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Lee	Post subject: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:43 am
Joined: Sat May 22, 2004 12:01 am Posts: 160 Location: Australia	This prompted a very heated debate between the features desk chief sub and a section editor on Friday night: <blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>[Lionel Murphy] was painted as the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt and heartless Tories were blamed for the onset of the cancer that led to his premature death. <hr></blockquote> Murphy was 64 when he died. Desk chief says 64 was not premature; section ed (who is about 10 years closer to 64 than desk chief) says it is because life expectancy is in the 70s... The section editor eventually wore down the desk chief with the argument that "it's a column. The columnist has the right to call it the way he wants to".
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Phillip Blanchard	Post subject: Re: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 10:14 am
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2002 1:01 am Posts: 8342 Location: Bethesda, Md.	[Lionel Murphy] was painted as the victim of a politically motivated witch-hunt and heartless Tories were blamed for the cancer that killed him.<p>***Done. Easy. Quick. No hassles.***
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paulwiggins	Post subject: Re: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 6:31 pm
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:01 am Posts: 3137 Location: Homebush NSW Australia	Given that the Prime Minister Justice Murphy served under will be 88 on Sunday one is entitled to form the view that he died too young. Desk chief's point of view reminds me of folk who describe 44-year-olds as being elderly.
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Lee	Post subject: Re: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:30 pm
Joined: Sat May 22, 2004 12:01 am Posts: 160 Location: Australia	The desk chief in question is 44 and would never do that :-)<p>[ July 04, 2004: Message edited by: Lee ]</p>
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Bumfketeer	Post subject: Re: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:06 pm
Joined: Fri Nov 15, 2002 1:01 am Posts: 3557 Location: Cusp of retirement, grave or both	As Phil said, being a copy editor gives us a license to edit and thus take out stupid shit like that.
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paulwiggins	Post subject: Re: When is a death "premature"? Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2004 8:11 pm
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 12:01 am Posts: 3137 Location: Homebush NSW Australia	<blockquote><font size="1" face="TImes, TimesNR, serif">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Bumfketeer: As Phil said, being a copy editor gives us a license to edit and thus take out stupid shit like that.<hr></blockquote> I'd tend to agree. Every op-ed writer I've ever worked with worth their salt blesses you for stopping them look like an idiot. The others took up tasks more suited to their talents very quickly.
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