Here’s why I’ve temporarily disabled all comments

Comments on this site have been temporarily disabled because I’ve learned that someone has been impersonating a Las Cruces couple, apparently with the intent of trying to discredit certain political groups by submitting comments that make those groups’ members – and that couple in particular – appear to be extremists or nutcases.

Many of you have been reading comments signed “Vi and Ron” and have become increasingly annoyed with their talk of a progressive Democratic “slate” of candidates. The comments have become increasingly obnoxious in recent days and have claimed to be submitted by two people who belong to the Progressive Voter Alliance and other groups that share some of the same members.

There’s only one couple who fits that profile and who frequently goes by “Vi and Ron.” They are Violet and Ron Cauthon of Las Cruces, and, though they sometimes attend PVA meetings, they have not been submitting those comments. It appears that someone else has been intentionally impersonating them.

The comments submitted by the impersonator were often immediately followed by comments posted by someone who remained anonymous and pointed out the extremism or nuttiness of the “Vi and Ron” comments. That appeared to be part of the impersonator’s strategy. It was all done in the context of the recent Las Cruces municipal election.

This is unacceptable. The person who did this has harmed the reputations of the real Vi and Ron among some people who know them and the reputation of the PVA, and has damaged the credibility of this site.

These sorts of smear tactics are a major reason why the American public is so distrustful of the political system. The impersonator has abused his or her right to comment on this site and betrayed democracy with shameful acts.

The aim of this site is to foster debate and discussion that furthers community involvement in and understanding of government. The juvenile, irresponsible and, frankly, stupid actions perpetrated by this impostor violate that intent.

To the real Vi and Ron, and to the PVA and other groups that were targeted, please accept my public apology. I have permanently deleted all the impostor’s comments. I also had to delete some comments submitted in response to those, because they would not have made sense on their own. In all, I’ve removed 61 comments dating back to Sept. 25.

I am currently considering options for bringing comments back to this site. Comments are a critical part of the discussion I hope this site has helped foster, and they will be allowed again. However, my immediate priority is ensuring that something like this can never happen again. Give me some time to sort this out and consider the options.

I’ll be taking a close look at my comments policy to consider whether any revisions are necessary. You can read it by clicking here. If you have suggestions, or want to discuss this situation, e-mail me at heath@haussamen.com.