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Read other letters about this article
It appears as if there are a handful of posters a little too quick to defend Palin. Contrary to their protests, though, Salon is not the first news source to break this story and Bess is not the only one screaming foul.
Whether first or not doesn't matter. All the sources about "Pastor, I am Gay" stem from Bess. The phrase "Bess finds himself in the Spotlight" is a distortion. It implies that something was uncovered about him, when in fact it is he that is pushing the story. That's clear in EVERY source and story so far.
The sad, undeniable fact of the matter is that Palin, while mayor of Wasilla, inquired on at least three occasions about banning books from the Wasilla library. Palin's supporters claim they were mere rhetorical, what if, questions. However, after the librarian, Mary Ellen Emmons, refused to censor any books, Palin fired her.
That part is not in dispute, but no books were banned, and no books were actually named or mentioned, there is no list, and there is no proof that Bess' book was one targeted.
Palin has claimed the incidents were not related and that Emmons was fired because she didn't have her "full support." Question for your apologists out there: since when does a mayor need the "full support" of a librarian?
When the mayor wants it. It's obvious that Palin has a confrontational management style, and was quick to fire people. As mayor this lead to issues where so few experts were left that management became difficult. This is a legitimate area of attack.
What is not legitimate is spinning Bess' allegations that his book was named, when it was not, into a false story of actual book banning. That's what this article tries to do.
Click on my name for a link to the ABC report on the matter.
-- sitka0230
Do you even watch your own link? Who's the white haired person in the video? That's right, it's Bess.
Xanthro (second post in the thread) claims Bess is the only source for the claim Palin tried to ban his book.
Absolutely untrue. I never made any such claim. I claimed that the source of the story was Bess, which is correct. Bess is the source of Bess claim.
Not true. I provided a link.
The "link" you provided was "Click on my name for a link" that brings you to a youtube video showing Bess talk about his book. Even your link affirms that the source is Bess.
Once again, a spotlight wasn't shown on him, he grabbed the light and pointed at himself.
Clockwork Smurf (page 3) called it rumor and inuendo with very little evidence to back it up.
Again, not true, I provided a link.
You link is useless, it provides no evidence to back up your claims. Bess' book was not banned. It's his assertion that his book was going to be banned. That's why it's circular.
Allow me to repeat--I provided a link, which you obviously didn't view.
You keep falling back to a youtube video that does nothing to support what you are claiming. Once again, did you not NOTICE that the man in the video was Bess?
