TS More on our Armitage protest

[The Touchstone]

      Some of you may be interested in the exchange I've just had with John 
LaBas from the Eagle on their lack of much coverage of our demonstration. 
It's below.

                               Danny


>Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 10:06:58 -0500
>To: John LeBas <jlebas at theeagle.com>
>From: The Touchstone <touchst at cy-net.net>
>Subject: More on our Armitage protest
>Cc: Kelly Brown <kbrown at theeagle.com>
>
>John:
>
>      By the way (maybe I was a bit unclear in my email in response to 
> your message),  I would have been glad to talk with an Eagle reporter if 
> I had been asked.  I surmise that almost any other demonstrator would 
> have been glad to also. No one from the Eagle contacted me about an 
> interview.  KBTX did interview me and I was around Reed Arena for about 
> 15 minutes after our demonstration ended seeing that the Veterans for 
> Peace "wall"  and any trash from our demonstration was  picked up and 
> doing a small Touchstone Radio interview.
>     I find it hard to believe that your reporter did not see more 
> demonstrators. I'm seriously wondering if he intentionally did not look 
> or if he misreported what he saw. Nearly all of us held noticeable signs 
> or were handing out fact sheets on Armitage.  In addition, the wall that 
> was there lists the names of over 1000 coalition dead is big and 
> impossible not to notice.  It was shown in the KBTX newscast as well as 
> pictures of demonstrators with signs and a small segment of their 
> interview with me.  The wall was up near the south side entrance of Reed 
> Arena from about 12:45 until 2 PM.  Most of our demonstrators were near 
> there.  We usually had a couple of demonstrators at the east entrance and 
> 5-10 at the north entrance (where I was most of the time).   In addition 
> to the KBTX story and footage, we have several pictures from our own 
> photographers (which we'll be glad to give you).  Although the number of 
> demonstrators went down after 1:45 when things got less busy, there were 
> some of us around until 2 PM or even later.
>
>                    Danny
>
>>Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2004 07:33:46 -0500
>>To: John LeBas <jlebas at theeagle.com>
>>From: The Touchstone <touchst at cy-net.net>
>>Subject: Re: armitage protest
>>Cc: Kelly Brown <kbrown at theeagle.com>
>>
>>Dear John:
>>
>>Yeah, there were probably 30 of our demonstrators at the 
>>commencement.  Last time I counted there were about 25 at which time I 
>>went (along with others) went to another entrance.  This was fairly early 
>>on and I know of a few others who I was told later came by. The biggest 
>>group of ours was at the "wall" listing the coalition dead and near that 
>>entrance on the south. We also had people at the east and north entrances 
>>where I was.  A photographer from the Eagle (he said) took my picture and 
>>asked for the correct spelling of my name, but that was the toatal of the 
>>"interview" I had from The Eagle. (Maybe next time I should get his name?)
>>      To substantiate what I'm saying, I've placed below the text of the 
>> report that Corbet Perkins sent me from KBTX.  It's at 
>> http://www.kbtx.com/NewsDetail2612.cfm?Id=33,14830
>>
>>                          Danny
>>
>>>I thought it interesting and positive that on their website, KBTX's
>>>report on on Friday's graduation ceremony (below) was headlined, " Aggie
>>>Graduation Speaker Protested."
>>>
>>>Corbet
>>>
>>>08/13/2004
>>>Aggie Graduation Speaker Protested
>>>Aggie grads were met at the door by protestors upset over A&M's choice
>>>of commencement speaker.
>>>
>>>Around 25 protestors were scattered around Reed Arena with signs of
>>>protest against Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage.
>>>
>>>The protestors say Armitage was instrumental in planning the war in
>>>Iraq.
>>>
>>>They don't support the war or Armitage.
>>>
>>>Inside, Armitage didn't acknowledge the protestors and told graduates
>>>these are days of "triumph, challenge and confusion" because the nation
>>>is at war.
>>>
>>>Protestors say Armitage was a bad choice for speaker.
>>>
>>>"He's not an appropriate speaker at our commencement ceremony. He's not
>>>an appropriate speaker for Texas A&M to honor," Protest Organizer Danny
>>>Yeager said.
>>>
>>>The university has lifted a policy that protests can only be held in
>>>certain areas.
>>>
>>>Now anyone can protest anywhere on campus.
>>>
>>>Lindsay Liepman
>>>  2004 KBTX-TV.
>>
>>
>>>Dear Dr. Yeager,
>>>
>>>Thank you for your letter. I know you sent this to the opinions editor but I
>>>was provided a copy and wanted to get back with you.
>>>
>>>Not sure how we missed so many protesters at the commencement ceremony. Our
>>>reporter, Christopher Ferrell, said he walked around the building and saw
>>>two men with signs, but that was it. I agree with you that 30 is a sizeable
>>>number of demonstrators for our area, and we should have included both the
>>>figure and comment from participants.
>>>
>>>Did you get a message from Chris seeking comment after the event? My
>>>understanding was that he tried to contact you.
>>>
>>>All the best,
>>>John LeBas
>>>
>>>CC: Kelly Brown, managing editor
>>
>>Danny Yeager
>>
>>**** NOTE THE NEW AREA CODE ****
>>
>>Phone and FAX at home: (979) 696-8695
>>Phone and FAX at work: (979) 845-3436
>>Cell: (979) 777-8758
>>
>>**** NOTE THE NEW AREA CODE ****
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