Readers often send me interesting and exciting e-mails about the op-ed pieces I write and manage to publish. As a writer, I get all sorts. Some are actually encouraging. Then there are those who say, "This is YOUR fantasy, not the reality I have seen." Or, they ask, "Your point is?"
Alas and alack, it is the lot of professional writers to suffer these comments all in the name of trying to write something someone wants to read (and buy!).
In my latest piece on the Minuteman Project, some readers took offense at my attempt to link Chris Simcox, one of the co-founders, with groups run by gomers like Glenn Spencer. In fact, one lady wrote and said,
"Your attempt to tarnish the citizens of the Minuteman Project by linking it to Spencer and the ABP is about as honest and courageous as spreading the stench of MS-13 over the entire illegal population."
And of course, everyone knows what "MS-13" is!
So, I am thinking, perhaps I was not as clear as I could have been. Perhaps this lady has a (small) point and I need to restate my position.
Therefore, your humble columnist is here today to try to right a possible wrong. So here goes, and let me be perfectly clear: What tainted this Minuteman Project from its beginning was that Chris Simcox was one of its co-founders. The evidence supports, in my view, that this man has another agenda.
I did not buy the "Observer and Report" goal of his Minuteman project because of the past behavior and rhetoric of this man. Never once has he recanted, apologized, or generally taken back what he's said and done in the past about the Mexican Immigration issue.
For example:
1. Chris Simcox has a federal arrest record. "Chris Simcox, the co-founder of the group he adulates, was arrested in January 2003, by Federal Park rangers for possession of loaded and concealed weapons, disorderly conduct, and interfering with law enforcement on federal land, according to Ernesto Cienfuegos of La Voz de Aztlan."
2. Los Angeles Times Magazine writer, Dan Baum, wrote on March 16, 2003:
?Chris Simcox won't stop fooling with his gun.
??whenever he is photographed by the media--which is often these days--Simcox makes sure the pistol is in every frame.
??but his body language is all about the gun. Sooner or later he's going to use it, he wants everybody to know, in a showdown with the illegal immigrants and Mexican drug dealers he believes are ruining the United States.
??If Simcox dies in a blaze of border gunfire, so be it, he says.
?At 42, he is owner, editor and publisher (and reporter, ad director and circulation manager) of the weekly Tombstone Tumbleweed, circulation 1,200. His Oct. 24 issue bore the headline: "Enough is Enough! A Public Call to Arms!" The paper invited readers to join a "Citizens Border Patrol Militia."
Let me ask the questions America should be asking:
Does Chris Simcox, from his past rhetoric, seem to be just an "Observe and Report" kind of guy? Has he once admitted and recanted this rhetoric? Has he admitted to any of this?
I would like to hear Mr. Simcox's public explanation of what he's said "on the record" and if he still believes it. I would also love to know why this man's past hasn't been reported in the press and especially on the "Fair and Balanced" cable news network, Fox News?
There is an expression, "The Fish Rots From The Head Down."
Let us watch and see what happens.
Doug Bower is a freelance writer and book author. His most recent writing credits include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Houston Chronicle, and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Transitions Abroad. He lives with his wife in Guanajuato, Mexico.
His new book, Mexican Living: Blogging it from a Third World Country, can be seen at http://www.lulu.com/content/126241
Twin Lakes rental limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareConnectors -- conjunctions, punctuation, and transitional phrases -- allow readers... Read More
Structure in the form of frameworks, work processes and goals... Read More
In the current job market, many editorial workers have turned... Read More
The first step in the writing process is to put... Read More
1. Remember publication is a business; writing is an art.... Read More
Let's Discuss Publisher Ethics:If you are an ezine publisher or... Read More
Golden Rules For New Writers - Things you need to... Read More
Started a book and then got bogged down? Like many... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
About two weeks ago I received an article submissionthat immediately... Read More
Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More
Q and A.Best choice when subject is very verbal or... Read More
Word processors are so widely used now that I tend... Read More
Complaint letters aren't always fun, but sometimes they need to... Read More
It's easy to feel overwhelmed by marketing. First, there's so... Read More
The Benefits of Co-Publishing There are a number of publishers,... Read More
|| Graphology & Graphotherapy ||Everybody wants to know more about... Read More
As a professional copywriter, not only do I do a... Read More
If you're getting rejections from your submissions, please don't quit... Read More
So you've got your plot outlined, a title lined up... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
The creativity of Jaisini is not designed to be preaching... Read More
Many of the most effective low-cost marketing strategies require writing.... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
West Dundee Lincoln Stretch limo rentals ..Self-examination is brutally honest. Self-indulgence is brutally maudlin.Writing requires the... Read More
Wired Online has recently announced its plans to drop capitalization... Read More
I'm in the process of moving from one computer to... Read More
So, you want to freelance as an editor, writer, copy... Read More
FERRETING OUT WORK You keep hearing that there's work out... Read More
It is certainly true that we don't get a second... Read More
Q: How do I expand on an idea without getting... Read More
There is an image most people carry of the artist... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Kallu was a tenant of Santosh Kumar Nayak. Santosh Kumar... Read More
(Skip directly to ten for the fastest shortcut!)Like any field,... Read More
Editorial guidelines, also known as writer's guidelines, are the rules... Read More
Remember back in the dark days of your school years... Read More
Have you ever written a letter to a friend? Ever... Read More
Technology vendors often contribute bylined articles to trade journals. The... Read More
The rejection letter says: "Your story, on the surface, appears... Read More
You've decided to write your very own Newsletter to promote... Read More
Everyone has a unique story to tell. From explaining business... Read More
I'm willing to bet that quite a number of you... Read More
This article contains a short guide on how to edit... Read More
Most books aren't rejected because the stories are "bad." They're... Read More
What am I going to write about?Which topic is the... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
Suspense novels, unlike any other genre, need fast starts. Fans... Read More
Writing |