[Peace-discuss] Listen up, Mark has a message for you..... Fascism is on the rise locally!

[Jan & Durl Kruse]

Today, I believe AWARE is receiving the first results of the Sunday 
March 18 N-G AD.  The 3/18 AWARE AD noted the beginning of the 5th year 
of the war in Iraq and the resulting death, destruction and lack of 
democracy.  Today the editorial page of the News-Gazette and editorial 
writer Jim Dey dedicates 4 columns (8 1/2 by 91/2 inches) of free space 
to a summary of radio advertisements that Mark Thompson apparently runs 
on a local radio station.  These radio advertising spots are to sell 
his business, but they are much more than that.
With the N-G offering him free coverage to tell his "version of 
reality" Mr. Thompson is given at no cost, advertising space for his 
business and for his anti-AWARE views.
The paper summarizes four of the radio advertisements.
Mr. Thompson intermingles religion, business, pro government and his 
right-wing political views in the radio spots.
Jim Dey offers Mark Thompson space and opportunity to make numerous 
erroneous statements.  Perhaps the N-G allow this since it is on the 
Opinion Page.
Here is a sample of one radio ad reprinted today in the N-G:
“Hi this is Mark from Slot and Wing Hobbies.  RU aware.  That is a 
double-edged sword in Champaign-Urbana .  I hope you are aware of the 
group AWARE.   That’s the acronym for the ant-war anti-racism effort, 
the local branch of the world-wide propaganda machine that is 
responsible for most all the demonstrations of magnitude that speak 
against our government.”

Dey adds his own commentary: “that obviously this is aimed at the local 
left-wing group that protests against pretty much everything.”
Thompson claims he brought 800 counter protesters to Prospect to oppose 
AWARE.   (I only saw a few hundred rude pro-Bush pro-war supporters 
once or twice.  When it got cold they were gone!)
The N-G allows Thompson to claim he needed a police escort out of the 
3/1/07 Cindy Sheehan event to protect him from being physically 
assaulted by the proponents of peace.  This statement is far from what 
we witnessed.  Paul Wood of the N-G was present and could easily have 
verify this falsehood.
The attitude and behavior of Mr. Thompson reminded me of a particular 
word.  I looked up Fascist. It didn’t say Mark Thompson, but it did 
say: “consuming nationalism, distain for human rights, supremacy of 
military, religion and government intertwined, and a desire to control 
the media”.
After seeing the N-G feature today with accompanying photo of Mark 
Thompson it seems apparent to me that Jim Dey has verified and seems to 
support what many in this community already feared; that fascism is on 
the rise locally!
Jan Kruse
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