfortunately. however. few
see therein their own reflection.
Reading the editorial they applaud
and confidently assume that it is
directed at somebody else.
One of the worse goSsips
know has the three wise mon
keys" on her dresser. Hear No
Evil. See No Evil, Speak No
Evil'-but it is just a decoration