An Open Letter to Henry Makow
Dear Henry,
We publish this open letter out of great concern for your recent actions on the internet. We have attempted to write it with respect, objectivity and consideration for all parties involved. However, when the explicit intention of a writer's piece is defamation of character by way of libelous statements, then we have a situation which ought to be prosecuted as character assassination. Character assassination is a crime, Henry, pure and simple.
May we pose the following scenario to every reader of this letter?
All of us have our opinions, beliefs and strongly held convictions about the state of the world today, don’t we? Because of the human ego, we all think “we know what time it is”, don’t we? Many of us are truly brilliant; some are certified geniuses. The quality of internet writing and video production on the alternative side is quite awesome, yes? The analysis of political, economic, financial, social, scientific, religious, spiritual, and cosmic events and developments is really quite amazing, much of it done in real time (Intuition is really sharpening!).
What’s the point? The smartest among us will always have disagreements whether philosophical in nature or about mundane matters. Einstein and Newton would have debated endlessly were they contemporaries, as could Stephen Hawking and Garrett Lisi easily disagree today.
What do the ethical and moral giants among us do when they disagree … really fight it out through intellectual combat, scientific battle or philosophical debate? The true gentlemen and/or gentlewomen simply agree to disagree. They part ways amicably and recover their own ground always reflecting on the possibility that the other guy or gal just may have something very important, perhaps even revolutionary, to say.
In the present case before us, Rense.com is Jeff Rense’s website, not yours. By your own admission Jeff promoted you and your work for many years. He has only helped you and never hurt you. He offered you a worldwide platform with which to share your exhaustive research and speak your truth. You have a simple disagreement about an extremely important issue to Jeff and the entire relationship devolves into a one-sided screed.
It’s VERY important to bear in mind that Fukushima became Jeff’s personal study and enviro advocacy. Rense.com covered the Japanese nuclear disaster like none other on the net. He has more articles, essays, videos, audios, and interviews on this global catastrophe than anyone else in the galaxy! Perhaps you could have afforded him the respect and credit due to an individual who has given nearly a year of his life to educate and enlighten his audience about this extraordinary global environmental catastrophe.
Anyone reading the “Stone” article could spend a year fact-checking and still be no closer to the truth. So complicated and convoluted is the whole event that even those scientists who are in the know dare not render a fully integrated synthesis. Clearly, there are different reasons – all quite legitimate – why any of us might shy away from some of Stone’s premises or conclusions. And we speak from the position of those who have been intimately involved with Fukushima from day one though our own research, investigation, consulting and blogging with people on the ground in Japan and elsewhere. We’re far from being uninitiated and much closer to the genuine experts, so we understand the subtleties and complexities involved in making an accurate assessment.
Do you let people dictate to you what will or will not appear on your website? We think not! By all appearances (as well as anecdotal evidence) your gate-keeping is as stringent as it gets. You took advantage of a privilege for many years at rense.com which many others do as well. However, when a profound difference of opinion emerged you chose to betray your friend, fellow journalist and truthseeker. Is this the way you reciprocate because of a simple disagreement around content?
Friends, professional associates, fellow journalists simply don’t treat each other this way. NEVER! Such profound betrayal is inexcusable. Malicious defamation of character is serious business. Character assassination is even more serious when you consider that the victim cannot fully recover what has been stolen from him. What if your reputation was cast about on the internet with such wanton disregard for the context or all the facts? How would you feel ... or your family feel, having to suffer such ongoing humiliation for what amounts to one man's jealous rage, unjustified anger, and revenge for being ... ... ... supported???
Here's one example of your purposeful misrepresentation of Jeff's history. Your site contains false information in a linked article written by Lisa Guliani from Wing TV. It references comments by Jeff's former employer which were deceitfully elicited from her, and then withdrawn by the same individual, Patricia Smullin. Here's the actual letter of apology issued by Ms. Smullin to Jeff Rense acknowledging that misleading information was published by the folks at WingTV.
http://www.rense.com/general92/smullin.htm
Here's one example of your purposeful misrepresentation of Jeff's history. Your site contains false information in a linked article written by Lisa Guliani from Wing TV. It references comments by Jeff's former employer which were deceitfully elicited from her, and then withdrawn by the same individual, Patricia Smullin. Here's the actual letter of apology issued by Ms. Smullin to Jeff Rense acknowledging that misleading information was published by the folks at WingTV.
http://www.rense.com/general92/smullin.htm
What would the internet be like if everyone spewed their rage and vengeance and hatred and frustration all over the place? See some of the Facebook pages that are covered with this type of venom and vitriol. Is this where the public discourse is heading… or already gone? Is this where Henry Makow wants to lead his many readers and fans? No, this is not the kind of Pied Piper you are known to be.
By the way, is it ever appropriate to disseminate information which was obviously given in confidence? To share highly personal thoughts, feelings or delicate matters, which were allegedly rendered during the course of strictly private conversations, on the world wide web constitutes a profound betrayal of trust. Of course, when these purported comments are then taken egregiously and self-servingly out of context, or otherwise twisted and changed, how are the rest of us ever to believe, or trust, Henry Makow again?!
Henry, how would you feel if the private, confidential details of your life, your business – some totally misrepresented, others taken out of context – were plastered all over the internet. Dear reader, you might ask yourself the very same question before you participate in the next internet lynching. It is not a place anyone ever wants to be, and any behavior contributing to this state of affairs is completely unacceptable.
What is really ironic and remarkably hypocritical is that your recent conduct is completely inconsistent with what you have counseled in a previous post regarding this exact issue as it concerns Jeff Rense, Editor of Rense.com. Here's a quote from your article in support of Jeff posted at henrymakow.com on October 23, 2010:
"My policy is to never criticize fellow patriots. I cooperate with people on the basis of what we have in common. I don't expect we'll agree on everything. If I can't say something nice, I won't say anything. I focus on what we have in common, and recognize the real good they are doing."
What is really ironic and remarkably hypocritical is that your recent conduct is completely inconsistent with what you have counseled in a previous post regarding this exact issue as it concerns Jeff Rense, Editor of Rense.com. Here's a quote from your article in support of Jeff posted at henrymakow.com on October 23, 2010:
"My policy is to never criticize fellow patriots. I cooperate with people on the basis of what we have in common. I don't expect we'll agree on everything. If I can't say something nice, I won't say anything. I focus on what we have in common, and recognize the real good they are doing."
Henry, you created a board game called SCRUPLES for God’s sake! On the website that sells this marvelous game it begins with the following question:
In life we ask ourselves: “What’s the right thing to do?”
When your special box at rense.com was taken down did you ask yourself this question? If not, please know that it is not too late. Any reaction can be too quick, too impulsive, or too uninformed by one’s own scruples when tempers are flaring. On the other hand a patient and reasoned response is what each individual is challenged to fashion every day of their life.
You know this, Henry. You know this well …very well. So please put into practice what the rest us tried to learn growing up playing your aptly named game. We (the growing multitude of internet users) need role models – desperately. Walking your talk has never been so important, so please give us your best, and fix this situation now. Only you can do it.
Very sincerely,
"There is no witness so terrible and no accuser so powerful as conscience which dwells within us."
~ Sophocles
