have become afraid to express our opinions. If we dare exercise our
right to free speech and speak out against the current
administration, we are considered "unpatriotic", or "uninformed."
We have been made to feel afraid. Afraid that if we elect a new
president, terrorists will surely attack us. Afraid that if we
admit that the Emperor has no clothes, we are weakening our country in some way. The media has fallen victim to this as well.
Propaganda such as that seen on FOX News and FOX affiliates are
presented to the public as news. I am writing you to encourage you
to present the facts to the American public without "spin." This
election is crucial to our country's future.
Let's be honest about what we saw last night on the presidential
debates. John Kerry exhibited strength, conviction, and
intelligence. He showed that he has an understanding of history
that will prevent him from repeating our past mistakes. He showed
that he has personal experience with war and loss so as not to take
the loss of young American life lightly. He exhibited a firm hold
of the facts, not just concerning the mess in Iraq, but of the
nuclear dangers in both North Korea, Iran, and Russia. Most
importantly, instead of repeating the same phrases over and over
again, as Bush did, he proposed a plan for America's future. Bush
presented no plan; rather, he kept suggesting that Kerry is an
unable leader because he has "flip-flopped." Instead what President Bush conveyed was that Kerry does not posses the flaw that has proved so detrimental to Bush's ability to lead--an inability to see beyond his own views of "cowboy justice." Kerry is able to use his experience and knowledge to make decisions and revise them as necessary. This is what a leader does. Bush seems to equate leadership with tunnel vision. His single-mindedness has inhibited the U.S. from establishing working relations and halted negotiations with other countries, because world leaders have no respect for America's leader. We need a president who commands respect, who has a plan for our future, but also understands other countries'cultures and motives well enough to get done what needs to be done.
John Kerry not only looked presidential during the debate, he
commanded respect. Bush was constantly on the defense last night,
with good reason. The current administration has used the past 4
years to damage international relations and get us into a war that
has no end in sight.
I urge you to offer coverage of last night's debate as well as the
upcoming debates honestly and fairly. The media is such a powerful
influence on the American public. There are still many undecided
voters out there who will benefit from being educated by your
coverage of these events. Do not be afraid to be truthful about
what we see.
Sincerely,
Meredith