News of the Weird columnist Chuck Shepherd responses to Rochelle Renford's latest reporting on the Sami Al-Arian controversy, "Smoke and Mirrors"; feedback Trevor Aaronson's recent Orbitals on Ch. 9's default setting, "Default Viewers," and "Writers and Lawyers," a report on the conflict between St. Petersburg Times columnist Bill Maxwell and his employer; and yet another round of kudos for Trevor Aaronson's cover story on the Albert Whitted Airport debate.
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What We Don't Know Re: "Smoke and Mirrors" by Rochelle Renford (June 26-July 8)
Enough, already! Will someone at Weekly Planet admit the obvious about Mssrs. Al-Najjar and Al-Arian: that you may have 20-20 vision of the cards lying face up on the table but you have not the slightest idea what's on the cards that are face down?
Contrary to several ink stains in the Planet, no court has "exonerated" either man, nor is there any reason to be certain that the Justice Department has revealed its entire file on either man (and there is good reason to speculate that Justice has not revealed it).
Why can't the Planet writers simply advocate from within the evidence, which shows (and I agree with this) that al-Najjar should not be in jail and that al-Arian should not be fired? Your attempts to go beyond that and make them into lovely, innocuous family men are touching, but there's a secret, locked-off room in their lives that may contain nothing or may contain danger. Why won't you join us mortals and admit that you don't know which it is?
Stephanie Hatcher
Via e-mail
Me Journalist; You Cheetah
Re: "Default viewers" by Trevor Aaronson (June 26-July 2)
If Trevor is bothered by default viewers Bay News 9 receives, perhaps we can arrange for those monkeys to come to his house and change the default channel for him. I'm sure even they can hit the settings button on the remote twice and change the setting for him. Perhaps they can change the default to Animal Planet? Surely that would appease the monkeys and PETA.
Michael Smith
Via e-mail
Seek Ye Redemption
Re: "Writers vs. Lawyers" by Trevor Aaronson (June 26-July 2)
Bill Maxwell must subscribe to the words of Chief Justice Benjamin Cardozo, "How it lies with you to uplift what is low, to erase what is false, to redeem what has been lost, till the world shall see, and seeing shall understand."
The case of Minda vs. Ponce epitomizes a gross miscarriage of justice that Mr. Maxwell surely felt compelled to correct by enlightening the public. It is the classic David and Goliath story; a poor woman of color against a dangerous, well educated, wealthy lawyer playing on his own turf.
This is all about money, control and power. Help find the truth; "erase what is false, redeem what has been lost."
Donna Marie Kostreva
St. Petersburg
Sign of the Times
I just wanted to thank you for your article regarding Albert Whitted Airport. It has been very frustrating to read the slanted and bias articles in the St. Petersburg Times. In fact it goes beyond bias when they mock and attack people personally for their views. I've seen them demonstrate this behavior regarding other people and topics. Thanks again for what I believe to be a very thorough article that included both sides of the issue.
John Voorhis
Via e-mail
This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2002.