September 27, 2007
"Discourse not Defamation"
Ventura County Star
September 27, 2007
Mr Dan K. Thomasson, former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service like most other fanatical right wing conservatives is prone to look only at one side of a story. I realize that Mr Thomasson is getting on in age and senility is probably rearing it's ugly head, but to go on about an ad run by MoveOn.org about General Petraeus as he did in the Ventura County Star on September 27, 2007 is beyond comprehension.
As the old saying goes, "How Soon We Forget." Mr Thomasson seems to have forgotten how the right wing Republicans funded the Mud Boat morons that attacked unmercifully and without morals, Senator John Kerry. Senator Kerry was and is a war hero, the Republicans not only impugned his honor but questioned his patriotism. Hey but in the eyes of right wing fanatics that's OK because it comes from them.
The facts are, if you watched any of the Petraeus hearing on the conditions in Iraq that General Petraeus only did as any good brained washed soldier would do and echo the words of his commanding officer, which of course in this case is none other than G. W. (What me Worry) Bush. It didn't appear that General Petraeus had any personal thoughts on the subject at all.
Mr Thomasson, a lifelong newspaper man who relied on the "First Amendment" his whole working life, goes on the say, "don't give us any of those lofty First Amendment rationales". The constitution doesn't sanction the printing of material that impugns without proof the character of any individual. Well, pardon me Mr Thomasson, exactly what do you think the right wing loonies are doing on a daily basis? Plus no matter what you may think about General Petraeus one fact remains. That fact is that he is complaisant in working for and running an Illegal War brought on by his commanding officer. Causing the deaths of thousands of American service people and hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Now which do you think is worse? To bad mouth a complaisant general or causing all those deaths.
Rellis Smith
res@venturastuff.com