Linda Eddy (Freeper IPWGOP) cartoonist censored by Minneapolis Star Tribune editor Jim Boyd!

IowaPresidentialWatch.com ^ | 8/25/2004 | IPWGOP

[IPWGOP]

Minneapolis Star Tribune censors IPW cartoonist

IowaPresidentialWatch.com’s political cartoonist, Linda Eddy, has been censored by the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Eddy distributes her cartoons by email and regularly sends them to the Tribune. Her latest, showing John Kerry during his 1971 Senate testimony, is titled “Silencing Veterans since 1971” and shows an American soldier in Kerry’s hand, his head covered.

Tribune Deputy Editorial Page Editor B. James Boyd responded to Eddy’s latest cartoon by banning any future editorials from the artist:

“Please take me off your e-mail list. Your latest statements about Kerry are too much. He said no such thing in 1971. His whole testimony was an appeal on behalf of veterans.”

Eddy responded to Boyd’s email:

“You are further proof of the silencing of any dissenting view on what John Kerry really said back in 1971. You are further proof of the denial of Freedom of Speech to those with whom you disagree.”

End of story? No! Back came yet another response from Tribune editor B. James Boyd – sent not once, but twice to Eddy:

“read kerry's testimony. Find one complete quote which supports your
claim. Just one.”

Eddy’s response:

“Obviously you are incapable of doing your own good, hard journalistic work.
As soon as I clear my schedule, I will respond... probably by tomorrow.”

The following is the actual email exchanges between Eddy and Minneapolis Star Tribune editor B. James Boyd:

----- Original Message -----

From: "Jim Boyd" <boyd@startribune.com>

To: <lindartwork@wmtel.net>

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 8:22 AM

Subject: Re: the silencing has got to stop!

 

Please take me off your e-mail list. Your latest statements about Kerry
are too much. He said no such thing in 1971. His whole testimony was an
appeal on behalf of veterans.
 
B. James Boyd
Deputy Editorial Page Editor
Star Tribune
425 Portland Av.
Minneapolis, MN 55488
612-673-4470
boyd@startribune.com

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Linda Eddy

To: Jim Boyd

Cc: Sean Hannity ; Rush Limbaugh ; Matt Drudge

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 1:03 PM

Subject: Re: the silencing has got to stop!

 

I will gladly remove you from the email list.

You are further proof of the silencing of any dissenting view on what John Kerry really said back in 1971. You are further proof of the denial of Freedom of Speech to those with whom you disagree.

I just hate it when Media like you continue to promote lies. John Kerry's whole testimony was NOT an appeal on behalf of veterans. Kerry accused American troops in Vietnam of committing henious, barbaric, criminal acts on a regular, daily basis. He lied about American troops in Vietnam, he lied about what was happening in Vietnam, he lied about going into Cambodia on Christmas 1968... As the veterans say, Kerry lied while good men died. The fact is that American soldiers hated Kerry back in 1971 for what he falsely testified about them, and still hate Kerry to this day for these lies.

Kerry was a part of the meeting in Detroit, Michigan, where Veterans Against the War through the financial support of Jane Fonda and her friends (in something that has come to be known as Winter Soldier) gathered the information that Kerry gave before the Senate committee in 1971.

It has since been proven that most (if not all) of that personal testimony was not true and many giving testimony were not veterans. Furthermore, most of those who were veterans had not been to Vietnam. It has further been proven that among Kerry's board members of Veterans Against the War most had not been to Vietnam and many of them lied about their service record.

Then there is this whopper by Kerry - John Kerry said on April 18, 1971 on NBC's "Meet the Press":

"There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in     that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 calibre machine guns, which we were granted and ordered     to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages."            

If it were true, then Kerry is a war criminal.

The real great lie is that there is a free, fair and objective press. You have once again proven that is not true. You, the press and John Kerry continue to silence America's Vietnam veterans. This henious denial of Freedom of Speech must stop.

I will see what I can do to share your denial of truth and handling of a dissenting view with the rest of the world.

By the way, my cartoons have been chosen for exhibition by the Arizona State Museum of Art for the exhibit "Art and Democracy" -- the location of the last presidential debate.

 

sincerely,

Linda Eddy
political cartoonist for www.iowapresidentialwatch.com

 

 

 

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Boyd" <boyd@startribune.com>
To: <lindartwork@wmtel.net>
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 11:23 AM
Subject: Re: the silencing has got to stop!


read kerry's testimony. Find one complete quote which supports your
claim. Just one.

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Linda Eddy" <lindartwork@wmtel.net>

To: "Jim Boyd" <boyd@startribune.com>

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2004 1:36 PM

Subject: Re: the silencing has got to stop!

 

Obviously you are incapable of doing your own good, hard journalistic work.
As soon as I clear my schedule, I will respond... probably by tomorrow.
 
regards,
Linda Eddy

 

 

[Chieftain]

This is how you PING!

[Chieftain]

Thanks solsrchr! You flatter me too much! You go Linda, we are PROUD of you!

[IPWGOP]

You get more viewers of your work on FR than on that rag newspaper!

You are right about that one! I'd like to reach the independent folks, too, though. That's why I keep submitting my work to other places as well. Here's an email from a wife and husband I got just today that exemplifies my motivation:

"Thank you very much for your site [www.iowapresidentialwatch.com]. We are Independent voters and we finally have decided that we are going to vote for President Bush this time. We have been studying as much as we can, (especially on the Internet) of both candidates. I think what has really pushed us towards President Bush more than anything else is the unfair news coverage. The press really screamed about President Bush's records and yet no one seems to be asking or even cares about seeing Mr. Kerry's records. Something just does not smell right when the press will not demand that Kerry release his records. And after all of our own investigation into all of this, we feel very bad that no one is bothering to mention the poor South Vietnamese people who were slaughtered after we pulled out (mostly thanks to Mr. Kerry and Jane Fonda and ABC, NBC, & CBS). We think that part of the reason that ABC, NBC & CBS are backing Mr. Kerry and not demanding his records is due in part that they may have to admit publicly of their part in the deaths of so many, Veterans and South Vietnamese. We also found where Mr. Kerry was responsible, single-handedly, in 2001 of trashing the Human Rights legislation for the people of Vietnam. Mr. Kerry not only stabbed his fellow Veterans in the back in 1971, he also did the same to the Vietnamese who were helping our soldiers over there.

[IPWGOP]

Keep up the good fight! I didn't spend all those years defending the Constitution just so that a few socialists could profit from it. IT IS FOR EVERYONE! You most of all.

Your sacrifice on my behalf is why I am fighting so hard now. Thank you, sir.

[LisaMalia]

I just happened upon this thread. You are one brave and gutsy woman. Keep up the good work! I'm sending an email to the pseudo editor who is actually just a liberal shill.

The sad part is, he is one of thousands like him across the country. The good part is, people like you are starting to fight back.

I am going to send the link to your website to all on my email list.

[Polyxene]

Minneapolis Star = PRAVDA

[Colt .45]

Here is what I wrote to the deputy Editor.

B. James Boyd,

Sir, it has come to my attention that you have banned the political cartoonist Linda Eddy who was drawing anti-Kerry drawings. You stated that John Kerry's statements made in 1971 were to "appeal on behalf of veterans". That sir, is an outright lie! I am a veteran of the Vietnam Era and Kerrys lies before Congress tarred all of us with the same brush whether we served in combat, or not. Whether we served in Vietnam, or not. His lies made us the subect of scorn and hatred of the American public. His comments caused many, if not all of us who honorably served our country to be ashamed to wear our uniforms.

For myself, I was in High School ROTC at that time and still was subjected to the epithets when wearing my uniform. I went to active duty in 1974 and was still subjected to being treated like a pariah when home on leave.

His testimony ratcheted up the suffering of the POW's by their captors (the Norht Vietnamese), and now I quote sir, a North Vietnamese General, who in a meeting (in 1987) with a Vietnam Veteran by the name of Don Lester stated " After 1968 he and his army had emotionally quit." "The only thing that gave them hope and kept them fighting was the Anti-War movement back here in the U.S." So please enlighten me how the prolonged suffereing caused to so many veterans by Kerry's lies were "an appeal on our behalf"?

Plus lets look at his record while in Congress as a United States Senator while we're at it. How come he has voted anti - military on pretty much every thing military that comes up? here's a short list of things he's voted against -
Bradley Fighting Vehicles , M1 Abrams Tanks, AH-64 Apache Helicopter, B-1 Bomber, B-2 Stealth Bomber, F-15 Fighter Jets, F-16 Fighter Jets, F-18 Fighter Jets, Patriot Missiles, Cruise Missiles.
He himself said " I would like to see the Untied States military deployed only at the directive of the United Nations." The UN being mostly anti-American and run with the objective of the last 20 years being the dissolution of the U.S. Constitution and US sovereignty. Now he is saying he "cares about the defense of America" - unfortunately his actions speak louder than his words to most veterans. He flip flops worse than a fish on the beach. Unfortunately some people like you are naieve and believe what the leftist liars like John Kerry and Jane Fonda say.

Lastly on behalf of Miss or Mrs Eddy I would like to state that I didn't serve 20 years in defense of the Constitution so that an elite few could have their say and the rest of the "people" be muzzled. What you are doing is putting a muzzle on another voice by not letting her post her drawings in your "rag". John Kerry has come out against the Swift Boat veterans trying to muzzle them the same way he has tried to silence the rest of us veterans. Look at his record, then look at what he says. If it looks like sh*t, and smells like sh*t, then it must be sh*t - right?

By the way, I served for 20 years in the US Navy. I had "broken service" and was honorably retired a few years ago. In case you're wondering how I got to be a Vietnam Era Veteran.
Sincerely,

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, do ya think I was too harsh on him?

[sam_paine]

Linda makes interesting graphics and her chosen media is uniquely hers.....but her commentary is weak; unappealing to a large audience. This cutesy image of Kerry, lifted from his infamous testifying pose, crushing the head of a vet? I know it's sposed to be a play on the suit against the SwiftVets, but every undecided folk I've talked to finds it repulsive and thinks it's an unfair attack on sKerry...

If this material was good, this editor would grab it and spread her word without realizing the anti-Kerry message.

But this is the first time I've said anything negative about her work.....and I expect to be flamed for having such an opinion.....but whining about being censored is ludicrous.

[sarasota]

Not at all. Well done, sir.

[sam_paine]

Yeah. I was afraid you'd do that! It's a good point, but it does not answer the editor's request. You claimed that Kerry was silencing vets. (You're correct.) You sent a response that Kerry impugned his fellow vets. (also true.)

But the TWO ARE NOT THE SAME ISSUE!

The editor now gets to think he's right, and dealing with a buncha incoherent nincompoops.

The answer to the editor's question is (should be) related to the FEC complaint demanding SwiftVets remove their ads recently. This has nothing to do with the Kerry 71 testimony!

Which is why the editor was put off by your cartoon....it's not internally coherent....close....but no cigar!!! (It is nice graphics, I'll certainly give you that.)

Again, this is NOT censorship....frankly....in this particular case...it's good editing.....hate to admit it.

[Triple]

From another thread posted on FR (search: swift) - an interview with O'Neil.

I thought you would be interested: (begin quote)

O’Neill: Let me give you an example. Just picking one incident, there was this terrible tragedy on January 20, 1969 in which Kerry’s boat, under Kerry’s command, opened up on a sampan, and the sampan had a father, a mother, a baby, and a child. The father and the child were killed. What clearly happened is the sampan got too close to the swift boat, the crew member - at least one of them believes Kerry was not watching the radar and says Kerry was not around at all - they reached a split-second decision and fired, they thought, to save themselves.

FPM: Now you say, “They.” You mean the subordinate reached the decision?

O’Neill: Yes, the young gunners mate was the only one left because Kerry wasn’t around. It was Kerry’s job to be around.

FPM: Where was he? These boats aren’t that big?

O’Neill: I don’t know. He wasn’t there. Maybe he was asleep. But he clearly was not where he should have been. They killed a father and a son and rescued a mother and baby out of the sampan. In the course of war things like this happen, but what happened next was truly unbelievable. What I did was go to the Navy archives and obtain the report that Kerry actually filed on this incident. And by the way, as to the fact there was only a mother, a baby, and then the father and child were killed, Kerry’s autobiography says that, Tour. So there is no question there were four people in that…one family. In the Navy archives I obtained the actual report that he filed on this incident on January 20, 1969 in the name of PCF 44, his boat. What he reported to the Navy, and by the way he said that the face of the child he killed would be with him forever, and so on. When I got the actual report, what he reported to the Navy was that a squad of Viet Cong were there, 5 Viet Cong, that he’d killed all of them. The child who was killed disappeared from the report. The mother and the baby became 2 Viet Cong, captured in action. Even the little details, like there was 1,000 pounds of rice on the sampan, it got elevated to 5,000 pounds of rice. This report went to the Navy and went up the chain of command. Everyone said, “Kerry ‘Bravo Zulus’ Congratulations, congratulations” over what was in fact a terrible human tragedy, not a victory. And it was listed as one of the great accomplishments of our squadron in the first quarter of 1969. This is a victory that he achieved only with a pen and paper. He did it to stop people from asking, "Where were you?” “How did this happen?” “How did this kid get killed?” “Why weren’t you watching the radar?” “What occurred?” That was sort of typical of the thing that I found with Kerry.

(end quote)

[Budge]

Linda, you're one of a kind and I'm d@mn proud of you!

[IPWGOP]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, do ya think I was too harsh on him?

Darlin' -- you are my HERO!!! Thanks!

[IPWGOP]

See post #223. These are the independent people I am hearing from.

[sam_paine]

Good for you! Seriously, I wish you good fortune. As a sculptor, I know how difficult it is to present one's art to the public and face their reactions.

I'm trying to tell you that people like me that had problems with your work for the reasons I've listed DON'T say anything to you for exactly that reason.

But claims that some private citizen or newspaper editor was censoring you, or that somehow getting on FR and grandstanding about it instead of responding coherently was what I responded to. Now, in addition, you can choose to advance your work mindful of constructive criticism, or you can ignore it. Yer choice.

Good luck! Really! I wish you well.

[Jeff Gannon]

I am. Just shows libs can't take the truth. But they love Ted Rall!

[JLO]

Colt - Great email!

And Linda - keep on, keepin' on - as the saying goes, lol.