[Imc-newsroom] re: misquote

[Sascha Meinrath]

Thanks for the clarification.  Because we utilize an open publishing
system, it is not possible to check the origins of all our stories.  We
rely on readers and concerned people to post clarifications to the
stories.  All stories posted to our newswire allow readers to post
comments about them (which are then added to the end of the stories).
Your contribution is an example of why an open publishing system is a
viable alternative to editorial fact-checking and I encourage you to post
your comments to the news-wire story.

--Sascha Meinrath
Urbana-Champaign IMC

> From: OvRlord103 at aol.com
> Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 20:56:46 EDT
> To: imc-newsroom at ucimc.org
> Subject: [Imc-newsroom] misquote
>
>
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>        I found my way to your site recently, and in scanning the
> "Perspectives On Terror Tuesday" article, I spotted a quote that had been
> erroneously misquoted. The misquote follows, in this passage:
>
>          Back then the proponents of the war had their slogans. One of them
> was "Right or wrong, my country!" Those of us who took the trouble to
> research the origins of the slogan discovered, however, that it had been
> taken out of context. The full text of the original statement read instead:
> "Right or wrong, my country. If it's right, keep it right. If it's wrong,
> MAKE it right."
>
>        The "right or wrong, my country" quote was originally a toast given by
> 19th century U.S. Naval Officer Stephen Decatur, and proceeded thus:
>
>        "To our Country! In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she
> always be in the right, but our country, right or wrong!"
>
>     I do not know if the addition, "If it's right, keep it right. If it's
> wrong, MAKE it right," made on your website was deliberately written in to
> mislead readers as to the original spirit of the words, or if it was an
> honest mistake, but either way, try to be more careful when restating the
> words of famous American heroes.
>