Censored... This Must Be New Vocabulary for our Main Stream Media

Below I have pasted an email I received today. I am to say the least a little disturbed. Now, I have my own ideas and position on the Don Imus ordeal, which I care not to express at this time. This is different. This is no longer the place for an argument that someone is losing their job because of some violation a private contractual employment argreement; this is nothing less than a tread upon the First Amendment. I am amazed at how quickly action is taken against people who express their views in a calm, unoffensive manner simply because their views don't align with those of the king and minions. I simply cannot understand how my disagreement with this war, especially our means of landing ourselves there, is in anyway advocate of anti-American, un-nationalist views. When are those of us who agree with me (who I believe to be the majority in this country) going to say enough is enough? When is it going to be okay for us to speak our minds? Or, will the rocks have to cry out for us?

Dear TrueMajorityACTION Member,


It took CBS two weeks to fire Don Imus for calling a college women's basketball team "nappy headed hos," but it only took them two days to fire respected retired Major General John Batiste for speaking out against the president on the war.

Batiste, a Republican, commanded troops in Iraq in 2004 and 2005. He left the Army so that he could speak out against the president's reckless policy in Iraq, and CBS hired him as a part-time consultant to comment about it.1 Last week, he appeared in a VoteVets.org TV ad speaking out against the president on Iraq. Just two days later, CBS fired him.2

It's censorship, pure and simple. Our friends at MoveOn are aiming to get over 100,000 messages demanding that CBS re-hire Major General John Batiste by the end of the week -- and they need our help to get there. Can you take a moment to join them by adding your name to their petition?

http://pol.moveon.org/batiste/?rc=tm

CBS says they fired Major General Batiste because he engaged in advocacy—but they're holding him to a different standard than their other consultants.

For example, former White House communications director Nicolle Wallace is a consultant to CBS and consistently uses her position to push White House talking points.3 It was even reported that she was advising the McCain campaign, yet CBS did nothing when she appeared as a consultant on their network to promote his candidacy.4

Plus, the Brookings Institution's Michael O'Hanlon also appeared on CBS as a consultant while advocating in favor of President Bush's escalation plan.5

CBS is sending a message that you can't be a consultant to their network if you're critical of President Bush and the Iraq war. That's political censorship and CBS needs to hear groundswell of outrage from concerned viewers right away.

Can you sign MoveOn's petition demanding that CBS re-hire Major General Batiste?

http://pol.moveon.org/batiste/?rc=tm

Major General John Batiste is not the first general to speak out against the president on Iraq. Recently a number of generals and military leaders have spoken out against President Bush's failed policy—including Reagan's former NSA director, General William Odom, Vietnam veteran Major General Mel Montano and another former general from Iraq—retired Major General Paul Eaton.6

These generals must be heard, not censored for speaking the truth.

Thanks for all you do,

Matt Holland
TrueMajorityACTION Online Director

If you don't want to sign the petition (which I totally understand) then at least watch the ad that will get you fired.