Columnist apologizes for distasteful byline
In my last column, a well-thought piece about Princess Diana, I recommended the following byline: “Todd Shockley is a senior from Gahanna, Ohio, who will never be so known for his knownness unless he works for the New York Police Department, is skillful with plungers, and enjoys forceable sodomy.”This was meant to be a dig at those officers at the New York Police Department’s 70th Precinct, who decided to stick a plunger up the backside of a Haitian immigrant.Unfortunately, the final version of my byline was altered, and what appeared in the byline seemed to condone forceable sodomy.It was explicitly different from the incarnation I recommended. It implied that I, in jest, enjoy forceable sodomy. Of course, I do not enjoy forceable sodomy and would not have approved of such a byline had I known about it. Regardless, both versions would have been offensive to some people. I know the final version was offensive and embarrassing to me, personally.For this, I, and the editorial editor, apologize to anyone we may have offended ‹ especially anti-rape organizations and any victims of rape.
Todd Shockley
