Wisconsin is at the center of what The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel calls an “international incident.”
That’s being a little dramatic; but the grossly inappropriate e-mail from the discount-mats.com employee to a U.S. service member is garnering a lot of attention.
What’s a liberal rag like The JS to do when faced with a story that is clearly an affront to the American military?
It twists the story, shifting the focus from the disgusting actions of the employee to an admonishment of supporters of the military.
It’s akin to the post-9/11 reaction of the “blame America first” crowd.
The concern becomes anti-Muslim sentiment rather than anti-American, anti-military sentiment.
Annysa Johnson writes:
What began as a brief e-mail exchange between a U.S. soldier in Iraq and a Wisconsin-based online retailer has erupted into an international incident that has pitted military supporters against free speech advocates and threatens to shut down the local company.
Bargain Suppliers of West Allis said its discount-mats.com Web site had to be taken down Monday to address the thousands of e-mails it's received since news of the exchange - in which an employee voiced opposition to the war in Iraq - began circulating on the Internet last week.
Vice president Sajid Nasir said the employee is being "held accountable." But he said the incendiary and threatening nature of some of the e-mails - and voicemails left at the West Allis home that co-owner Faisal Khetani shares with his parents - have shaken the family.
"It's really getting out of control," said Nasir, who described the messages as "angry and vulgar."
Here’s another case that exhibits the power of the Internet. Amazing, when you think about it.
My opinion on the free speech issue is that the anti-military, anti-Iraq war Bargain Suppliers employee had the right to decide to get political when a potential customer wanted to do business. It was incredibly stupid, but he has the right to be incredibly stupid.
As I said before, free speech is not a one way street. It’s fair for consumers to voice their opinions on the employee’s actions.
However, it’s not necessary nor is it right for those expressions to be in any way threatening or vulgar. Such ugliness only compounds the original ugliness.
I can understand that co-owner Faisal Khetani and his family are troubled by the messages they’ve been getting. Threats are completely inappropriate. No question about it.
Perhaps it would be wise for Khetani to release a statement strongly condemning the employee. That might defuse the anger of the angry e-mailers. …The controversy exploded last week when a soldier, identifying himself as Sgt. Jason Hess of the Army's 1st Cavalry Division, sent an e-mail to discount-mats.com asking if it ships to military addresses.
Someone on the other end answered no, but went on to add that "even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq. If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq."
A handful of Hess' friends got wind of the exchange, and soon it was ricocheting around the Internet - first on the Web site snopes.com, then on conservative and military forums and blogs - and has since made its way to talk radio.
Military supporters were outraged, calling it disrespectful and urging one another to flood the company with e-mails and calls.
Several posted Khetani's name, telephone number and address, which is also the business address, though Nasir insists it's for mailing purposes only.
Many of the messages invoked anti-Middle Eastern or anti-Muslim sentiment. (Khetani is Muslim, Nasir said.) Others vowed to shut the company down, and a few suggested they might make a personal visit.
Notice that the story is becoming about conservatives. They’re depicted as violent, hate-filled racists. It’s no longer about the disrespectful manner in which an employee treated a customer, a man serving in the U.S. military. "I think it's disgraceful," said Sgt. Maj. Dennis Webster, executive director of the First Cavalry Association in Copperas Cove, Texas, who learned of the e-mail exchange from a reporter.
"He's certainly entitled to his opinion. That's what soldiers defend," Webster said. "But there's a matter of respect. A young soldier isn't making those decisions. He's following orders."
Eduardo Briones, a Milwaukee native and retired Army sergeant who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo., said: "All he needed to say was no."
"I personally think we screwed up in the war, but that's not the fault of the soldiers. That's the fault of the politicians," he said.
I’m surprised it took this long into the article for the reporter to get in a swipe at Bush. …"This is a matter of free speech," said Julie Enslow, an organizer with Peace Action Wisconsin in Milwaukee. "It is totally irresponsible for radio stations and bloggers to attack a person for his personal political views."
Oh really? And is it totally irresponsible for Peace Action Wisconsin and Left-wing bloggers to level personal attacks at Bush or Cheney and their supporters?
If Enslow is like many other libs, conservative opinion is not tolerated. Conservatives' viewpoints aren't considered valid. Their opinions constitute hate speech.
When libs launch personal attacks, they're just being fair and honest.
Go figure. Othman Atta, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said he would fault the worker for his lack of tact but defended his right to speak his mind.
"If you look at the polls, his opinion is reflected by a majority of Americans now," Atta said. "In the United States, everyone one is free to speak their opinion."
Atta appeared concerned that the controversy might fuel anti-Muslim and anti-Middle Eastern sentiment.
"Some people will look for any excuse to target people from the Middle East," he said.
What a load!
First, discount-mats is going to go out of business if its employees “freely” insult customers. The worker displayed an utter lack of self-control. The business e-mail was not the time to be making political statements.
Second, what polls say is irrelevant. It makes no difference what a majority of Americans think. This was about a business transaction. The worker was completely out of line.
Atta’s remark that people will take any opportunity to target people from the Middle East is pure BS.
THE WORKER DISSED THE SERGEANT.
Would it be fair for me to say this in reaction to the employee's wrongdoing?
“Some Muslims will look for any excuse to target people serving in Iraq.”
I don’t think so.West Allis police said Monday that they were aware of the controversy.
"We're monitoring the situation, in case somebody decides to retaliate," Capt. Tom Kukowski said.
"But we're hoping people use good judgment."
I hope so, too. Peaceful protest is best. Take a cue from Jesse Jackson and boycott the business until a sincere apology is issued and it sends a few truckloads of mats to our troops in Iraq.
It’s funny that Kukowski is saying he hopes people use good judgment. It was the worker’s horrible judgment that started this all in the first place.
