Given the hook of the piece, the Gathering of Eagles counter-protest actually assisted the anti-war side in raising awareness in a big way. A tip of the hat to you, GoE, for your help!
Statement #5 on the GoE mission statement says,
We believe that our freedom of speech is one of the greatest things our country espouses, and we absolutely hold that any American citizen has the right to express his or her approval or disapproval with any policy, law, or action of our nation and her government in a peaceful manner as afforded by the laws of our land."
Meanwhile, local GoE member Charles Gant is quoted in Killian's piece as saying,
We want to be able to shout Sheehan down, so she can't be heard by anyone. She's anti-American, and she doesn't have anything worth saying."That reminds me of the Crusades mentality that thou shalt not kill... unless they're not like us, in which case, have at it.
Meanwhile, in both of her speeches yesterday, Cindy Sheehan emphasized that the GoE has as much right to be there as the anti-war side, that their First Amendment rights are every bit as valid as ours.
4 comments:
You don't get into newspapering to be well liked. Sometimes you take heat from supporters of the Minuteman Project, sometimes from the World Can't Wait.
I'm sure you're used to some of that yourself.
Absolutely - stepping on toes is just part of the deal. Incidentally, I thought your response to one of the World Can't Wait people (WCW: Why didn't you say...? JK: Why didn't I say a lot of things?) was the best response that I've heard in a long time.
And as personally gratifying as I find the supportive responses to my columns, I enjoy the angry/contrary responses just a little more - it's always nice to know I've made someone thing about something in a way they didn't want to.
I always love it when people ask me why I didn't say certain things in a piece. As though I could have said any number of things but simply chose not too, randomly and without consideration.
"Why did you say...?" is, to me, always the better question. I have what I feel is a pretty good answer for "Why did you feel it was necessary to mention the Revolutionary Communist Party" in the piece about the rally.
If I don't have an answer for a "Why did you say...?" question, I'm in trouble -- because I do try to consider my words.
But introducing things that you think I should have said because they fit your agenda...that doesn't usually impress me.
I know what you mean about people calling to challenge your columns -- it's one of the reasons I miss column writing. My favorite thing was when someone would call and tell me something I really SHOULD have thought of, point out some place where I really did miss something. As compared to those who just want to scream at you, you want to kiss the ones who actually make you think.
The ones who actually make me think, particularly if they disagree with me, are the ones I ask to keep in touch with. It's always refreshing to have a contrarian sounding board.
Post a Comment