Letter: Measure would further threaten political speech

Friday, July 6, 2001 | 9:43 a.m.

As a member of the American Conservative Union, I urge all citizens to oppose the Shays-Meehan bill, House Resolution 380. This claims to be campaign finance "reform" that will clean up politics. But all it does is play favorites by placing restrictions on citizen activists while leaving the liberal media unchallenged during election campaigns.

It will restrict freedom of speech by citizen advocacy groups, requiring registration and reporting to federal government agencies for almost any kind of political activism. It even threatens jail time for citizens who violate its Draconian regulations!

Meanwhile the liberal media conglomerates are exempt from any restrictions, while most political speech by citizen groups is banned in the last 60 days before an election. This will allow Ted Turner and liberal CNN, Dan Rather and liberal CBS and the rest of the media to produce their biased "news" reports unchallenged in the home stretch of political campaigns.

Protect freedom of speech for all citizens, whatever their political leanings.

DOUGLAS J. MARTIN

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