Wednesday, January 7, 2004

Pro-Bush letter was ‘cheap-shot’ setup

The world is full of cheap-shot artists, so I needn’t have been surprised by Mr. Beverly’s little stunt last week. Nonetheless, I was a little taken aback at its crudeness, and obviously amateur nature. He posted two letters under the title: “Iraq: 2 very different points of view.” One letter was from myself.

The paper advertises for letters to the editor, so I consider my published viewpoints solicited. I also sign my letters with my name and place of residence, which sometimes get me unsolicited phone calls; but I can take care of myself.

The other letter “was posted on the Internet by a young man whose brother had written him from Iraq.” There was no name, no place of residence, no military unit, no identification at all. The “letter” was unsolicited and obviously lifted from the anonymity of the Internet.

This so-called letter tells us what great work is happening in Iraq, how we aren’t getting the true story, even from the paragon of fair and balanced, Fox News. But the meat of the letter is both brothers leaving the Democratic party because it is not patriotic.

It talks of “Manny” uncovering a mass grave and quickly becoming a Bush supporter. It talks a lot like a piece of Republican dirty propaganda, of which I’m 99 percent sure it actually is, and not a letter from one of our soldiers in Iraq.

Now, I realize that many of the people to whom this letter panders are unable to separate fact from political prejudice, but I don’t believe Mr. Beverly is one of them. Therefore I can only assume that this was a cynical attempt to appease the same fools who believe Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’Reilly are anything but talking versions of Jerry Springer. I would say shame on you, Mr. Beverly, but you are apparently shameless.

Timothy J. Parker

Peachtree City, Ga.