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All views contribute in democracy
Editor, OBSERVER:
A recent writer (Oct. 1) shared thoughts and opinions, one opinion being that it "would be wise for the President to allow Politico, CNN, and MS NOW to maintain access to the White House."
The unabashed logic behind his opinion: a future Democratic President might bar Fox News from the White House.
There's certainly no "woke" sniveling here about the Constitution or the First Amendment; no wasted words about the free press as a "leg in the stool" of democracy.
No, the thinking seems to be that if we hit them now, they may hit us later, (retribution, anyone?) so we may as well let them all in.
The writer portrays Politico, CNN, and MS NOW as "unrepentant purveyors of fake news," making no mention that Fox repented to the tune of $787.5 million in the Dominion lawsuit. Key evidence included internal texts showing top Fox executives and hosts were aware of conspiracy theories endorsed by the network and privately mocked them.
When it comes to the media, there's room for vast blame on all sides, but saying that misses the point.
Beyond critiquing the media's ills and beyond the fear of retribution (low on the reason pole), there are fundamental reasons to protect the press. The press is, in fact, a "leg in the stool" of democracy. The press has the constitutional right to report AND to express opinions, and we have the right to pick our own media. Our responsibility is to compare sources before forming opinions, to avoid echo chambers, and to think with an open mind.
In the words of author S.G. Tallentyre paraphrasing Voltaire: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it."
Kudos to the OBSERVER for printing the First Amendment regularly, reminding us that all opinions -- mine, as well as those of the recent writer -- have the right to be heard.
Gail Crowe,
Fredonia
Mideast double-standards
Editor, OBSERVER:
Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is reportedly busy writing checks to "influencers" who support Israel, paying some $7000 per article. Does one of those checks go to syndicated columnist Cal Thomas? In a recent column, Thomas heaped praise on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It wasn't subtle.
Thomas echoed Netanyahu's claim that the UN delegates walking out of his appearance before the UN were "moral cowards." Representatives of 77 nations left the hall. What Thomas doesn't report is that many of the other delegates didn't bother to show up at all, expecting only boilerplate Netanyahu propaganda.
True to form, the Israeli prime minister told the few delegates left in the UN hall, "We'd all be dead if he and the U.S." had not blocked Iran from its ability to create a nuclear weapon" -- by bombing Iran and killing Iran's Supreme Leader (who was well known for his religious opposition to creating nuclear weapons). Netanyahu also ignored the Israeli-inspired lie of 23 years earlier claiming Iraq had nuclear wagons and was going use them on the U.S. Never questioning why there is universal opposition to Israel, Netanyahu attacked the delegates and protestors outside the U.N. as being deliberately blind, implying that they were jobless and paid to demonstrate.
Overwhelmingly the American public in the past has closed their eyes and covered their ears about Israel's crimes, but finally when those crimes have become so egregious the world cannot help but see them, Israeli apologists have resorted to last-ditch propagandists like Cal Thomas to close their eyes, cover their ears, and say nothing. Thomas concludes that Netanyahu "deserves another term in the upcoming Israeli elections. And Thomas deserves a bundle of cash from Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Roy Harvey,
Mayville