10/11/2006

Reaction

There were letters to the editor today in reaction to A History Lesson. To me, this is the most important one:

Sam Harris, this is the second occasion in which you’ve disre­spected my family in a public arena. It is only just that I respond to you in kind.

“The last time I got gay porn off a guy’s computer it cost me two years of my life and ended with the guy hanging himself,” you wrote.

You’ve taken personal and sole responsibility for my father ending his own life. You state this in a jovial manner, as if it’s a joke to you. This event is certain­ly not a joke to me or the count­less people who loved my father deeply. What a shame that you lost two years of your life. That must have been veyy difficult for you. I can’t imagine how that must have felt.

Sam Harris, you’ve created a well of pain that I will never be able to fill. You did this for no substantial reason whatsoever.

Now you laugh about it in online chat rooms. What is a son to do?

Your name is poison to an incal­culable number of people. You’ve no shame, humility, or compas­sion. Sam Harris, you are not fit to be called a person, let alone a justice.

— Michael Smartt II, Missoula


Poignant. And very sad.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm very glad that the GF Tribune is printing the letters to the editor. I'm rather annoyed that more has not been done or said and I am just your average person.
I always read the trib on-line, I think I'll pick up one today so that I can read the remaining letters.

Thanks for posting this and thank you ever so much for bringing it to light.

It still just seems so odd to me that Harris could claim to have been so injured by 3 pieces of porn AND then post as he did on Gore. Who/What is the real Harris? Rough around the edges Montana guy or someone so delicate that 3 pieces of porn caused him such problems as he swore to under oath. Or is he someone who wanted something so bad that he would go to any means to get it? The or list could go on and on . . . I hope people are paying attention and will let their vote reflect their disgust/distrust for Harris. In my opinion, it is the very least that Sam Harris should face.

Anonymous said...

I'd like to believe Sam Harris was sick to his stomach after reading this letter to the editor. My husband would call that my “rose colored glasses” complex.

I live out of state now, but I sure hope the good voting public of Montana make sure this man no longer has the ability to wreak havoc on peoples lives with such absolute indifference.

Sue

Anonymous said...

I am not anonymous. My name is Roland Durocher, and I am an attorney who knows all the main players in the Sam Harris situation. I like Sam. Even though I disagree with many of his tactics (eg, jailing people over debts, excessive bail, a prosecution bias), I do think that he believes he is doing the right thing.

After the dust had settled last week, I thought perhaps Sam might get a free ride on this scandal. I guess it just took awhile for the cycle of letters to the editor to hit.

I had been told by someone I know and respect that he thought Sam might be ok since the public often thinks the way Sam does, and that most people only care that he is hard on crime. I thought that might be true, since all had been quiet.

Now, it appears that Allen is the only one publicly defending Sam. As much as I like Sam personally, and can overlook some indiscretions, I know that I cannot defend him on everything he has said and done.

I think that the religious letter was a good sign that many of the tough on crime, ultra conservative crowd, may back away from him. Certainly, the more tender hearted souls are likely planning to vote against him.