Republican Senator John McCain's Web site has posted this press release, which I'm reproducing here in full. I normally don't reprint full texts here of articles I cite. But, hey, it's a press release. What politician is going to object if you use their press releases verbatim?
Since I'm using the full text, I'll omit the italics I normally use for quotations. The remainder of this post is the McCain press release:
MCCAIN LETTER TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST ON PREEMPTION OF NIGHTLINE For Immediate Release Friday, Apr 30, 2004 U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ) issued the following letter today to Mr. David Smith, President and CEO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, in response to the preemption of this evening's Nightline program:
I write to strongly protest your decision to instruct Sinclair's ABC affiliates to preempt this evening's Nightline program. I find deeply offensive Sinclair's objection to Nightline's intention to broadcast the names and photographs of Americans who gave their lives in service to our country in Iraq.
I supported the President's decision to go to war in Iraq, and remain a strong supporter of that decision. But every American has a responsibility to understand fully the terrible costs of war and the extraordinary sacrifices it requires of those brave men and women who volunteer to defend the rest of us; lest we ever forget or grow insensitive to how grave a decision it is for our government to order Americans into combat. It is a solemn responsibility of elected officials to accept responsibility for our decision and its consequences, and, with those who disseminate the news, to ensure that Americans are fully informed of those consequences.
There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq. War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves.
1 comment:
I was about to create a posting about this subject, but I remembered seeing yours on the subject of tonight's Nightline this morning, so I came to see if you had something to say first. Although I tend to disagree with Sen McCain on most issues, I consider him an honorable and brave man. I am very grateful to him for taking this stand. Those who support bush can't really call this a "republicans vs Democrats" issue, more like "the bushies vs the rest of us".
MoveOn.org is encouraging people to contact their local media, Nightline, and the Sinclair Group to express thier views, then leave a message with MoveOn at http://www.moveon.org/sinclair.html
Post a Comment