Denver Post Publishes Letter That Advocates Beheading Editors, Pundits

[quaoar]

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002728150

By Joe Strupp

NEW YORK Did The Denver Post go too far in publishing a letter to the editor today that advocates the beheading of editors, commentators, and politicians who have criticized the treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay? And how many other papers publish such sentiments?

According to Editorial Page Editor Jon Wolman, publishing such a letter is not out of bounds.

< snip >

The letter was written, ironically, by a resident of Littleton, Colo., site of the bloody Columbine High School shootings in 1999. It appeared to be in reaction to coverage of the recent kidnapping and murder of two U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

"Why have those who have continually howled at our treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo met the recent kidnapping and sadistic and brutal murders of our two young soldiers with deafening silence?" the letter began. "Where is your outrage now?" It then stated that the U.S. "should" behead 100 prisoners in retaliation, as well as " editors, commentators, college professors and left-wing congressmen who would suddenly break their silence to come out in support of these enemy jihadists. We need to stop listening to these sanctimonious hypocrites who apply the rules of war only to our side."

[Jaundice James]

1. Are you sure it's supposed to be IRONIC?

If it is, the author did a TERRIBLE job. -JJ

[niyad]

4. look at the placement of the commas--the "ironic" part is that the letter

was written in littleton, NOT that the letter itself was ironic.

[Jaundice James]

7. OH! DUH!...

I totally missed that. Shoot. -JJ

[niyad]

2. contact number for jon wolman at denver post:

303-820-1010 x 1780 (you are going to get his voice mail right now, so have fun)

I used to have a modicum of respect for the denver post, which was, at least marginally, better than the local rag. however, the paper endorsed * in 2004, so I lost all respect for the paper then, only read to find out about denver art happenings. won't even bother with that anymore.

[eleny]

3. "deafening silence" ???

Don't you hate it when people say things that are just plain false? Maybe they write this shit because they think it sounds good. Or maybe they print it because Rove is putting his laser beam on turning Colorado from purple to blood red again - and this is one of the ways they'll paint anti war Americans in a bad light.

[peacetalksforall]

5. He should know by now - if it involves our military under Rumsfeld you

have to wait for the truth. Rumsfeld will never be topped for his backward, forward, sideways, under, over, and flipped answers and the people who work for him know how to do it, also.

It's not worth making an assessment unless the handwriting is all over.

The military brass can no longer be trusted except for a few who retired and honor their opinion of the truth by telling it like they see it which pretty much matches up with what can be surmmised based on the record of truth coming from Rumsfeld and the ungodly agenda and means that we have witnessed.

[rfranklin]

6. When you adopt the methods of the despised enemy, you become...

that enemy. But it is obvious that the letter writer wants to torture and kill in the name of "democracy" and "freedom." This person is obviously weak and frightened and thinks that somehow he/she/it will become safe by being more viscious, more sadistic and more inhumane than the thugs that torture and kill in Iraq and other places around the world.

[cyberpj]

8. It shows that such letters to editors exist in the land of the free.

And just how indoctrinated the sheeple are to regurgitating hate.

[HuffleClaw]

9. its nuttery like that which needs to be exposed.

it shows the hate of the far right in a clear light.

[Bush_MUST_Go]

10. These freaks won't be happy until we are just as depraved as the enemy?

[HuffleClaw]

11. they would like nothing better than dragging us down into the mud

but i'd hardly call exposing their hatred 'depraved'

[Amonester]

18. No, they won't be happy until we are...

...more depraved than the enemy, pretty sick, hey? Plus, they have no clue whatsoever as that's exactly what bin forgotten&Co 'wants', amongst the (current) downfall of the US, which is a repeat of the downfall of the USSR.

[fishwax]

12. i don't have a problem with them printing it

it shows how far out, delusional, and quite possibly dangerous some on the right are.

And turning the letter over to local authorities might not be a bad idea, either.

[MrPrax]

13. The irony , of course,

is this is a western paper than READS just like a Al Qaeda web site.

The only difference is we have to pay for it, unlike those guys that get their HATE served up for free!!

[Penndems]

14. "should behead . . . seditors, commentators, college professors and

left-wing congressmen who would suddenly break their silence to come out in support of these enemy jihadists."

This is EXACTLY the type of mentality embraced by every dictator and despot since time immemorial.

Ferdinand Marcos.

Augusto Pinochet.

Juan Peron.

Idi Amin Dada.

Pol Pot.

Mao Tse-Tung.

Joseph Stalin.

Benito Mussolini.

Robert Mugabe.

Tito.

Adolph Hitler.

Fidel Castro.

Samuel Doe.

. . . and so many others.


Every single one of these madmen had their henchmen round up journalists and those in professional positions who dared to opposed them, had them imprisoned and, eventually, executed.

If this letter achieves nothing else, it should serve as a rallying call to every American who calls him/herself a patriot to stand up against the right wing. These ignorant sycophants are the gravest danger to our democracy at this point in our history.

[alfredo]

37. This letter is much worse than the acts proposed by the Miami7

in that he singles out people to be assassinated. He is calling upon fellow Americans to kill other Americans.

[Craig3410]

15. Found the letter; surprised it hasn't been removed:

http://www.denverpost.com/letters/ci_3979865

First one.

[Julius Civitatus]

21. I bet David Petteys calls himself a good Christian

Any bets?

[Penndems]

30. He sure does - a Christian Scientist, as a matter of fact:

http://www.ananias.org/

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. Mr Petteys is clearly a nutcase.

When has anyone suggested that the rules of war should only apply to our side? And what rules were we following when we began the hostile takeover and occupation of Iraq?

Perhaps Mr Petteys is the kind of great American who periodically wallops strangers because he doesn't like their looks, and he wants to make sure they don't even think about messing with him.

I'd love to have a chat with this guy.

[Crunchy Frog]

16. Well. Why don't they just publish a letter by a jihadist

advocating the beheadings of "infidels". It's all part of free speech isn't it?:eyes:

BTW, I will NEVER purchase either the Denver Post or the Rocky Mountain News ever again since they both endorsed *. I had the pleasure of saying that to someone who was trying to sell me a subscription.:-)

[tblue37]

17. That Ann Coulter!

When does she find time to write LTTEs under pseudonyms when she is so busy being interviewed by the corporate media?

[President Kerry]

19. advocating the murder of democratically elected public servants.

Classy. Real classy. :puke:

[Amonester]

20. Plus: commiting such crimes hasn't been legalized yet...

:puke: "It then stated that the U.S. "should" behead 100 prisoners in retaliation, :puke: as well as " editors, commentators, college professors and left-wing congressmen"

... unless, did shrub sign any signing statements for that (yet)?

These nuts need TREATMENTS...

[Julius Civitatus]

22. Isn't that, like... illegal?

:shrug:
Dunno, but I think advocating the brutal murder of editors, journalists, and elected officials may be some sort of crime. Just wondering.

[President Kerry]

23. yes, i believe if considered an incitement of violence

it's not covered under freedom of speach. Advocating the murder of public officials is illegal regardless of the context, i believe. But I'm not a lawyer.

[prolesunited]

24. I agree that it should have been published

I think middle America needs to wake up and see what some of their fellow Americans are becoming.

However, I would use it as a starting point for discussion -- perhaps interview some in the groups he advocates killing, putting it into a historical perspective, outline reasons why that wouldn't be a sane policy to pursue.

I'm sure it will generate discussion.

We need to shine a light on this stuff, not bury it.

[genieroze]

25. What a jerk

[Skittles]

26. OK that is just sick

shame on them for printing the ravings of a sick lunatic

[Robb]

27. Of course it should've been published.

It was an opinion. It was signed. It was relevant, and it serves the readership to know who's out there.

[Rex]

28. What an ignorant POS!

I can't believe people like this are are smart enough to type and write a letter to the editor. These morans echo Coulter and THAT is why she is a fem-hitler!

[AlCzervik]

29. the writers name is David Petteys, lots of stuff on him at google.

[Penndems]

31. This individual with a severely diseased mindset flew jets for

United Airlines? Judas Priest!

Sounds as if he spent just a little bit too much time flying Hueys in Viet Nam. Maybe he should've STAYED in Southeast Asia.

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

33. some very sickening people in this world

[McCamy Taylor]

34. They publish this stuff to get others to write letters. The outcry will

be so overwhelming that they will be able to fill a couple of pages with really well written letters, trust me. This is the editors's plan.

[unpossibles]

35. it's almost like the writer

has no clue what he's blathering about. par for the course, I'd say.

It's like O'Reilly suggesting we rule Iraq the way Hussein did, and no one sees the horrible irony.

[Supersedeas]

36. Fair and Balance: in order to off-set rational thought, the paper feels

compelled to include a fair share of HATE SPEECH!!!!