Huge, Humble Correction from Molly Ivins
Last week I called attention to a weak Molly Ivins correction, but more than half of her column yesterday consisted of a major correction which begins and ends this way:
CROW EATEN HERE: This is a horror. In a column written June 28, I asserted that more Iraqis (civilians) had now been killed in this war than had been killed by Saddam Hussein over his 24-year rule. WRONG. Really, really wrong.
. . .
There have been estimates as high as 1 million civilians killed by Saddam, though most agree on the 300,000 to 400,000 range, making my comparison to 20,000 civilian dead in this war pathetically wrong.
I was certainly under no illusions regarding Saddam Hussein, whom I have opposed through human rights work for decades. My sincere apologies. It is unforgivable of me not have checked. I am so sorry.
Her original error was huge, so she deserves condemnation. Arthur Chrenkoff and Michelle Malkin noted the error at the time.
But at least Ms. Ivin’s correction is correspondingly forceful and comprehensive. She clearly labels the correction; she explains completely how the error occurred; she doesn’t attempt to transfer the blame to anyone else; she doesn’t use a disreputable “rowback”; she doesn’t take the opportunity to snarkily restate her original point. If I had my pundit challenge system in place, I would call this a three-point error and a three-point correction.
