A sticky question for newspapers

Just as the New York Times is beginning to allow comments on its stories (see public editor Clark Hoyt's column, Civil Discourse, Meet the Internet), a Miami blogger has decided that the Miami Herald should eliminate them. Here's Rick at Stuck on the Palmetto, Online Newspapers Should Just Dump The Comments:

I say get rid of the them. Period. They're not needed and are nothing but sounding boards for the racists, bigots and attention-starved idiots out there in the virtual world.
...Initially, I thought that it was a good idea, but it has become very apparent that people aren't able to act like responsible adults.

Good luck to The Times. Since comments will be moderated, at least the worst won't get through. The Herald does remove comments but the tone is often unpleasant, even with that. Is it a reflection of life in south Florida?