Posted on 08/21/2005 2:42:14 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
(AP) A Utah television station is refusing to air an anti-war ad featuring Cindy Sheehan, whose son's death in Iraq prompted a vigil outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.
Also, a patriotic camp with a "God Bless Our President!" banner sprung up in downtown Crawford, Texas Saturday, countering the anti-war demonstration started by Sheehan. The camp is named "Fort Qualls," in memory of Marine Lance Cpl. Louis Wayne Qualls, 20, who died in Iraq last fall.
The anti-war ad began airing on other Salt Lake City-area stations Saturday, two days before Bush was scheduled to speak in Salt Lake City to the national convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
However, a national sales representative for KTVX, a local ABC affiliate, rejected the ad in an e-mail to media buyers, writing that it was an "inappropriate commercial advertisement for Salt Lake City."
In the ad, Sheehan pleads with Bush for a meeting and accuses him of lying to the American people about Iraq's development of weapons of mass destruction and its connection to al Qaeda.
"I love my country. But how many more of our loved ones need to die in this senseless war?" a weary-looking Sheehan asks in the ad. "I know you can't bring Casey back. But it's time to admit mistakes and bring our troops home now." The ads were bought by Gold Star Families for Peace, co-founded by Sheehan.
Salt Lake City affiliates of NBC, CBS and Fox began running the ad Saturday.
In a statement Saturday evening explaining its decision, KTVX said that after viewing the ad, local managers found the content "could very well be offensive to our community in Utah, which has contributed more than its fair share of fighting soldiers and suffered significant loss of life in the this Iraq war."
Bush carried nearly 70 percent of the vote last fall in Utah, one of the most conservative states north of the so-called Bible Belt.
Station General Manager David D'Antuono said the decision was not influenced by the station's owner, Clear Channel Communications Inc.
Celeste Zappala, who with Sheehan co-founded Gold Star Families for Peace, said she was puzzled by the decision.
"What stunned me was that it was inappropriate to hear this message," she said. "How is it that Salt Lake City should hear no questions about the war?"
The e-mail read: "The viewpoints reflected in the spot are incompatible with our marketplace and will not be well received by our viewers." It added that the spot didn't qualify as an issue advertisement.
For the ad to have been considered an "issue" advertisement a ballot measure would have had to be at stake, D'Antuono said.
Mark Wiest, vice president of sales for NBC-affiliated KSL television, said that in the interest of freedom of speech, his station didn't hesitate to run the ad. KSL is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
"The bigger picture is, by suppressing the message are we doing what is right under the First Amendment and in an open democratic society?" Wiest said.
Salt Lake City's Mayor Rocky Anderson used e-mail this week to call for "the biggest demonstration this state has ever seen," when President Bush appears at the convention Monday.
Anderson says Bush policies are disastrous for the country and that to stay quiet during the president's visit would be send a message of apathy.
The mayor's e-mail called for a collaboration of health care advocates, seniors, gay and lesbian advocates, anti-Patriot advocates, civil libertarians and anti-war folks to protest outside the VFW convention.
Mike Parkin, senior vice commander of a VFW post in Salt Lake City, says the move makes Anderson look unpatriotic.
The Vietnam vet, who says he voted for Anderson, but won't again, says the protest will offend veterans and embolden enemies of the U.S.
In Crawford, Gary Qualls, the father of a slain soldier, explained his reasons for supporting the pro-war camp. "If I have to sacrifice my whole family for the sake of our country and world, other countries that want freedom, I'll do that," said Qualls, who is friends with the local business owner who started the camp. He said his 16-year-old son now wants to enlist, and he supports that decision.
Qualls' frustration with the anti-war demonstrators erupted last week when he removed a cross bearing his son's name that was among hundreds the group had put up along the road to Bush's ranch.
Qualls called the protesters' views disrespectful to soldiers, and said he had to yank out two more crosses after protesters kept replacing them.
Amid all the detailed coverage of Cindy and her pack of Pro-Jihadists a 6 PM broadcast network news show (can’t remember which) actually included a few seconds of a Pro-America rally in Crawford – a hundred or so Bikers riding through the area.
Of course, most Bikers I have known are veterans.
Yup.... all in their effort that they have been doing for the last 40 or so years to brainwash, and indoctrinate the dummy sheeple.
The sad truth is that the liberals are getting nervous that Iraq may turn out as a success.
They *MUST* push for an early withdrawl of US forces to fulfill their rhetoric ("our boys died for nothing").
If Iraq gets a constitution and starts to take care of itself, the American people will view this war as a success and the soldiers as the heroes they are.
Most bikers I have met were also veterans. That is, the black leather, chrome studded, tattood bikers I've met were veterans. The rice rocket riders I've met tend to be liberal metrosexuals who spend four hours at their local mall looking for the perfect outfit to match the bright colors on their sport bike.
She comes across as a person who couldn't care less about her dead son. Actually, it's worse than that. She comes across as a typical liberal who is happy as a clam her son was killed so she could use his death as a spring board to launch her sick liberal views.
Celeste Zappala, who with Sheehan co-founded Gold Star Families for Peace, said she was puzzled by the decision. "What stunned me was that it was inappropriate to hear this message," she said. "How is it that Salt Lake City should hear no questions about the war?"
Now.....doesn't that sound like something Tom Daschle would say? Moreover, how is it that SLC is hearing no questions about the war? That itch is lying.
Who in heck is this Anderson fool and how did he ever get elected anywhere in Utah? Or is SLC different than the rest of the state?
All " THEIR RHETORIC " is all about them, and " THEIR ( FAILDED )PERVERTED AGENDA " when, in comparison, mostly our side, and the President's agenda is for America and the American people who just want to make a living, teach their children right from wrong, and to be good and productive citizens of this country.
Don't worry, Cindy, no need to rush back to Crawford. CNN is doing the heavy lifting for you with an anti-war documentary tonight...'Dead Wrong'...about where we went wrong in the lead up to Iraq. Hint: We were lied to by the White House and none other than George Bush! A snippet was aired on CNN the other day in which Colin Powell is absolved of all blame. He was handed stuff to read at the UN. CIA's director, George Tenet is the bad guy who swore to Powell that the evidence of WMD's was sterling, but of course the string leads right back to the White House.
Totally agree. I believe that's also why Her Heinous is up in Alaska with McInsane talking about supposed global warming.
That is, the black leather, chrome studded, tattood bikers I've met were veterans. The rice rocket riders I've met tend to be liberal metrosexuals who spend four hours at their local mall looking for the perfect outfit to match the bright colors on their sport bike.
If only the MSM would read Free Republic for trends in public opinion.
I have been watching this thread and the thread on Cindy's shoes. Since their seems to be more interest in her shoes(70 posts) than her mouth(33 posts here) on Free Republic today, I hope they aren't using this forum for public opinion.
Salt Lake City?
I am screaming the same question!
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