Mark Vandermaas letter to London Free Press editor

Posted on July 12, 2011 | Comments Off

From: Mark Vandermaas
Sent: Monday, July 11/2011 9:34 PM
To: Joe Ruscitti
CC: Gary McHale

Subject: letter re tomorrow’s protest – requesting your side of the story

Mr. Joe Ruscitti, Editor
London Free Press

Dear Mr. Ruscitti:

Earlier today I sent out an email (cc’d to you) confirming that my protest at the London Free Press tomorrow would go ahead as planned from approx 11:15-1:00pm. I have spoken to Cst Holland at the London Police Service CORE Unit to let him know about the protest, and to confirm I’m not anticipating any issues. We will keep the sidewalks clear and we will not be harassing your employees in any way other than handing out literature.

(8.5 MB) Mark Vandermaas presentation to 2010 'New Directions in Aboriginal Policy' forum, May 01/10, Mount Royal University: Listening to Victims: A Fresh Approach to Healing & Reconciliation (NOTES W/SLIDES)

I understand you are upset with me printing our emails and those of Leila Paul regarding your need to consult with Muslims before publishing her article. If the situation were reversed, I know I would feel the same. It was not something I did lightly, and I have never done it before. We have worked with media for years during the Caledonia crisis and I well understand that we need journalists on our side, not angry with us. Unfortunately, I had to weigh the public good against the consequences of burning my bridge with London’s only major daily. I’m sorry, but I would do it again in a heartbeat because the stakes are just too important.

If the London Free Press believes it is acceptable not to report fundamental facts countering the anti-Israel hysteria, and the the role of a religious institution in our community – no matter what the denomination – in supporting a mission which, if successful, will ultimately result in weapons getting in the hands of a terror organization sworn to exterminate Jews, then I must take exception.

As a former UN peacekeeper, I also feel an obligation to speak out for the Palestinians who will be killed or injured if Israel is forced to defend itself from the weapons made possible, even if in a small way, by the mosque — just as I had an obligation to speak out on behalf of the two native women raped on the Douglas Creek Estates in Caledonia because our government provided criminals a race-based ‘police-free’ zone. Curiously, the mainstream media never reported that story, either.

The media completely failed the innocent victims of Caledonia because of politically-correct reporting, and I cannot sit back and watch as the London Free Press does the same here. Even if one argues that journalists are no longer democracy’s watchdogs, but mere tools of commerce, good business practice demands a minimal level of professionalism and some degree pf responsibility to the community they serve. Indeed, as one member of Hamilton’s Never Again Group – some of whom are coming tomorrow – wrote:

“Imagine a young man going off on a flotilla expedition telling his father and mother that he is risking his life for the sake of terrorists. What responsibility does western society and media have to expose the pure anarchy that is involved in such a decision and that is rampant and goes unchallenged in universities, unions and in Islamist groups?” – Gary Gerofsky, July 10/11: Flotillas and boycotts, divestment and sanctions failures: RIP

081231 Beersheva kindergarten class after rocket attack by Hamas

My experiences during my Blue Beret vigil of listening to people tell me about the intimidation of Jews and non-Jews by Muslims, (including at the University of Western Ontario), when coupled by the failure of the London Free Press to report the pro-Israel side of the Gaza flotilla story, and the paper’s need to meet with the Muslim community before publishing articles leads me to conclude that something is seriously amiss in our city.

I do not need to meet with members of the Muslim community before giving you the opportunity to say anything you want in defence of the LFP’s reporting on this issue. If you want to take issue with me printing the emails, by all means. Say anything you wish, and I will print it in full.

I will be publishing this on VoiceofCanada.ca along with your reply.

Yours in disappointment,

Mark Vandermaas

Blue Berets for Peace

mark@blueberet.ca

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Mark Vandermaas 519.457.0709

Caledonia Victims Project

VoiceofCanada.ca
IpperwashPapers.ca
ConservativesAgainstFantino.ca
HelplessByBlatchford.ca

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From a man who knows why it’s important to defend freedom…

With Mark standing at the mosque, the whole issue of the Canadian leftist psychopaths supporting Hamas is hard to ignore. You can consider him an embodiment of the conscience, which the mosque and the progressives lack.His lonely stand has been supported by people passing by, by bloggers, even The Jewish Tribune and Toronto Sun wrote about him.

In his column, Toronto Sun’s founder Peter Worthington says that Mark Vandermaas’s protest has been largely ignored. That might be partially true – the local media in London doesn’t care that much about him. They even refused to write about his vigil for the lack of “readers’ interest”.

Yet, as a person who has spent most of his life under communism, I can tell when a person is attacked indirectly to reduce his publicity (that accusation made between the lines was a favourite communist trick).

Blog Wrath, July 11/11: The Blue Beret and the London Not-So-Free Press (Blog Wrath has been to Caledonia and High Park covering our work opposing native extremism & racial policing)

References