MALICIOUS RUMORS LEAVE COMMUNITY SCARS

It isn't often that the Southeast Missourian writes a front-page story about rumormongering in a small town like Ste. Genevieve. But the circumstances several days ago made such a story imperative, in large part because this newspaper figured so prominently in the rumors.

The scuttlebutt wasn't about the newspaper. Rather, there were serious allegations about some prominent members of the Ste. Genevieve community -- accusations involving drugs and criminal charges.

Those spreading the rumors -- as usual, nameless cowards who spread their gossip wantonly and with apparent malice -- cited stories published in the Southeast Missourian and broadcast by KFVS-TV as their sources, giving some credibility to what was being alleged.

There's just one problem: No such stories exist.

Rumors, particularly malicious ones, tend to take on a life of their own. Using the good names of this newspaper and KFVS-TV, the unfounded claims were given even more credence by people in Ste. Genevieve who would rather accept and pass on some juicy information instead of making any effort to determine the truthfulness of that information.

A good deal of damage has been done, thanks to this unconscionable chatter. Now that the rumors have been laid to rest, there is a lesson for everyone about the harm of idle talk.