Courage of Rather

MARY McNAMARA in her article “Get Him Rewrite, Quick” and Tim Rutten in his article “Rather’s Lawsuit Is an Act of Ego” [Sept. 22] resort to personal attacks on a courageous journalist instead of commending him for exposing the frightening influence of big government and big business on investigative reporting.

Most of our major news media, including the TV networks, are owned by big corporations like General Electric, Viacom and Disney. Profits are the driving force for corporations that are willing to sacrifice the freedom of journalists. We also know how the current U.S. administration has trampled our cherished values like individual privacy and honest government, by tapping the phones of citizens, lying to the public about reasons to invade Iraq and intimidating those who disagree with them.

Dan Rather had the courage to pursue the shirking of military duty by someone who as president is sacrificing the lives of thousands of American troops and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians, and the financial future of our future generations based on a pack of lies. And now, Rather has the courage to pursue the government-corporate conspiracy that endangers our freedom of expression.

Maneck Bhujwala

Huntington Beach