Bessie, Resign! by Rick Giombetti Mon, Mar 26, 2001 6:10PM

Bessie, Resign! by Rick Giombetti Mon, Mar 26, 2001 6:10PM My letter to Pacifica Executive Director Bessie Wash in response to her interruption of Democracy Now! this morning. I couldn't imagine a better way to have my first cup of coffee in the morning ruined than to hear your voice rudely interrupt Amy Goodman's reading of the morning's news headlines on Democracy Now! this morning. The experience was similar to the last time I discovered I had accidentally stepped on a pile of dog shit on a living room carpet. Listening to your maternalistic and hypocritical rant about respecting the free speech rights of those opposed to the policies of the Pacifica Foundation Board was bad enough. But your statement was also potentially libelous as it basically pronounced a protester named Edwin Johnston guilty of assaulting a KPFT volunteer in Houston, and accused three other protesters of not aiding the individual allegedly assaulted by Johnston. Johnston made a posting at Houston's Indymedia site stating he had been libeled by your statement, as it was he who had been assaulted by KPFT station staff. Johnston wrote that he would be visiting an attorney tomorrow. It appears that you need a civics refresher course. You may not know this, but at least in theory we don't live in a fascist country (Although in practice that is a different story entirely. One only need look at the bullying tactics of using private security guards and local police by the Pacifica Foundation Board to intimidate Pacifica station staff and listeners across the country to see an example of fascism in action). There is a presumption of innocence when somebody is charged with a crime. If you're going to accuse of somebody criminally charged of being guilty of those charges over the airwaves, then you have to allow that individual a chance to respond to the allegations. Nobody should feel sorry for you and the rest of the board if Johnston sues over your statement on Democracy Now! this morning. Your lecture to Democracy Now! listeners about respecting free speech was disgusting. This is the same Bessie Wash who has overseen the blacking out of Democracy Now! programming over the airwaves at Pacifica station WPFW in DC, like a recent commentary on the Christmas Coup at WBAI by Mumia Abu-Jamal and a debate between foundation boardmember John Murdoch and Pacifica Campaign founder Juan Gonzalez. This is the same Bessie Wash who has overseen the Christmas Coup at WBAI, in which long time station and staff have been fired and banned from the station in the middle of the night and community advisory boardmembers have been prevented from meeting at the station by Pacifica hired security goons. During your interruption of Democracy Now! you also stated that the illegitimately installed WBAI station manager, Ultrice Leid, had been assaulted while attempting to conduct an interview with a congressman over the airwaves. I found this statement interesting because the only report of an assault involving Leid during an interview with a congressman I know of was an assualt on the First Amendment by Leid, when she rudely shut down an interview with U.S. Representative Major Owens during a live interview on WBAI. You and the rest of the cheap gansters on the board can insult the intelligence of Democracy Now! listeners all you want. You can reduce the current campaign to save Pacifica to false accusations of racism and sexism on the part of those who are opposed to the current board's policies all day long. But I suggest you are never going to convince Democracy Now!'s loyal and sophisticated listeners to support the current board when you rudely interrupt the show and spew more lies about the Pacifica Campaign and other groups dedicted to saving the network. Bessie, resign now! And don't ever interrupt Democracy Now! again! Rick Giombetti Seattle For more information: http://www.pacificacampaign.org