The Seattle Post-Intelligencer took my article and cut it down into the length of a "letter to the editor". In doing so, they removed the basic argument that I was trying to convey. My goal for writing this article was to persuade the University of Washington to consider changing their policy on concealed weapons on campus. However, they changed and manipulated it to the point where my letter made me appear as an overly-sensitive gun owner. I have written letters to the Seattle PI in the past and have had no complaints...until now. In the past, I wrote letters praising the Muckleshoot Tribe, urging the necessity of political focus towards global climate change, voter apathy, helping the Mexican economy, and my lack of faith in the available political candidates for the next presidential election. My views, in the items I just described, were a bit leftist. Apparently, the Seattle PI praises these types of views and gladly prints them. However, I do not consider myself a leftist-thinking individual and my article concerning concealed weapons on campus supports the fact that I am an individual who has a vast array of political beliefs. It is very difficult to place me into a certain political party or a certain sterotypical political group. After the events that have transpired I have no other choice but to believe that the Seattle PI does not print letters or articles that differ from their own political beliefs. However, they do print letters or articles from readers that have been manipulated with the hope of making conservative political views seem illogical, far-fetched, and open for public criticism. In doing so, the Seattle PI prints multiple letters to the editor criticizing the conservative letter or article, thus strengthening their own personal and unbalanced, liberal views. It wasn't until my article (printed in its entirety by the News Tribune and the University of Washington's THE DAILY...both extremely appreciated by me) was cut down into the length of a "letter to the editor" and manipulated to change the overall direction of the article, that I truly realized the true political nastiness that certain media outlets embrace and practice. How many letters did the Seattle PI receive that supported my views and wanted to let others know about this particular issue? We'll never know. The reason is simple: the Seattle PI only prints letters differing from their own political views with hopes of the "manipulated" letter angering their liberal readers and motivating them to write responses that belittle and reject the conservative views that they truly despise. I always used to scoff at the notion made by right-wing politicos that the media was, in fact, liberal or at least leftist thinking. I now understand this particular argument. The good thing about this is that I am not a leftist thinker, nor am I a conservative thinker. I embrace both sides and construct arguments that I feel represent the vast number of Americans who feel alienated by certain media outlets that openly embrace and display their right or left wing political views. What we have here is a clear example of distortion and manipulation by a historically proven newspaper supposedly not associated with either right or left-wing political views. This action speaks loudly to me and many others like myself who have experienced criticism and political thrashings due to unfair and unprofessional manipulations of the truth and political views. Below is yet another letter to the Seattle PI in opposition to my manipulated article.
Possessing a weapon will not keep you safe
The beliefs of Matthew Cornwall about allowing students to carry guns on college campuses are erroneous and dangerous (Monday letter).
Many believe that possessing a gun will keep them safe. Statistics generally prove the opposite. Unless you are trained in the use of deadly force, usually military or police kill-or-be-killed training, chances are you will have your own weapon used against you. That happens because you either hesitate, giving the assailant the advantage, or you pull the weapon and issue a threat instead of just shooting. Either scenario can get you killed by your own gun.
Add to that the real possibility of being prosecuted for murder if you can't prove self-defense or being sued for wrongful death by the victim's family or sued by the victim for injuries if you don't kill him. It happens every day.
Use of non-lethal weapons, such as pepper spray, give you a better chance for surviving an attack. Pepper spray will drop an attacker in his tracks; guns don't always stop an attacker before he can hurt you.
Dave Keizur
Renton
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