My email about Forum hosting Bush / torture advocate John Yoo

Dear KQED and Michael Krasney,

First, I do appreciate Forum, and often there are good
shows, particuarly around elections. I am often
amazed at the fact that this station is willing to air
all candidates and treat all fairly.

That said, however . . .

I have to admit I'm getting really sick of hearing the
right-wing and NEVER the equal voice from
progressives, especially now. This morning was a
prime example, with John Yoo as a guest defending and
lauding the policies of a president who likely just
caused the deaths of possibly thousands of people.

This isn't a matter of 'keeping it balanced' or
'having an expert,' this is a matter of what kind of
world we want to create. If you think you are
presenting something 'balanced' with John Yoo, then
you need to 'balance' it properly the other way also.
You have not.

Aside from 'balance,' I have to ask, does Michael
Krasney and KQED want a world where TORTURE is
protected and those espousing such claims are given
front row seats to be heard while those espousing
peace and human rights are kept outside the area in
silence? Why on earth would this radio program
continue to host so-called 'experts' whose positions
are being exposed daily as leading to hatred of the
US, untold billions being lost in a 'war' that's going
nowhere except into more chaos, and a plunging
economy??? Is this what is to be lauded and admired
by KQED?

It made me so angry to hear that once again someone
from the extreme right-wing was speaking but no one
from the extreme left-wing, that I feel like it's time
to start spending a LOT more time exposing the media
bias in the Bay Area, of all places. It's really an
embarrassment, to say the least.

When I've called local tv news stations with similar
criticisms they've claimed they know of no one who
they could have from the left. That cannot be the
case with Forum because there occassionally *are*
leftists on there, albeit rarely. I once mentioned
that they should have at least someone like Medea
Benjamin on and they literally laughed at me, saying
'Oh no, we couldn't do that.'

Well maybe someone needs to make it their every waking
moment to show local 'media' that, yes, you can do
that.

Local civil liberties lawyer and activist (and winner
of a Supreme Court case) Ann Fagan Ginger recently
published “Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations
Since 9/11.” (http://mcli.org/) Why don't you feature
her on your show if you're going to have John Yoo on
there? Is that also laughable and impossible? Why is
that the American Enterprise Institute can be
represented over and over and over but the Meiklejohn
Civil Liberties Institute (or similar) cannot?
Instead, there is always a 'moderate' or 'neutral'
organization to provide 'balance.' Why is it so
impossible in our progressive Bay Area to hear
progressive voices?

I'm sorry to be so emotional but we've all been
through a lot lately with the senseless deaths all
over the world and now are having to take people into
our homes, even though we're paying taxes that are
seemingly going directly to Halliburton, which is now
tapping a $500M Navy contract to do Gulf Coast
repairs.

I urge you to take the risk and allow the voice of
progressive to speak. Please contact Ann Fagan
Ginger, a voice of reason for international law, not a
supporter of Bush and torture. Or anyone else
similar.

Sincerely,
--------, Alameda, CA