Claremont Insider: More Mail

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

More Mail

We got this in yesterday from a reader curious about the lies and inaccuracies former Claremont Mayor Diann Ring has accused us of presenting. In answer to the reader's question, no, Ring and the Claremont 400 have not provided us with a bill of particulars with documentation to show that anything we've presented here is untrue. At 43 days and counting, we're still waiting (see the Diann Fact Watch in the left-hand column).

Here's the reader's note:

I keep waiting to hear what these lies and inaccuracies are that the Claremont 400 says you keep spewing in your blog. Do they actually e-mail you and tell you what these L&Is are or do they just make a blanket accusation that everything you put on your blog are L&Is?

While I realize that they have many lawyers among their ranks , it is chilling, to say the least, that they are even hinting at legal action while not specifying what comments on your blog are inaccurate or outright lies. I am dismayed that the reader who wrote in with his/her comments about the CUSD felt they had to remove them (I missed that blog that day so have no idea what was said, darn it), but I do know that many people feel intimidated about making any comments on the CUSD especially if they have children in the district for fear of retaliation.

It is a sad state of affairs that anyone needs to fear legal action or retailiation at the hands of any individual or group of people in this town, or any other town, if they speak their minds, give their opinions, or ask questions. If people are lying, then let their lies be exposed, call them on it with proof that they are lying, just as your blog did with Judy Wright, Diann Ring and Bill McCready about their letter to the Courier. Let them come up with documents, tapes, articles or credible eyewitness accounts to refute the alleged lies they say are being written. As far as I can see, and I am still waiting, they have not.

As we celebrate the 4th of July tomorrow, as we see more and more young men and women dying for our 1st Amendment right to free speech and all the other rights we are guaranteed in our U.S. Constitution, let us remember that in the history of the world there have been many tyrants who have sought to stifle the truth. They have used intimidation, threats, physical and psychological pressure and , in more extreme cases , imprisonment and even death to stop the truth from being told. It takes brave men and women to fight these tyrants and stand up to their tactics. It takes even braver men and women to support those that are trying to tell the truth and accept the consequences for their support.

We are not all that brave, but at least in Claremont , on this 4th of July, we can tell the Claremont Buzz that as long as you are speaking the truth , we will support you and encourage your efforts to let the truth be told and not let the tyrants in this town silence you, and by extension, those of us that seek the truth.

Thanks, reader. And a Happy Fourth to all out there.