When lies/spin become (too) easy
After you’ve spent a career saying things just to make people go away, I wonder if you lose track of the texture of what you’re saying.
They’re tearing down a classic diner in New Rochelle, NY and putting up a Walgreen’s drugstore, right next to an existing CVS. The diner’s fans are up in arms. Not to worry, the NY Times reports. Here’s the key quote, unedited:
"Joel Sachs, a lawyer for the developers, said that Walgreens has realized from the beginning that the diner was an icon in the community and would be a sensitive tenant."
Sensitive? Does that meant that the Walgreens is going to serve bacon? Or does it mean nothing whatsoever?
It would certainly be more truthful to say, "hey, it’s our right to put up a Walgreens. If you don’t like it, you should rent the space instead." But that would be inflammatory, so it’s easier to just spin, I guess.
[Two people have pointed out that my ‘quote’ is a paraphrase. It’s entirely possible that Mr. Sachs didn’t say anything about being a sensitive tenant. If that’s the case, I’m just plain wrong. But (in this case, anyway) I don’t think I am.]