9 September 2001
Mr. Stewart Rieckman Executive Editor Oshkosh Northwestern P.O. Box 2926 Oshkosh, WI 54903
Dear Mr. Rieckman:
This is a response to your Sunday column "Free Speech Jeopardized in schools" which appeared in the Sunday, September 9,2001, issue of the Oshkosh Northwestern.
First, I would like to dispense with the Theodore Roosevelt analogy. The relationship you attempt to establish between Roosevelt's 1918 quote and "carrying a big stick" is flawed. There isn't any relationship. The term "carrying a big stick" refers to Roosevelt's imperialistic foreign policy, not a defense of free speech. This was a sordid chapter in American History where, without much justification, the United States defeated a weak Spain, took her territory, and established itself as a colonial power to keep up with the British, the French, and the Germans. I don't know the origin of the 1918 quote; but for the record, Roosevelt never received one day of public school education in his entire life.
Let's move on, however to the main event. You burned that the Oshkosh School District initiated a gag rule not to allow any of its employees to speak with the local media without obtaining approval from their public relations officer. I'm burned, too. It's a terrible commentary on those in charge of public schools, which are the democratic incubators of civics, good citizenship, and free speech. I wonder how this occurred or more importantly why it occurred?
In the few times that I have called either the Superintendent or other school administrators and left a message, I never received a return call. Never. This is disturbing because my property taxes pay for the city's public schools. More importantly, public officials should return phone calls from members of the community who call them for whatever reason. It's their responsibility to do so regardless of the discomfort they may experience. It's my understanding that some of your staff have experienced the same " no return call" policy. So in effect, the School Administration, has really been ducking personal calls and media inquires for sometime.
More to the point, however, is the other side of the coin. In Oshkosh, school officials don't trust the Oshkosh Northwestern because the newspaper's treatment of them is decidedly one-sided. Your editorial policy is "out to get" them. Past examples include fruit baskets, credit card uses, etc. Your newspaper portrays the public school administrators negatively. If you were trying to pass a $12 million bond measure in Oshkosh where the newspaper has already staked its opposition, wouldn't you want to be sure your staff was on the right page?
There is more to the school board claim. When former School Board president, LuAnn Bird, appeared on Commentary, she offered other criticisms. She found you school news reporter, Eric Bradley, untrustworthy. She stated what most serious readers of you newspaper agree with -- that your attack on her conflict of interest with CQI for personal gain was blown way out of proportion. Little or no evidence supported your headline. To many readers, it illustrated another failed, but familiar tactic of the Northwestern "to get" an Oshkosh School official.
You certainly must be aware of the public perception of the editorial policies of the newspaper you serve as executive editor. You also must be aware that school officials have turned to another media -- television to communicate with the Oshkosh community. They are using OCAT and a seasoned television reporter to interview school officials about school programs in a positive way as a precursor to the upcoming bond election. In short, they are bypassing the Oshkosh Northwestern.
As for free speech, I urge you to practice what you preach. Why has the Northwestern, to date, not published the letter of former mayor, Bob Jungwirth? Oddly, OCAT, last Sunday also pulled a Jungwirth interview with Gordon Doule. What about Jungwirth's free speech? Doesn't he have any?
I continue to subscribe to the Northwestern and I appreciate the professional courtesy of Jim Fitzhenry, in op-ed pieces that I have submitted. But for the life of me I find it hard to know where you are coming from.
Sincerely,
Dan Rylance 602 East Parkway Oshkosh, WI 54901 (920) 231-7597