A letter from Sara DeHart (page 24)
July 3, 2001


A current strategy utilized by corporations for political maneuvering is known as SLAPP or Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (Molly Ivans 7/3/01). My interpretation is that the major objective of the SLAPP initiative is to replace John Adams Sedition Act of 1798 which was a "carefully crafted political weapon aimed by Adam's Federalist Party at Jefferson's Republican Party. The act made it a crime punishable by imprisonment of up to two years and a fine of up to $2,000 to defame the United States Government or its top officials by bringing them into 'contempt or disrepute' among 'the good people of the United States'" (Floyd Abrams, New York Times 7/3/01). Make no mistake, Adams wanted the opposition silenced; GWB&CO want the opposition silenced.

So how might SLAPP work to silence investigative reports about current and former Bush administrations. File a lawsuit to force a newspaper into bankruptcy. Case in point, Britain's Observer of London has been sued by Barrick Gold Mining of Canada for libel. "The company which hired the elder Bush after his leaving the White House, is charging the newspaper with libel for quoting an Amnesty International report, which alleged that 50 miners might have been buried alive in Tanzania by a company owned by Barrick" (Greg Palast, 6/28/01). Palast reports that his entire investigation is in jeopardy because the Observer, owned by the non-profit Scott Trust can not withstand the financial punishment of litigation by the centri-millionaire Munk and his corporation.

When freedom of the press is in jeopardy then democracy is in jeopardy. According to M. Gandhi, "...Politics encircles us today like the coil of a snake one cannot get out, no matter how hard one tries. I wish, therefore, to wrestle with the snake." Like Gandhi, I choose to wrestle with the snake and hope there are some snake wrestlers out there to join me. Greg Palast is a worthy snake wrestler and we need to find ways to support his investigative reports.


Sara S. DeHart, Concerned Citizen
Democracy Activist

If you are interested in joining the majority fringe, please click on the 'join the fringe' button for more information.