From: lee@wang.com (Lee Story)
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,alt.activism
Subject: Re: Despite Gov't Siege, Christic Vows to Pursue Murderers of Pres. Kennedy
Date: 9 Apr 92 18:42:38 GMT
Followup-To: alt.conspiracy, alt.activism
Distribution: na
Organization: Wang Laboratories, Inc.


Given the following response, it may surprise many to hear that I
support the mission, and many of the actions, of the Christic
Institute.  But an organization which wishes to level the political
playing field, and in particular wishes to make government decisions
and actions much more open to the public than they now are, should at
least attempt to restrain their partisanship.

(John DiNardo) writes:

	   This is a letter that I just received from Sara Nelson,
	   Executive Director of The Christic Institute
							 1324 North Capitol St., N.W.
							 Washington, D.C. 20002      (202) 797-8106

	   For up-to-the-minute news on Christic's difficulties, please call
	   the Christic Hotline ..... (202) 667-2634

[...]

   John Singlaub is confident that this is the last letter you will
   receive from the Christic Institute. He may be right.

[...]

Why does the Christic spokeswoman assume that this Mr. Singlaub's name
will be familiar to a national readership?  The direct political
attacks on him, Buchanan, and others would seem to clinch the fact
that Christic is in large part a political lobbying organization,
and therefore misusing tax-exempt status.

   And now comes the worst of it, as the radical right lets fly a 
   savage "one-two punch" to destroy the Christic Institute forever!

Again, positioning herself against the (deprecatory usage:) "radical"
Right.

	ONE: In the most chilling judicial ruling of all, we have been directed
		 to pay not only interest on the original $1.2 million, but also
		 up to $400,000 more in appeals sanctions. No public interest group
		 has ever paid such a price for taking a legal stand.

Sorry, but if you are caught trying to amplify the effect of contributions
by misusing tex-exempt status, maybe you should have to forfeit a chunk.
And there is only polemical rhetoric in Ms. Nelson's statement---nothing
that would convince one that this wasn't a nuisance suit intended to
gain publicity and sympathy at public cost.  Maybe it wasn't, but where
is the case made?

	TWO: Here comes the biggest boom of all; a right-wing vendetta to get
		 the Internal Revenue Service to revoke our tax-exempt status.

Again, I'm much on Christic's side most of the time, and consider that
they provide a valuable service, but why should they be tax-exempt??
They appear to be a direct or indirect lobbying group, a "citizens'
lobby" sort of organization.  I don't expect the Wilderness Society,
Earth First!, Nader's organizations, or Zero Population Grouth to run
tax-free (though there may be good arguments for eliminating the
no-lobbying restrictions).  Why should being taxed at the same rate as
other advocates be such a disaster?

   Remember when Pat Buchanan...

He's in the news, so try a personal attack.

   This latest nightmare began with a right-wing postcard
   campaign ...

Hyperbole and partisanship.

   Singlaub would probably enjoy burning these books. ...

An inexcusable comment, Ms. Nelson.

   With your help, we will rage...

I've posted my opinion of "politics of rage".  No thanks.

   Thank you.  And goodbye, for now.

You're quite welcome.  Your position may be justifiable, but not by
this kind of polemic.  Your group should be held to the same rules of
conduct as those are who would institute a new Fascism or a Marxist
America, or any of our other diverse and colorful political
organizations.
--

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        Let your mind go, and your body will follow.
                   _L.A._Story_
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     (^^above part of .sig stolen, but heck, it's my name^^)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Lee Story (lee@wang.com) Wang Laboratories, Inc.
              (Merrimack Valley Paddlers)
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