NO to censorship, of any kind, of anyone

NO to censorship, of any kind, of anyone

Occasional Report No. 34

What follows is a series of comments I posted on the Patch today (9/24/12), in response to a comment of someone using the pseudonym “RJ”.   It will all make more sense if you first read Tom Lochner’s 9/23/12 article on attempts to silence Kent von Aspern on the Patch: http://www.contracostatimes.com/news/ci_21603659/eye-east-bay-meaning-free-speech-open-debate?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com

From the Patch:

RJ

“I see in the Sunday paper that de Vera's emails putting pressure on the Pinole City Engineer Dean Allison to silence Hercules resident Kent Von Aspern have surfaced. Why Dean fell into this conspiracy is not clear, but it seems he blogged on the patch and de Vera was unhappy about his statements with regard to her close friend Glenn Abraham. Why no First Amendment right for Kent?”

I first learned of all this, the effort to silence von Aspern and Tom Lochner's intent to write an article on it, on Friday, September 21.    I had nothing to do with any of it, and did not discuss anything like this with any of the parties involved.  

It was NOT done, at least not primarily done, because of von Aspern’s attacks on ME.    I’ve gone through the documents posted online by Tom Lochner.    Kent von Aspern attacked MYRNA, on 6/15/12, with the following:

Kent Von Aspern 

“Joanne and Councilmember deVera have only one thing in common: they are both women. Joanne never ran a dirty campaign in her life, never spoke about anyone behind their backs, and never shared confidential personnel-related e-mails with the public. She also never took a dime from this City that she didn't earn as a Councilmember.”

On June 21, the Pinole City Engineer wrote to Myrna, saying that he had spoken with an HDR VP regarding the postings.    Whatever it is that Myrna did was done between June 15 and June 21.    It did not relate to attacks on me.    Kent von Aspern had been attacking me since May, and, as I recall, nobody said a thing.

I DO NOT WANT TO SILENCE ANYBODY.    Myrna was wrong, I’ve told her she was wrong, she knows she was wrong.

I criticized Dan Romero for trying to have Patch Editor Alex Gronke limit my speech.    I criticize the silencing of von Aspern.

This incident may have a chilling effect on speech here on the Patch, because now some people can legitimately believe that, if they are honest and identify themselves by their true names, they can be harassed in their off-Patch life.    There is nothing I can do about this, other than to assure you that I never have, nor ever will, tried to cause any harm to any person who posts any opinion here.    We were approaching a serious discussion about the fake personalities that are used on the Patch to spread smears and lies with which their authors would never wish to be identified, a practice which has made the discussion here cheap and dishonest.    Nonetheless, I can hardly continue to insist that people post under their true names.    Dean Fukima is welcome to prance around in his Shannon S. costume.    That kind of fakery cannot be good for anyone but the fakers, but what has been done has been done, and it shifts the discussion.    I regret that, but there is nothing I can do about it.

I absolutely oppose ANY kind of censorship.     The single posting of “Edward Sanliago” should never have been deleted.    We’re adults, we’re able to deal with real-world realities like anger and hatred and racism, and no Patch editor should patronize us by deciding what it is that we are and are not capable of being exposed to.    By deleting the Sanliago post, the Patch editor deprived us of our right to respond.

Kent von Aspern, and everyone else, should feel free to speak.    Readers should then be free to respond.    NOBODY should be silenced.