Wachovia gets free ads, so why shouldn’t you?

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

The City of Asheville has placed Wachovia corporate advertising banners on 50 lampposts downtown, saying “Wachovia —100 years of service to the community.” The banners are about three feet by five feet and Wachovia’s slogan is on each side of the banners — twice. That’s a total of 200 ads posted prominently downtown.

The day after the banners appeared, someone stuck small stickers to the lampposts that said, “Feel free to post here — Wachovia did!” And indeed, it turns out, it WAS free! Wachovia didn’t pay to use this space for their advertisement. City policy, then, appears to be Free Use of Lampposts for Posting Notices!

Asheville will no doubt immediately develop a policy that forbids ordinary folks from using this forum, but I say what’s good for Wachovia is good for us all, so post all you want!

Ironically, these banners are located INSIDE that money-green line that City Council painted around downtown to drive out the spare change guys. Remember when they passed that ordinance that outlawed the Salvation Army kettle, the spare changers, and anyone asking for contributions? Only through the magic of selective enforcement do they still tolerate street musicians.

So, no free speech for the rest of us, but REALLY free speech for the banks. The message from City Hall, the developers, and the banks is, “This is our downtown. If ordinary citizens want a downtown, they can go build it.”

Charlie Thomas

Asheville, North Carolina

Commentary on Workers World Party
was misleading

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

I want to reply to the Commentary by Nathan Newman, “Using ‘redbaiting’ charges to silence ANSWER’s critics” (“Using ‘redbaiting’ charges to silence ANSWER’s critics” AGR #220, April 3-9, 2003, p. 4). I cannot speak for the Workers World Party (WWP), but I’ve worked with them for years, and I will say that Newman’s article is full of half-truths, misrepresentations, and outright falsehoods. I will not reply to them here in detail; the WWP should be given an opportunity to do that themselves.

I see the WWP’s position as being this: At this stage in history, our real enemy is American Capitalist Imperialism, and we should not give any support to the United States’ attacks on the other countries. This is especially true because there is so much dishonest American propaganda about what is going on in the world in places like China, Yugoslavia, North Korea, and Iraq. Unfortunately, the anti-communist Left seems to believe all the anti-communist propaganda that comes along, even though they see how much this country lies about everything “else.”

The National Lawyers’ Guild is very concerned that the attacks on ANSWER and the WWP are part of a new McCarthyism. As stated in their latest (Spring 2003, pp. 5-6) issue of Guild Notes:

Two recent developments inspired the NEC to adopt this resolution now.

The first such development was a public call by the Free Congress Foundation and other right-wing organizations for the Department of Homeland Security or the Congress to investigate the anti-war movement’s leadership. They attacked International ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) as a front for the Workers World Party, characterized the anti-war movement as being led by Communist fronts, lamented the lack of information about such organizations since the dissolution of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and called for a successor to HUAC.

AGR should be very careful when entering into these nasty debates between the communist and anti-communist Left. As the best Left, non-party newspaper around, you should be careful to present all the Left positions in the debate. And put them in the Letters to the Editor section, or on an Op-Ed page. A Commentary could be construed as the position of your newspaper, something that I hope is not the case.

Richard T. Vineski

Wappingers Falls, New York

Cut the sensationalism

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

Here’s a donation. It’s a small amount, next to nothing, but I’m poor and I just lost my job, so for me this is a lot of money.

It sounds like you’re facing hard times, but I can’t watch you go down without offering this advice: cut the sensationalism.

You guys pride yourselves on being a paper that prints the news other sources won’t. You do that, and you do it well. But you also do something else: you try to elicit from your readers a sense of righteous indignation. While that may attract some readers — especially the younger ones — it will repel even more, especially the older ones. I know plenty of people over 40 who don’t trust the corporate media, largely because of its sensationalist headlines. For example, I remember one that said something like “US prepares for total war.” You could have said “US prepares for war.” The word “total” doesn’t add anything to the substance of what you’re saying, but it says to a lot of people that you’re writing more from your own anger than from any sense of good journalism. I understand that you’re writing these articles the way you feel them, but you should understand that your tone turns off a lot of people, many of whom could be large financial contributors.

You wouldn’t have to sacrifice any of your content to cut the tone of doom. Just look at “Now” with Bill Moyers as an example. He presents the stories as objectively as he can (yes, there are advantages to “objective” journalism), but he’s still presenting the facts as they are. The facts are scary enough. We don’t need the stories to tell us how to react to their content.

And I hope you don’t get defensive about this letter. When you all received a lot of criticism over that sex column you were printing, your response seemed reactionary and self-righteous. Self righteousness will only hurt your paper.

This letter is constructive criticism. I say these things because I think you can reach a larger audience and get more funding. I want you to continue printing. I’d give more money if I could; it’ll be a damn shame if the AGR goes under.

Ian

AGR shouldn’t be taken for granted

Editors, Asheville Global Report,

When I’m in Asheville, maybe 1-2 times a month, I pick up a bunch of the AGR’s to distribute in my county through the bookstore and to friends. What a gift the compilation of reporting has been in broadening and balancing the scope of my awareness of what is going on in the world. Your articles have also been sources of information for my letters to the editor and to legislators.

I have been guilty of taking this gift for granted by not contributing financially. So when I just read that you are in dire straights of not being able to continue, I wrote this check, even at a time when my bank account is very low. I plan to tell my friends to consider likewise.

I’m aware of the ways we have of relating to life — escaping, enduring, or embracing it in these despairing times calls for increased communication and mindful action not indifference, complacency and division. I’ve decided that what I need to do to counter despair is reconnect with the earth and all other beings and visualize the world as I’d like it to be and work towards building global community, starting by really listening to my neighbors and their opposing views in hopes of finding common ground. To see solutions, not problems, wholeness, not soul sickness and separation and make some more sacrifices in sharing more of the good.

My hope is that others will respond to keep this excellent newspaper going. May we all get on with life by embracing it like Granny D. does.

Pat Tompkins

Bakersville, North Carolina

‘Gutter’ language damaging to AGR

Editors, Asheville Global Report

You put out a fine paper and you are evidently well educated and you are hard workers. But I believe you are killing your own paper. From the time I started subscribing to your paper you have used gutter language in every issue. I didn’t see any in this last issue, but I haven’t read all of it yet.

What I am talking about right now is “Get Your War On” by David Rees. For weeks you have run it and I think every week except the last issue it has had the “F” word in it sometimes three or four times, it makes no sense.

The average person does not use language like that. I have tried twice to get your paper started here, but it was a no go. And I think the language was the cause.

Here in western Kentucky they are right-wing Republican. The only paper we have supports Bush, the war, and is anti-environment. And both radio stations are the same.

I will try you a little longer — I hope you think about what I said.

Allen F. Margan

Madisonville, Kentucky

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