Letter Sent to Columbus Dispatch

Thanks to Barbara Baty.

Pisses me off! So, here's the Letter I sent to Columbus Dispatch
***

Introduction From Barbara:

An old friend of mine is quite liberal and very anti-McCain. This is a letter he wrote to the Dayton Daily News and the Columbus Dispatch. Please know that I got my friend's permission to share his letter with others.

Barbara
***


I was very dismayed to find a Neo-conservative propaganda DVD [called], "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against The West," included as an advertisement in the Columbus Dispatch. The interviewees on the video are either themselves Zionists or apologists for right-wing Israeli policies.

These Swift Boat tactics from Clarion Fund seem designed to help the faltering McCain campaign and begin the latest pre-election salvos from the Nixon/Karl Rovian Dirty Tricks Department to inflame fear among the American public. Sadly, many if not most citizens of this country buy into such vapid fear mongering (see flag burning, gay baiting, abortion, gun control, and other NON political issues that the Reich-wing fans [into flame] around election time to inflame their base and frighten
voters).

The Clarion Fund identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) organization and as such is NOT permitted to engage in political activity, endorse or oppose political candidates, or donate money or time to political campaigns. It financed the delivery this month of 28 million DVDs in swing states to place at the doorstep of newspaper subscribers the controversial video "Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West." The video, which has been widely criticized as hostile to Muslims, has been inserted in 70 national and major-city newspapers.

The Clarion Fund -- founded by Israeli-Canadian film producer Raphael Shore -- is, at best, a two-year old shadowy organization, and very pro-McCain. According to Clarion Fund's incorporation papers, it is based as the same address as Aish Hatorah, an Israeli organization. The three founders of The Clarion Fund are or were full-time employees of Aish Hatorah, as is Shore-- a full-time employee. The Clarion Fund has collaborated with pro-Israel media watch organization HonestReporting in the production of its films. HonestReporting originally was a project of the Aish Hatorah organization.

Thus, the timing, market ("swing states") and purpose of this information is highly suspect. This group engages in the politics of fear and wants to scare Americans into voting for the party/candidate of permanent war. As evidence of inappropriate political bias on the part of The Clarion Fund, AP cited Patriot News of Harrisburg, Pa. reporting "that a Clarion Fund Web site ran a pro-McCain article before it attracted notice and was taken down."

It's ironic that a film trying to conflate Radical Islam and Nazism is in itself a propaganda tool only Goebbels could be proud of.

I fully expect the Dispatch to realize the error of its ways.

Steve Cyester
Hilliard [Ohio]
*******