I agree <b>highly</b> with the sections labeled "Hoax" and "Poor Kneer." I, too, was very disappointed with the traditional media's coverage of "postcardgate."<br><br>-Reggie<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">
On Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 1:50 PM, Art Deco <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:deco@moscow.com">deco@moscow.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">
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<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt;">Gresham</span></b><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt;"> Bouma:<span> </span>Media Bias and
Failure</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Conversations with various people including
some Republicans find substantial agreement that the local print media, <i>The Daily News</i> and <i>The Lewiston Morning Tribute</i>, have
not only been lax in their reporting about Gresham Bouma, local candidate
for state senator, but biased and incomplete to the point of
irresponsibility.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Hoax?</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Postcards arrived at selected mailboxes in
Latah
County inviting the
recipients in the name of Friends of Bouma using Bouma's campaign postal
box address to:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1.<span> </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">Join us every Sunday,
11:00 A.M. at the Freeze Church. Two miles north of the
Potlatch "Y" on Highway 95, turn left on West Freeze Road and drive one
mile to the Freeze Church and
Cemetery.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman"><span style="color: blue;">Join us on Election Day
at the Moscow Nazarene Church for Prayer to strike down the
blasphemer Obama and his minions Walt Minnick, Shirley Ringo, Dan Schmidt,
Pat Vaughan and all Democrats.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">and asserting:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2.</span><font face="Times New Roman"><span>
</span><span style="color: blue;">You are not a TRUE Christian and you are
on the path to HELL!</span></font></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">Voting for Bouma and
McGraw is not enough!</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">You must reject your
blashpemous (sic) Mormon temples and heretic Catholic Pope and all other
false churches as minions of satan (sic) no different from Obama and his
unholy mosques.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">You must join us as TRUE
Believers or be struck down like Paul Agidius and Gary Schroeder and
Barrett Schroeder and their Devil Schools.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Notice that 1. above is an invitation to
attend Freeze Church, which Bouma attends and
occasionally preaches in.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Notice also that in 2. above, recipients are
admonished to take actions beyond voting for Bouma and McGraw.<span> </span>The teachings behind these
exhortations clearly reflect the thinking of Pastor Lloyd Knerr of the
Freeze Church as found in sermons and comments on the
Freeze
Church website:<span> </span><a href="http://www.freezechurch.org/" target="_blank">www.freezechurch.org</a>.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bouma and his campaign manager, Paula Bauer
denied that the postcards were sent by the Bouma campaign or anyone
associated with the campaign, denounced the postcards as (among other
things) a hoax and a smear tactic.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The local print media in a kneejerk reaction,
without serious reflection, and without apparently any, even childlike
investigation agreed and called the postcards a
hoax.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">No evidence has been revealed that I know of
from which it could be concluded who sent the postcards.<span> </span>As things officially stand now the
postcards could have been sent by a Bouma detractor or by any pro-Bouma
associate.<span> </span>There certainly
are reasons to consider the latter alternative (see
below).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hoax?<span>
</span>It may well be.<span> </span>If so,
what kind of hoax?<span> </span>The
insinuations of the statements on the postcards are certainly not without
groundings in the beliefs the church Bouma attends and preaches in.<span> </span>Even the reference to the
Nazarene
Church has a
historical, factual basis (see below).</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">At any rate it is unknown at this time if the
postcards were a hoax perpetrated by some anti-Bouma person(s) or were a
clever campaign ruse designed to gain sympathy, and in a back fire
lighting attempt make Bouma's outré, hate ridden religious beliefs
off-limits in political discussion/debate.<span> </span>It was irresponsible journalism
for the local print media to call and continue call it a hoax before the
evidence is in.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Poor, Poor Pastor Knerr;
Poor, Poor Candidate Bouma</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">On October 20, 2010, the <i>Lewiston Morning Tribune</i> ran an
alleged news item authored by David Johnson entitled:<span> </span>"<b>Pastor: Smear of Bouma is
'disgusting'</b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Lloyd Kneer </span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana;">(sic) <b>says he's 'brokenhearted' over
postcards depicting Senate candidate as overzealous Christian</b>"<span> </span>(This article was later reprinted
in the <i>Daily
News</i>.)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The misspelling of Knerr's name in the
headline is a harbinger of what is to come.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Writing in a greatly sympathetic tone for
Knerr, the article tells about Knerr's profound lament and disgust over
what has occurred and its effects on candidate Bouma.<span> </span>Knerr claims that his and his
churches views have been greatly twisted and misrepresented by Vera White
and participants in Vision 2020 and attributed to
Bouma.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It not the purpose here to show how big a
liar that Knerr is.<span> </span>To those
familiar with the content of some of his sermons, his claim in the article
that </span><font face="Times New Roman">"<span style="color: blue;">I'm
not much of a political animal</span></font><span style="font-family: Verdana;">" is demonstration
enough.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What makes this article irresponsible
journalism, biased enough to be called yellow, is that the article does
not quote any of the material from the church website showing that the
claims of Vera White were true and that Knerr could be most charitably
described as devilishly dissimulating in his claims made in the
article.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Journalistic integrity and just the plain
quest for accuracy should have made the inclusion of the easily available
source material from the church website claimed by Knerr to be twisted in
the articles so that readers could decide for themselves who was telling
the truth rather than give a "he said, she said"
report.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bouma has gained sympathy and voters because
of the postcards.<span> </span>His
campaign has used it to raise money.<span>
</span>The yellow journalism exhibited in the article full of sympathetic
falsities/crocodile tears and lacking cogent, easily available facts has
unfairly given assistance and solace to Bouma's campaign, and is a great
disservice to candidate Dan Schmidt and the voters.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I am not surprised that David Johnson wrote
what he did knowing his propensities from earlier articles about religious
figures. <span> </span>But I am greatly
disappointed in the <i>Lewiston
Morning Tribune </i>news editor for not editing and not demanding a
rewrite of the article, and I am disappointed in news editor for running
it in the <i>Daily News</i> without
demanding the same.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">To the extent that the democratic process
demands journalistic integrity and accuracy, the local print media have
clearly let down the electorate in this case.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Sneakiness and
Postcardgate</span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Though we have yet to be treated to any
concrete evidence naming the perpetrators of Postcardgate, there are real
reasons not to exempt the Bouma campaign from close
investigation.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The postcard exhorts its readers
to"</span><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> Join us
on Election Day at the Moscow Nazarene Church for Prayer</font></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; color: blue;">."</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In a letter to the editor of the <i>Daily News</i>, Reverend Eby of the
Moscow
Nazarene Church has denied that such a prayer
session is planned for the general election.<span> </span>I have no doubt this is true given
what happened on primary election day.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What the good reverend and the lax local
media have neglected to mention was that such a prayer session for Bouma
was held at the Moscow Nazarene Church on the day of the primary
election.<span> </span>However, that
session was never approved by Reverend Eby.<span> </span>In fact, the good reverend was
flimflamed.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">An incensed, long time member of the
Moscow
Nazarene Church investigated this incident
and relayed information to a number of very concerned
citizens.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In an earlier Vision 2020 posting I
said:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"<span style="color: blue;">…
</span></span><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">Another fact:<span>
</span>Why don't you call the pastor of the Nazarene Church to verify that Paula Bauer,
Bouma's campaign manager, flummoxed the pastor of that church by lying
about why she wanted to use a prayer room during the day of this year's
primary election?<span> </span>Bauer told
the pastor that the purpose of the prayer activity was to pray for all
candidates.<span> </span>As it turned out,
it was used only to pray for Bouma with a possible few sidebars for other
tea baggers.</font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: blue;"><font face="Times New Roman">Hence, selfishly and
without regard to the interests of the Nazarene Church congregation which she
fraudulently misused, Bauer and thus Bouma put that organization's tax
exempt status at risk by conducting a political activity centering on a
candidate and a particular political position in contravention of laws
prohibiting such for tax exempt churches.<span> </span>Lying and intentional law breaking
-- what a wonderful set of values for a would-be state senator,
….</font></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span> </span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The dishonesty and especially the
it's-good-for-God sneakiness exhibited by Bouma and Bauer in the primary
election day prayer room caper described above casts great doubt upon
their claims that they were not the perpetrators nor do not know who the
perpetrators were of the so-called postcard hoax.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I am very disappointed that the local print
media has not chosen to cover this very revealing-of-Bouma's-character
incident.<span> </span>It can hardly be
denied as being newsworthy.<span>
</span>And it can hardly be denied that it is important for the voters to
know of this for several reasons.<span>
</span>Sneakiness and dishonesty are not desirable traits in those who
would claim the privilege of represent us.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">Bouma:<span> </span>A Law Abiding
Citizen?</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A number of Bouma supporters have claimed
that Bouma is a fine, upstanding, law abiding citizen.<span> </span>Is this
true?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">A quick perusal of the Idaho Repository
reveals the following Bouma convictions:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">10/27/1994<span>
</span>I49-430 Registration-fail Register Annually</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">03/13/1998<span>
</span>I49-807(2) Stop Sign-fail To Stop/yield</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">03/20/2000<span>
</span>I49-430 Registration-fail Register Annually</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">04/11/2001<span>
</span>I49-654(2) Speed-exceed Maximum Speed Limit</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">06/30/2003<span>
</span>I36-901 Fish-unlawful
Method,means,place,time,amt,possess</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">12/23/2004<span>
</span>I49-654(2) Speed-exceed Maximum Speed Limit</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">03/28/2006<span>
</span>I49-657 Speed-Exceed Work Zone Speed Limit</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">06/22/2009<span>
</span>I49-654(2) Speed-exceed Maximum Speed Limit</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I did not check neighboring states for
further violations since these states charge for searches of criminal
records.<span> </span>(Thank you,
Idaho!)</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Different folks have different ideas about
what constitutes law abiding.<span>
</span>However, for my money 8 (eight) convictions, 5 (five within the
last ten years), does not qualify someone to be described as law abiding,
but rather qualifies them to be described as a
brigand.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It troubles me that people would think that
someone with such a demonstrated contempt of reasonable laws would
honestly and correctly represent them.<span> </span>Idaho does not need more politicians of
the ilk of Phil Hart who shares Bouma's apparent contempt for
lawfulness.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">In my opinion this sort of record of contempt
for the law also casts great doubt upon Bouma's claims that he was not the
perpetrator and/nor does not know who the perpetrators were of the
so-called postcard hoax.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Again, I am disappointed that the local print
media has not shared Bouma's not-average conviction record with the
voters.<span> </span>It is probable that
such information would influence, and rightly so, their
votes.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14pt;">It's Time for Honesty,
Courage, and Journalistic Integrity and
Responsibility</span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Voters ought not be expected to or be forced
into a situation where they are buying a pig in a poke.<span> </span>To the extent that a candidate's
political positions, beliefs, and actions are influenced and or driven by
their religious beliefs, voters are entitled to know what those beliefs
are, how strong they are, how they were arrived at, and how exactly these
beliefs will influence the candidate in the duties and actions of the
office they are seeking.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">It is the responsibility of the media to find
answers to these questions for the voters by asking the candidates and
then verifying or disconfirming their responses from other sources, or in
the alternative, report that the candidate refuses to answer such, and
then seek answers elsewhere.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">With respect to Bouma and this issue, many
people are interested in the following questions:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Does candidate Bouma believe the religious
claims of his pastor, Lloyd Knerr, the pastor of the church in which Bouma
himself sometimes preaches?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Does Bouma hold Mormons and gays in the same
kind of hateful contempt as Pastor Knerr does?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Bouma, like all the rest of us, is free to
believe in, act upon, and defend his religious credo.<span> </span>His First Amendment rights are not
in dispute.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">What is at issue is:</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1.<span> </span>What exactly are
Bouma's religious beliefs that would affect his political positions and
actions, how does justify belief in them, and how will these beliefs
influence his actions, stands, and votes as a state senator representing a
diverse population of Latah County most of whom, most likely, do not agree
with these beliefs, and some of whom would find themselves Satanized by
Bouma?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">2.<span> </span>If Bouma is
unwilling to answer the above question, then does such dishonesty,
stealth, and cowardice render him unfit for public
office.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">For a number of obvious reasons I personally
do want someone who is dishonest and cowardly to represent me in the state
legislature no matter what their views are.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And wouldn't it be nice if the local media
magically decided to report on the Nazarene Church incident, Bouma's criminal
record, and the questions raised just above.<span> </span>Or is it too much to expect such
journalistic integrity and responsibility?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">/s/ Wayne A. Fox</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Freestyle Script';"><font face="Times New Roman"> </font></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Wayne A.
Fo</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">x</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">1009 Karen
Lane</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">P.O. Box</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> 9421</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Moscow</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">, ID<span> </span>83843</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">(208) 882-7975</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><a href="mailto:waf@moscow.com" target="_blank">waf@moscow.com</a></span><span></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b></p></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><font size="3"> </font></span></p></font></div><font size="2">
<div><br> </div></font></div>
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