I’m done throwing Steve Smith “bones” over the fence in his pen at the S-R. I think he’s choked himself one too many times suddenly reaching the end of his chain. I’ve reached the point of diminishing returns. I’ve accomplished with my Lt. Columbo persona what I set out to do. I’ve forced him to expose their hand. I have a thing or too up my sleeve that I will reveal in the future:-) As I addressed to several law enforcement agencies that may have an interest in Spokane:

Mr. Smith’s on the record response may prove useful later in any later criminal case that follows re his knowledge of conspiracies and those whom are liable for aiding, abetting, concealing et al.

My operating premise is that the S-R is an instrumentality of this ongoing criminal enterprise. S-R editorial management through it’s self-censorship of its news coverage and selective censorship of it’s blogs of adverse information to its owners is aiding and abetting this criminal enterprise to conceal its criminal acts and thereby avoid justice. This lack of action by the S-R is inconsistent with the normal investigative zeal and behavior of newspapers. This inconsistency and selective censorship is telling of the intent of its owners to use the S-R to conceal its criminal acts.

I think I got under Mr. Smith’s skin a little:

Your lunatic-fringe rants and baseless conspiracy theories don’t belong here. You will claim censorship. Hogwash. You can peddle your nonsense wherever you like. Just not here.

So much for S-R Blogs “News is a Conversation” and “A Matter opinion” and any real or meaningful dialog. Mr. Smith has now killed the mike. David Laird of S-R Blog Community Comment ran this post, “Rocketsbrain is banned…”

Mr. Smith brands me and others as “wackaloons” in his comment at Community Comment:

Of course, he has no evidence to support these latest absurd absurd charges, first aired on the Fuhrman show by the usual suspects. He relies on his status as a retired California cop (now there is a select group of unimpeachable law enforcement superstars) to support his claims. . .

Finally, weary of his game, I imposed a full ban. RBT is one of only a handful of banned posters.

All fall loosely into the “wackaloon” category, folks who are so focused on their own issues that they cannot accept our simple standards. Every newspaper has them and they take more of our time and our readers’ time than they deserve.

Larry Shook of Camas Magazine responds to Smith’s comment:

. . . In the insults and groundless charges he flings toward those with whom he disagrees, Smith betrays not just stunningly immature impulse control, but a disregard for the truth that is something to behold. Speak up and Smith responds by criticizing California police officers. Object and he recants by saying he meant bad California police officers, not good ones. Who are the good ones? Smith knows; ask him.

Smith’s problem, and the problem of his employers, is evidence. If he wants to discredit the evidence he’s going to have to start with it, not those who have the temerity, in the face of his slander and the character assassination of his newspaper, to cite it. A good starting place (and this is the difference between your starting line and Smith’s) is with the half-million or so unrefuted words published at www.camasmagazine.com and www.girlfromhotsprings.com.

Ron the Cop

*****

RBT,

You are no longer welcome on SR blogs. The ban involves all blogs, regardless of topic. If you post, we’ll kill the post immediately. I would ask you to respect the decision and simply move along.

You certainly know why I am imposing this ban.

We are under no obligation to provide space to someone who flatly and without the least bit of evidence, disregarding the laws of fairness, decency and common sense, accuses our owners of manslaughter, arson and murder and the rest of us of being accessories.

Your lunatic-fringe rants and baseless conspiracy theories don’t belong here. You will claim censorship. Hogwash. You can peddle your nonsense wherever you like. Just not here.

As I’ve told you before, the day any member of the Cowles family is brought before the bar of justice accused of a crime, it will be in the newspaper. And on that day, you will receive a formal apology from me.

Meanwhile, you’re outta here.

Feel free to copy this e-mail to anyone who cares. I noticed in your letter to me yesterday, copied to the world, you failed to include a copy of my letter to you. In the future, I would expect you would provide a complete record to your correspondents, and that includes my e-mails which call you to account for your absurd, lunatic-fringe notions.

Thanks,

steve smith

Steven A. Smith
Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
509-459-5423

*****

Mr. Smith,

Again your call, your paper, and the S-R’s and your credibility not mine in the eyes of the readers. As for your email I did include it. The HTML link at the top goes to a PDF version:

Re: Your email of April 8, 2008

Dear Mr. Smith:

If your were referring to my recent email to S-R Reporter Jonathan Brunt regarding the STA Transit Plaza and the Zukor Building arson/murder fires, I meant what I said, ” . . . if the shoe fits – wear it.”

I’ll leave it as I challenged in a thread sometime ago it would be well if the S-R followed the guidance and collective wisdom of the Committee of Concerned Journalists and the new S-R Code of Ethics. Please remember the responsibility of objective reporting of a free press it to WE THE PEOPLE and not its owners and/or their business interests:

Will the S-R follow the lead of the Committee of Concerned Journalists?

What are you afraid of?

Yours,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

*****

An email sent to Mayor Mary Verner explaining my motivation in challenging the S-R and it’s owners.

*****

Dear Mayor Verner,

I’m just a private citizen that enjoys the many fine attributes of Spokane and that’s why my wife chose to relocate here. I have no vested interest other than seeking the truth. I’m sorry if based on my training, education, and experience, I see things that others don’t, fail to acknowledge, and/or tolerate. I will not be a victim and standby while robberies are committed in my presence.

I will hold the S-R accountable and their owners if no one else will. Bottom line is the death of Ms. Jo Savage in the RPS parking garage in the professional opinion of both Sheriff Bamonte and I, was a negligence homicide plain and simple. Those responsible should be brought to justice. They are not above the law as we just witnessed with Eliot Spitzer who violated the trust of the people.

As Larry Shook commented regarding my reply to Mr. Smith:

. . . You’re tapping your training and experience as a law officer to serve as a proxy for the law here, just as the law contemplates citizens do. What you are doing is generous and noble, and the public is indebted to you. It’s especially important in this case, because a public safety officer–a fireman–died doing his job. Spokane owes it to Capt. Hanna, and to itself, to care about his death. Capt. Hanna was murdered. God help this community if that’s okay with it.
Yours,

Det. Ron Wright (Retired)

UPDATE I: 

Everyone needs to go immediately and see Ben Stein’s new movie “Expelled” re Atheism, Darwinism, Intelligent Design and Creationism.   Think New/Alternative Media the free flow of thought and information vs. totalitarian regimes and dogma. Challenging the status quo.  The elitist aristocracy will marginalize those with alternative views.

Here’s an interesting review.

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/04/post_83.html

At the abstract level this is what we’re doing in Spokane.  We are revealing that the emperor wears no clothes.