Posted on 08/17/2009 7:21:16 AM PDT by abb
Just got a missive — unguided missile? — from my pal Ted Nugent saying he’s been fired by the Waco Tribune-Herald, which has new owners as of a couple of weeks ago. I’ve contacted Carlos Sanchez, the editor of the Trib, and asked for his response, which I’ll post below when I receive it. (For now, click here to read his comments as published in the paper today.)
Nugent’s email to me:
Just been fired from Waco Trib. Now they will have to rely on their other New York Times Best Sellers, and array of clever and diverse journalists to convey their diverse & tolerant point(s) of view. Here’s my Teditorial after being told to not criticize in my Sunday features that they chose to not run.
——
I’ll Take Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press for $100, Alex by Ted Nugent
When the Nazis had the Americans surrounded in the town of Bastogne, they demanded American General McAuliffe surrender or they would level the city. General McAuliffe’s reply: Nuts!
The new editor of the Waco Trib recently told me that I could only write nice things about people, that I could not be critical. Basically, that I need to tone it down. I can not, nor will not, comply with this Romper Room request. My reply: Nuts!
The editor is wrong to try and muzzle my opinions.
As a columnist, I express my opinions. That’s what columnists do. That’s also the charge of an independent and free press.
The job of the press is to be the “fourth” arm of government. To intentionally muzzle itself is to fail at its most basic watchdog responsibility. As readers, voters and citizens we should demand a watchdog press, not a lapdog press.
I can’t envision Thomas Jefferson, George Washington or Ben Franklin making a request of an anti-King George columnist to tone it down. I can’t imagine Martin Luther King toning down his message. It is impossible for me to fathom any American to tone down what is in his heart and soul.
I criticize where I believe criticism is due. That’s what Thomas Paine did when he published Common Sense prior to the Revolutionary War. He criticized King George for his heavy handed and wrong policies. We are free in large part because of Thomas Paine’s open, routine and strident criticism.
I have criticized President Obama and liberals for what I consider to be destructive, anti-American policies that will hurt our economy and harm your health. Not once have I criticized him personally because I have never met the man. As far as I know he is a decent enough guy, but in my opinion, is politically naive and very wrong, even dangerous for America. So do many other Americans as indicated by the shrinking support for his takeover of the health care system and numerous other heavy handed, foolish moves.
Obama’s policies are bankrupting America. He supports a health care bill that he hasn’t even read, nor have those in congress who support it. If that doesn’t deserve massive amount of criticism, what does?
When I have criticized President Obama, I have almost always countered his dunderheaded, Marxist policies with a free market, more personal freedom alternative. More government control is not the answer to what ails America. Obama believes otherwise.
This newspaper and others should encourage spirited and lively debate and criticism, especially when so many newspapers are losing subscribers. I don’t support milquetoast journalism. It bores me.
You are free to disagree with my opinions. In fact, I encourage those of you who do to fill the letters to the editor page of this newspaper. I revel in open debate. That’s the America I know and love. Express yourself, Texas. Lay it on the line. Give it your best shot. Be bold in your disagreement.
Construcitve, bold criticism is cool. It rocks. It can literally change the course and destiny of an individual, neighborhood, community, and nation. It is the most basic of our Constitutional rights — the 1st Amendment. Failing to criticize emboldens politicians to stay on course regardless how many icebergs are dead ahead. Political correctness is the cancer of journalism, not its cure.
America and Texas was born with a defiant streak. Those genes still flow through my veins. To request that I not criticize is to spit on the memory of those who gave birth to America. Again, I criticize where I believe criticism is due. That’s my civic job and your job as Americans. If the editor of this newspaper doesn’t like that, he will have to fire me. I will not surrender to his wrong demands.
In the words of another famous American military man, William Barrett Travis, commander of the Alamo: God & Texas. Victory or death.
Okay, I appreciate Ted Nugent, but I really don’t feel inclined to read the political musings of anyone who writes the following sentences: “XXX is cool. It rocks.” No thank you.
I understand that. My point is with the internet WE now have ‘printing presses’ (a keyboard and computer) and a distribution system (a modem connected to a network).
He should just write a blog anyway. Fishwraps are a dying business.
And WE also now face the same challenges that newspapers face, that is, getting someone to read our stuff. The Internet isn’t a distribution system unless someone actually reads what you write. And in order to be effective, you have to have a readership of the magnitude of Jim Robinson or Matt Drudge or Michelle Malkin for it to have any effect. How many inane blogs do you know of that you would never look at more than once? Those people have freedom of expression, but they do not have “freedom of the press.”
I always looked forward to reading Ted’s commentary. Even though I am a resident of Missouri, I still was a patron of the WACO TRIBUNE, sometimes browsing other content.
I guess since Ted will no longer be a part of the WACO TRIBUNE, I probably won’t visit their web pages again. I understand management reserves the final say of content.
but the people reserve the final say about viewing or not viewing the publication.
Ted will write elsewhere, and I will read his columns elsewhere. BTW, did you see Ted’s interview on the local public TV station a couple weeks ago? it was on utube.
Ted ROCKS!
Somebody else already bought(overpaid for) the paper. Maybe Ted can buy it out of bankruptcy 6 months from now ;-)
This Nuge guy sounds fishy. I tried to report him but my email bounced back.
The First Amendment never conferred a "right to be heard or to be read." It only conferred a right to speak or to publish. Newspapers and electronic broadcast got their readership and viewership because of a near-monopoly of the technology of the era.
That is now over.
I suggest that if the message is pertinent and well-stated, it will eventually be seen. This thread yesterday addressed that very issue. The State-Run Media has been unable to dictate the message as it has in the past.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2317493/posts
PR Pros: Obama Has Lost Control of the Health-Care Message
Note to Trib ownership and management: It’s your paper. You can do what you want. But telling Ted Nugent to chill out is like telling Maureen Dowd to stop writing nonsense. It’s not going to happen.
Sounds like the Waco newspaper will be losing a lot of readers, I expect its circulation to crash. The newspaper spiral of death has been mostly in the big cities it seems, but that smallish city could soon be without a paper.
Nonsense. Everybody in the chain of production there may certainly disagree and not participate (or choose an alternative), whether it's the publisher, the editor, or the columnist. It's a free country. Furthermore if they certainly have a right to voice their opinion or publish it. If it gets into copyright or slander or libel then maybe we might start talking about civil actions.
Nobody has said they can't do it, in fact they DID do it. Now the paper will suffer the consequences of their actions.
The irony is the Robinson’s said they would take the paper in a more conservative direction.
Sorry Ted but the guy who signs your checks runs the show.
If bus drivers failed to show up for work or tell riders to go F*ck themselves, who do you think would win that battle.
Let Ted start his own paper.
Ted should start syndicating his column online, somewhere. Townhall, Canada Free Press, Jewish World Review maybe the WashTimes. Or maybe all of the above.
“How many inane blogs do you know of that you would never look at more than once?”
Ouch that hurt
tyrannysentinel.blogspot.com
unitedcitizen.blogspot.com
We may disagree, but calling my post nonsense is nonsense on your part. The balance of your post supports my original comment. You can write columns that are agreeable with management’s position, or you can find another place to write. There may be negotiation on what’s acceptable, but in the end, you print what’s acceptable to management or you pick up your dolly and dishes and go find another media outlet. I know. I’ve done it several times.
I know, and that is what makes me wonder if they are conservative...
They must have meant tightwad when they said “conservative”
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