Members of One Pulse for America are sending this open letter to the press in light of recent shocking events.
Introduction
June 2020 – peaceful protests called in the wake of the murder of George Floyd have experienced attempts to hijack them by a number of extremists, racists, and police. Over 100 members of the press have been attacked by police wholly against Constitutional rights: journalists have been arrested, beaten, even shot with rubber/plastic bullets – designed not to kill but to inflict serious injury. Several peaceful protesters have been assaulted by police; several have been shot. These peoples’ constitutional rights have been unduly taken from them. The reason we know about these grave assaults on people and on all of our liberties is because of journalists and the media.
It is not so long ago that crowds of anti-lockdown protestors, in many cases heavily-armed men in quasi-military garb held aggressive protests and stormed a state capital. They screamed at people trying to perform their jobs; they endangered public safety because they refuse to believe in the Covid-19 virus, and threatened violence if their rights were ‘removed’- which was only ever a temporary measure for the good of public health. The vast majority of these people were never met with police brutality or arrests.
This is the most crucial turning point in our country’s and our society’s future many of us will ever see. In order to stay informed, receive facts and avoid propaganda, we 100% need a free, unhampered press – as the Constitution guarantees.
There are those who have distorted the Second Amendment past all reason, morality and logic. A ‘well-regulated militia’ for some means any disgruntled person can get a deadly, rapid-fire weapon – and kill innocent adults and children. Yet the same people who will not brook any criticism of their interpretation of the 2nd Amendment do not remotely want to see other amendments upheld when these rights pertain to freedom of the press or indeed the basic human rights of equality, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
While a nation mourns George Floyd and the many victims who have gone before him, for instance two innocent black people who were shot to death, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor (it is her birthday; she should be blowing out 27 candles as I write), we have a White House hostile to black people, women, ethnic minorities, LGBT people, veterans and asylum seekers. The horrors this administration has created include caging asylum-seekers and taking their children, hampering LGBT people who had careers in the military, removing womens’ rights, the creation of ICE, and more. These injustices are brought to our attention by a free press – and that is why, using language of dictators past, Donald Trump calls the press ‘the enemy of the people.’
We need every citizen to vote, however hard those opposed to this try to disenfranchise voters; votes should be informed with access to accurate, full, timely news reporting.
We need everyone to uphold the rights of the press – and by the press we mean those news outlets large and little that are looking to report and record the truth of what is going on so we may make informed choices: not those who bombard us with lies to support tyranny and their owners’ self-interests.
Our Message to the Press:
I am a member of One Pulse for America, a gun-law reform group started by George Takei. I wanted to let you know that I greatly appreciate the news you bring us and the sacrifices and dangers your news crews increasingly face to bring us accurate reporting. Only a dictator would call the responsible press ‘enemies of the people’; only a coward with much to hide would try to vilify the press, and I am not buying it.
I want to see any police officer who impedes the constitutionally-protected rights you have to report brought to justice. No reporter should be arrested, threatened – let alone assaulted or shot.
My respect to all who bring us the truth, and my contempt to those who want to stop you, or those who want to deliver propaganda as news. Thank you.
Yours sincerely
The One Pulse for America Team, 36 members who signed online and the following 81 members
- Donna Edgar, Goffstown, NH
- Wendy Browne, Princeton, NJ
- Heather Day Polson, MT
- Robin Carpenter, Riverside CA
- Carole Johnston Whatcom County, WA
- Shirley Robertson St. Louis, MO
- Leslie Pope, Philadelphia, PA
- Deborah Byrd, Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Mary Robinson, Grand Prairie, TX
- Suzanne Kelly, US citizen in England, journalist and One Pulse admin
- Elizabeth Rider, Atlanta, GA
- Ann Moomau Lanham, Md
- Rhonda Garner, Herndon VA
- Leah Funk, Phoenix, AZ
- Georgia Elliott Roberts rineyville, KY
- Shannon Brown Chattanooga, Tennessee
- Dawn Berktold Lake City, MN
- Barbara Fabre La Mesa, CA
- Marge Currier
- Denise Fuchs Meeks
- Denise Fuchs Meeks Denise Meeks, Tucson, Arizona, journalism and law masters student, University of Arizona
- Kimberly Tomajan Los Angeles, CA
- Jackie Chacon Taitingfong Gilbert, AZ
- Heather Finch Cypress, Texas
- Terri Gwinner Hebron,Maine
- Tammy Sitar Anchorage, Alaska
- Anna Myers Sacramento, California
- Elaine Brown Ruidoso, NM
- Christine Scott San Antonio, TX
- Jyotsna Nair Columbia Missouri
- Vickey Peel, Chipley, Florida
- Tomi Hagin Gastonia NC
- Mac Bellner, North Adams MA
- Tim Morris Delray Beach, Florida
- DA Wagner – A free press is one of the greatest tools to protect democracy.
- Leonora Forslund Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Carol Thompson San Mateo, California
- Beth Suess, Berkeley, CA
- Mary Ellen Erdo McWhirter San Diego, California
- Steven W. Bentley Lawton, Oklahoma
- Randee Larimer Illinois
- Holly Sher Columbia Missouri
- Cindy Sikes Sherman Ohio
- Becky Askew Chamberlain Taylorsville, UT
- Kathy Smith Lewis Mesa Arizona
- Fain Self – Always have; always will!! Free press!!!!
- Monique Wegener Nemarich Standing with you….
- Judy Bloom Nelson Richmond, Virginia.
- Juanita Steiner Sample Indianapolis
- Lori Balaban Charlottesville, VA
- Andi Woodall Klein me too
- Amy Boggs Huntington, WV
- Jenetta Morrison Montclair Ca
- Katie Kelly-O’Donnell Weymouth, MA
- Diana Barbera DuPont, WA
- Cathy Caron Handy Graham North Carolina
- Tyler Barnick Torrance CA
- Linda Wall Thank you SO Much for protecting the constitutional rights of ALL Americans. Especially Americans who don’t agree with us or have a different narrative that they are fighting for.
- Teresa Massie, Bartlett, Tn
- Roisin O’Mara, Providence RI
- Becky Balser Tulsa, OK
- Elishia McGruder Thank you reporters for your sacrifices.
- Tacie Ranson Millville NJ
- Lua Martin Wells Lua Wells, Mt Pleasant, SC
- Heather Hoppen Campbell Benicia, CA
- Clayton Longley Springfield,Missouri
- Tina Brown Musselman Federal way, WA
- Yvonne Ford Wilder Denver, CO
- Amanda Kaahanui Kaneohe, Hawaii
- Lua Martin Wells
- Gail Turley, Mesa, AZ
- Michelle Rea, Pensacola, FL
- Sheryl Bower Glenwood Springs, CO
- Emma Friedman Glencoe, IL
- Cynthia Tuthill Cynthia Tuthill St Helena CA
- Eileen Peppard, Honolulu, HI
- Olivia Jurado Zamora Whittier, CA
- Lisa Giruzzi Albany NY
- Sue Parry Sue Parry, Malta, NY
- Daniel L Hayward Laramie Wy
- Josie Sloan Woodstock,GA
One Pulse is a gun law reform group formed by actor and activist George Takie following the Pulse nightclub massacre.