That Unhinged Florida Reporter: Act II
by Mike FlynnOn Friday, we brought you the story of the little reporter who could…corner the market on nuttiness in under 5 sentences. As rants go, it was pretty impressive. What it lacked in eloquence or, even, coherance, it made up in pounds of rage per square inch. (Since the reporter so clearly aligns himself with the Democrat party, the rant does beg the question: Dude, why so angry? “Your side” controls everything in Washington and most states by a wide margin. Given the current state of the GOP, they are the least of your worries.)
These days, uncovering the fact that a reporter has a strong leftist political bias is a ‘dog bites man’ story. What was surprising, though, is that he felt perfectly comfortable expressing his rage through his work e-mail, in response to an elected official’s press release. (He even sent the email in the middle of the afternoon, suggesting that the three-martini lunch is alive and well in the Florida Keys.)
Most editors, one imagines, would typically frown on their journalists displaying such raw partisan anger. The reporter’s boss, Tom Tuell, however, isn’t like most editors…
Big Goverment reader, Mark Dennett, sent Mr. Tuell, editor of the Keys Citizen paper an email, asking if the reporter, Mr. Guerra, represented the editorial views of the paper. Mt. Tuell’s response is below.
Oh, of course. Mr. Guerra is a ‘profile in courage’, making a heroic stand for free speech. Imagine the blow to freedom if journalists couldn’t use their public soapbox to spew the most extreme political speech. Never mind that Mr. Guerra was writing in his capacity as a reporter for the newspaper. Once reporters feel they have to stick to their veneer of objectivity, it is only a matter of time before people start disappearing in the dead of the night.
Personally, I’ll stand by Mr. Guerra’s freedom to hold and even shout the most ridiculous beliefs. More power to him, although I worry about the effect of such dark thoughts on his mental state. And, I look forward to Mr. Tuell joining me at ramparts to fight off the PC police the next time they target a conservative for ‘divisive’ rhetoric. I hadn’t previously heard of Mr. Tuell’s paper, but, make no mistake, I’ll be a regular reader now.
Such a pillar of freedom must be supported.
tuell2 –
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sunphoto, Clyde. Clyde said: That Unhinged Florida Reporter: Act II http://bit.ly/26R6bI [...]
If Mr. Guerra wrote the email from his work computer then he did NOT do this as a private citizen but as a representative of the paper. BIG difference.
Tom is mistaken. Mr. Guerra was responding as a professional journalist from a media organization and had no business expressing his personal beliefs in that email about an official press release. This editor is an obvious amateur who does not understand the ramifications of his employees words or his defending of them
If Mr. Guerra used his work computer, but accessed a private email account, he would not be acting as a representative of the paper.
Nobody suggested Guerra's First Amendment right to be free from government censorship be taken away. Whenever a leftist says something crazy defenders claim pointing out the insanity amounts to a sub rosa attempt to get rid of the First Amendment. Here Mr. Dennett asked a couple straightforward questions, never hinted at government censorship, and got nothing in response but a misguided lecture on the First Amendment, which isn't relevant.
Meanwhile, progressives push to shut down talk radio using "diversity," reinstall a 'Fairness' Doctrine, try to chill and shut out Fox News, criminalize "stereotyping of Islam" at the UN, attack conservative speakers on college campuses, and attempt to co-opt the NEA into a new Ministry of Propaganda, among other similar actions.
Who's out to get the First Amendment?
Truthfully, I am expecting to see the "Little Reporter Who Could" Syndrome escalate. I can only imagine how many of these little news outlets are afraid if they don't do these wacked out pro-left pieces, then they will be put on the enemies list! MMM-MMM-MMMMM!
Doesn't matter – you should read all that paperwork you signed when you got your job. You do it on a work computer, it's WORKS (no matter whether you went to your personal yahoo dot com email address). They make you sign it, so when YOU screw up they have LEGAL protection for their own, that you knew you weren't suppose to be doing personal things on WORK equipment. It applies to email, web surfing, blogging, everything.
The fact that he used his Newspapers Sig kinda also shoots your point out of the water.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Michael Chavez and Juli , Big Government. Big Government said: That Unhinged Florida Reporter: Act II: On Friday, we brought you the story of the little reporter who could.. http://bit.ly/YOfnq [...]
IMPORTANT: Beck is UNDER fire on Twitter, please pass this link along. These idiots are taking Becks comments about Hitler out of context.
Here is a twitter link to the full context video
http://myfreepress.net/2189
Mr Tuell is incorrect about the reporter “does not cover politics”
http://keysnews.com/node/16615
Schools allow Obama speech opt-out
By JOHN L. GUERRA Citizen Staff
In the tradition of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, President Barack Obama on Tuesday will address thenation’s schoolchildren, encouraging them to study hard and stay in school, the White House said.
His inspirational message, however, will not reach Monroe County students whose parents sign letters the school district sent home this week allowing their children to opt out of watching the presidential address and participating in the Department of Education’s follow-up lesson plans available to teachers online.
Conservatives have created a national controversy over the address, catching school districts in the middle.
Florida Keys schools will air the speech on classroom televisions, but those who don’t watch will be provided “alternative educational activities,” Monroe County Interim Schools Superintendent Joseph Burke said in his letter.
Obama’s speech “will challenge students to work and take responsibility for their learning and educational goals,” wrote Burke, who did not return The Citizen’s calls seeking comment late Friday. Deputy Schools Superintendent Mike Henriquez also could not be reached for comment.
At least one parent is upset that school district officials are giving weight to what she considers an “insulting reaction to a president’s speech.”
Joie Switzer, who has two children in Montessori Elementary Charter School in Key West, was flummoxed over the hoopla. When she called Henriquez to ask why the letter was sent, an administrative assistant told her that parents had called to complain that their children would hear the address, Switzer said.
“I can’t believe that there are parents out there who would teach their children to disrespect the president of the United States,” Switzer said. “Who are these parents who think they can tell other parents and schoolchildren what their educational boundaries are?”
Worse yet, Switzer said, is that the school district is taking the uproar to heart.
“I can’t believe the school system would honor their worries,” she said. “Why are they taking the time to do this, and when there’s a shortage of paper?”
TV and Internet political observers blame extreme right-wing talking heads such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity for extending the so-called birther movement, tea-bag efforts and now raising false socialist conspiracy theories about Obama’s speech.
The extreme rhetoric and anger at town hall meetings scare her children, Switzer said.
“My daughter asked me, ‘Do you think they’re going to kill Obama?’ I was shocked,” Switzer said. “I asked her, ‘Why do you ask that?’ and she said, ‘It seems everyone hates him.’ “
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#tcot…
Unfair technicality. If he used a private email account from a company machine then it’s private in my mind. But… he responded to a business message (right, a news release sent to him because he is a reporter) so he still should be in trouble (IMO)… You can’t rant out people trying to contact you professionally without it reflecting on your employer.
Mr. Guerra has made a First Ammendment statement, as has Congressman Grayson of Florida. Apparently, those Liberal Fascist Militants are covered under the First Ammendment. Apparently though, Congressman Joe Wilson, when he shouted "YOU LIE" was not covered. We live in two seperate and distinct Amerika's. Welcome to Bizzaro World.
Wow, that article is so slanted that the NYT would never dare to publish it. Clearly this "reporter's" editor is either a buffoon or a liar.
Extreme right-wing talking heads..false socialist conspiracy theories…yup, no political bias in that reporting.
I especially like the audacious reversal of accusing those parents who only wanted to decide for their own children what political messages they would see of "telling other parents and schoolchildren what their educational boundaries are." So, not letting others decide for you about your own children = telling others what to do.
Hmm, maybe a case of your own medicine? Throwing your tactics right back at ya?
Anything done on WORK property is work. If you want to do something personal, do it on your own time and property.
When you do personal things with your employers property, it is either because the employer has specifically given you the permission, if not, it is theft.
He very well could be both , a buffoon AND a liar.
Gosh, what a cute little ploy. Find some local reporter who says something the right-wing doesn't like, then write an email to their boss. "Oh, oh, the media is liberal!" Same talking point, different day.
In what part of Missouri are the Floridia keys located?
You shouldn't believe everything that Media Matters tells you to believe.
You forget Cowboy, this is the New America and some people are more equal than others. Thanks to our ever morphing hate crime laws newer and more progressive minds are helping us to define who is more equal than the other. This will be very helpful to all of us who might be convicted and sentenced.
Truly insane.
Sorry, but "in your mind" doesn't matter a whit in legal matters. Not trying to cause a stir, but the left ALWAYS push the "technicality" of the laws when they are trying to shut UP things they don't agree with, and they will go after that legal crap in a heartbeat with their court orders when they are investigating something, including stuff on a computer. So semantics matter.
The fact that his editor basically SUPPORTED him, could bring GRAVE legal ramifications on that newspaper. Just ask any lawyer. If he slandered or libeled someone – You can't "claim" First Amendment Free Speech – no matter whether if you are a reporter or not.
That is legally incorrect. Anything done at your work computer is done so under the company on their ISP and is therefore legally seen as such.
If your boss is fine with this, then there is no problem.
I guess.
Welcome to the new world! The land where good intentions are good enough. Anyone who questions those intentions is either simply misguided and / or dangerously deranged.
As a Broward County, Florida resident I have to laugh at that reporter's rant. Mr. Flynn is correct. There are so little placesin South Florida that the republicans control!
You can hardly find a republican on any city or county commission, the school board, or even representing you in state congress from south Florida. I used to laugh at the shirts that the local democratic club wore to all civic events. There was the ubiquitous red, white and blue jackass… and underneath were the words… "Had enough? Vote Democratic!!"
In absurdity I asked the wearers to name ONE republican in elected office that represented them in government besides (at the time) Jeb Bush/Charlie Crist, Mel Martinez or Goerge Bush/Dick Cheney. Of course, there was no answer from them, because they were infected with Bush Derangement Syndrome! There were some Florida cabinet members who were republican…
Regardless… just check out the sorry slate of Broward County political leaders!
But then these are all democrats! They cannot discuss issues without using adjectives laced with disdain to label and ridicule people, outright calling people names. I don't know about everyone else, but I outgrew that when I left high school.. I would much rather discuss facts with someone I can disagree. Remember the old saw… REASONABLE PEOPLE CAN DISAGREE, REASONABLY! I ask you, where is the reason?
As an aside… in my eyes… Mr. Guerra either had implicit permission to use his employer's resources and/or time for something personal, or he stole it!
So then should we dock his pay check for doing personal stuff during work hours using work equipment. Nice work ethics, being paid for doing private email, using company computers. Mmmmmm
Where is the logic in this world gone mad? We have sites like this to counter the heavy-handed liberal MSM, who outnumber the "good guys", and the libs want the Fairness Doctrine to give them even more control! The Tea Party movement and the growth of the conservative blogs, etc. all shows that the message is getting out at the grass roots level. The latter keep me consoled, that I am not alone!
People now only have "free speech" if they are rabid lefties and agree with the "dear leader". The rest of us aren't allowed to even think "bad" thoughts; let alone express them.
Try taking the blinkers off.
If this was a reverse situation, you would be incensed.
All the rest of us want is for the law to be followed by all.
Great catch !
JPA, you've been drinking too much kool-aid man. Get some detox from all the Lefty, Statist, Nanny State, garbage and think for yourself for a change.
Freedom is a lot more challenging (and fun) than kissing some DC rat's behind for your next meal.
They (most of the left) hate just hate, Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, everyone and everything
I pray for the day they can reconcile
Until then stay strong and the truth will set you FREE
I smell TROLL
Even though Ronald Reagan and George Bush did talk to classrooms
They didn't try to talk to the CLASSROOMS at once
With GOV. leaflets
Just north of Joplin
Precious M….ts
"Amateur" was my first thought, as well. I really suspect the informed, capable, mature journalist is quickly becoming a thing of the past.
You can bet the ranch that, had the reporter's e-mail contained a rant about Obama-care or the global warming hoax or radical czar appointments, the editor would've shown a different tolerance level for "free expression" on his dime. That the piece of drivel with Guerra's byline made it past Tuell's red pencil, tells you everything you need to know about the editorial ideology (and objectivity) of The Citizen.
There isn't any surprise from me that the editor thinks that Guerra's rant is a profile in courage. Just read the editorial pages of most papers and you'll see that news editors at papers tend not only to lean left but have toppled over on their left side.
The point to remember here is that we all know what would have happened if the reporter was a Conservative and wrote such a rabid, hate filled rant against someone on the Left on business time using the company resources. The editor wouldn't see it as a "profile in courage" but as an offense which would be used to discipline or even fire the reporter.
Oh that reporter was not alone in his naked partisanship and his not letting the facts get in the way of his reporting his opinion. Here is an article from a local paper. Around the third paragraph Reporter Dick Goodman let's it slip that he is a hack. http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/a...
No. A reporter should not be using his work e-mail, which represents the newspaper, to send such an e-mail. It's paints his newspaper in a poor light and shows bias. The editor's response is ridiculous and tells me that HE agrees with the reporter's opinion.
It doesn't matter what the reporter covers, it matters what he said in an e-mail using the newspaper's e-mail system. That the editor wants to turn this into a first amendment issue is rather laughable. Mr. Cook needs to go back to journalism school. He shouldn't ben an editor. I was a newspaper editor for many years, and sending such an e-mail would have had SERIOUS repercussions.
Tom Tuell is a lying SOB. Comrade Tuell makes the deliberate false and misleading statement that his rag, the Citizen, only covers local news in Monroe County and does “not cover national news and party
politics”. That is flat out lie out lie.
When Comrade Obama decided upon indoctrinating the School Children in a televised speech on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, many school districts opted out of it. Among those school districts was the Monroe County School district.
A heavily biased and article written by Comrade John L. Guerra covered the story. It was biased and slanted in the fact that he only interviewed people that were in favor of forcing the captive children in watching Comrade Obama's speech. It also conveyed the message that Conservatives are rabid and want kill Comrade Obama.
The following is a partial excerpt of that article. The whole article can be found at:
http://keysnews.com/node/16615
Joie Switzer, who has two children in Montessori Elementary Charter School in Key West, was flummoxed over the hoopla. When she called Henriquez to ask why the letter was sent, an administrative assistant told her that parents had called to complain that their children would hear the address, Switzer said.
"I can't believe that there are parents out there who would teach their children to disrespect the president of the United States," Switzer said. "Who are these parents who think they can tell other parents and schoolchildren what their educational boundaries are?"
Worse yet, Switzer said, is that the school district is taking the uproar to heart.
"I can't believe the school system would honor their worries," she said. "Why are they taking the time to do this, and when there's a shortage of paper?"
TV and Internet political observers blame extreme right-wing talking heads such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity for extending the so-called birther movement, tea-bag efforts and now raising false socialist conspiracy theories about Obama's speech.
The extreme rhetoric and anger at town hall meetings scare her children, Switzer said.
"My daughter asked me, 'Do you think they're going to kill Obama?' I was shocked," Switzer said. "I asked her, 'Why do you ask that?' and she said, 'It seems everyone hates him.' "
Dude, you've never spent much time in the keys, have you? Well, I have. It's Margaritas down there, not Martinis. And yes, three strong top shelf Margs on the rocks – as God intended – will completely alter your perception of reality.
Remember kids, Margaritas and Martinis are like breasts: Three is too many and one is too few.
[...] This week, his editor replied: “The policy of our newspaper is to cover local news in Monroe County, Fla. We do not cover national or party politics. Mr. Guerra’s job does not include covering politics. If Mr. Guerra expresses his opinion as a private citizen, that is his First Amendment right. As you are exercising your First Amendment right. I am confident that you respect that position.” [...]
I escaped from the insane asylum that is the keys, in 2001.
consider the Key West Citizen or its new name keysnews , about on par with "the onion"
coverage of incidents i was involved in were about 50% accurate, but always entertaining.
the "bubba" system as it is known locally , reinforces the whacko-enviro-liberal-nut job local culture.
It has gotten so bad down there that the adage of living in a bowl of granola came true.
everyone around you is a fruit, a nut, or a flake.
there are now places in the keys that you cannot swim, let alone boat.
they call them "spas" or enviromentally sensitive.
freedom has all but disappeared under the weight of National marine sanctuary , code enforcement , Rate Of Growth Ordinance, Building permit moratorium, fish and game, department of forestry, ETC.
"they paved paradise, and put up a parking lot"
the very definition of a Keys enviromentalist, is someone who got thier waterfront house last year.
this reporter is unfortunatly part of the systemic , parasitic , nepotistic culture of corruption in the keys.
glad i escaped….ya'll can have it
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