How prophetic that just a week or two ago I watched a Stossel show on
"What Has Happened To Free Speech In America". IMO he has pointed to a
kind of "administrative fascism" under the guise of a democratic system
and that is why they must stop him. This whole code of "Totem and Taboo in
America" has gone too far and is destroying lives and careers. Isn't it
time for Congress to conduct an investigation, starting with Stossel's
program on the kind of tyranny against free speech which is being fostered
especially by petty despots in academia? Let's start by examining those
free speech codes on campuses. And let's not stop with the letter of those
codes. Are they being SELECTIVELY enforced to the benefit of some and the
detriment of others to add to the injustice which they perpetrate?
FWP
On Fri, 11 Aug 2000, J. R. Molloy wrote:
> *********** BEGIN FORWARDED MESSAGE ***********
> > several readers have brought to my attention what appears to be a
> > coordinated attack on John Stossel, intended to force his dismissal
> > or at least permanently damage his standing at ABC. John Stossel is
> > the most influential libertarian journalist out there.
> >
> > Here's the background, per the Associated Press: In a segment
> > questioning the health benefits of organic foods, first aired in
> > February and then repeated in July, Stossel reported that a test
> > conducted on vegetable produce for ABC News found that there was no
> > pesticide residue on either conventionally-grown samples or organic
> > ones. But after an investigation, ABC concluded that no such test had
> > been done. ABC has stated that Stossel was relying on inaccurate
> > information that had been provided by a staff member. The segment's
> > producer apparently mistakenly believed that a test done on chicken
> > had also been done on vegetables. The producer has reportedly been
> > suspended for thirty days and Stossel himself will make an on-air
> > apology on Friday. (Hence the rescheduling of his documentary "Is
> > America Number One?")
> >
> > In short, it was an innocent mistake that is being dealt with to the
> > highest standards of journalistic integrity. We all know that much
> > of what passes for news and information on television is tainted by
> > more than just moments of uncharacteristic sloppiness, so this error
> > would hardly seem to justify a major response. And yet this mistake
> > has stimulated a drumbeat for Stossel's dismissal, showing up both on
> > the ABC bulletin board site, and here and there in the press.
> >
> > Why this kind of response? Because Stossel has made a career out of
> > exposing hypocrisy and falsehood among some of the most powerful
> > groups in America -- the eco-Left, the moralistic Right, trial
> > lawyers, career politicians, and the media itself. There is
> > arrayed against him a virtual who's who of modern collectivism. No
> > wonder they call it a drumbeat.
> >
> > Why should you care about all this? Because John Stossel isn't just
> > another major libertarian TV journalist. He's the *only* major
> > libertarian TV journalist. His recent free speech special commanded
> > an audience of over 11 million. His previous specials have touched
> > upon and argued for decriminalization of victimless crimes ("Sex,
> > Drugs & Consenting Adults"), defended capitalism ("Greed"), and
> > exposed the self-serving nature of the child welfare system ("Why
> > Don't the Kids Have a Voice?"). These kinds of points are dear to
> > the hearts of libertarians, and they are seldom seen elsewhere.
> >
> > That's why it's important to voice your support. Here are four ways to
> > do so:
> >
> > 1) Participate in ABC's online bulletin board on this subject. The
> > board is currently dominated by Stossel's enemies. That's bad
> > because it may be seen as an indicator of public sentiment on the
> > subject. The board is here: http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/.
> > (Select the "Stossel: Organic Food Feedback" link under LIVE EVENTS
> > at the top.)
> >
> > 2) Send an email of support via the ABC feedback system. You can do
> > so here: http://www.abcnews.go.com/onair/email.html. (Be sure to
> > select the "John Stossel Reporting" button.) This only takes a
> > minute!
> >
> > 3) Mail a letter of support regarding Stossel to ABC. Physical
> > letters take more time but they're also taken more seriously for just
> > that reason. Here's the address:
> > Network Programming
> > ABC Inc.
> > 77 West 66th Street
> > New York, NY 10023
> >
> > 4) Forward this email to friends.
> >
> > There's a reason why attacks like this take place. It's because they
> > work. Please take just a moment to voice your support for John
> > Stossel.
> >
> > Thanks!
>
>
> *********** END FORWARDED MESSAGE ***********
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