[Peace-discuss] News-Gazette good news, bad news

[Carol Inskeep]

i absolutely agree that we really need to make phone calls on this one.  i
just spoke to mike howie at the news gazette.  i think the more
calls/letters they get the better....

cpi



On Thu, 12 Dec 2002, Ricky Baldwin wrote:

> 
> Folks,
> 
> If you saw today's News-Gazette, you mayhave had the same experience I
> had:  First I glanced at the front page, sawthe photo of an anti-war
> protester in police custody, and I was excited.  Then I turned to page
> B-1 and read the article -- not bad, except that the writer devoted
> nearly half the piece to the fact that there was no protest Tuesday in
> Urbana-Champaign, citing a university spokesperson, the PRC website, and
> some guy in town who found the anti-war petition online but couldn't get
> to the vigil in Springfield!
> 
> That's it.  No mention of AWARE's weekly protests or other activities, or
> Student Peace Action's many events - zip.  I guess the reader is supposed
> to think there is no local peace activism to speak of.  I don't believe
> they have ever mentioned our Saturday protests (am I wrong?) since
> Kimberlie and others restarted them almost 10 weeks ago.
> 
> Well, in my opinion, we should call them on it - phone calls, letters to
> the editor, etc.  I've written one (below), but I wrote it in anger, and
> I'd like others to let me know if I should change anything, or if I made
> any factual errors, etc. before I send it tomorrow.  Please feel free to
> tell me what you really think.  I'd appreciate any thoughts you have.  (I
> think we shouldn't clog the general listserv, so maybe just reply to me.)
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ricky
> 
> -------
> 
> Dear Editor:
> 
>  
> 
> This is getting ridiculous.  The News-Gazette has now devoted more space
> to the fact that local peace groups did not have an anti-war rally on a
> specific day than to the fact that we do have them every Saturday, 2-4
> pm, on North Prospect at Marketview, (12/11/02). 
> 
>  
> 
> As of Dec. 7, our weekly protests have drawn over 120 different people,
> sometimes 50 or more at a time.  Hundreds of people have driven past us,
> often waving and showing the peace sign.  Channels 15 and 3 have each
> covered our events more than once.  But even when there is national day
> of protest, with photo on the front page, the News-Gazette cannot bring
> itself to mention our weekly protests.
> 
>  
> 
> I do appreciate the fact that the vigil in Springfield on December 10
> rated a story, and that the article mentioned the vigil in Chicago
> December 15.  But the article mentions checking the website of one local
> group that didn’t “have any scheduled anti-war events listed,” and asking
> a university spokesperson is she knows of any.  There is no mention of
> Student Peace Action or the off-campus Anti-War Anti-Racism Effort at
> all.  AWARE has a website (www.anti-war.net) that lists our weekly
> protests, and we have sent numerous notices to the News-Gazette about
> them – only to be told “we can’t cover your events every week.”  How
> about once?
> 
>  
> 
> Ricky Baldwin
> 
>  
> 
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------
> "Don't waste any time in mourning -- organize!" - Joe Hill, just before
> his execution
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------------------------
> 
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