Odd stance on freedom of speech

Cary Brunswick’s ("Bush court limits our freedom," June 30) take on the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill is concerning, considering his position as a managing editor of a newspaper and one who should champion First Amendment rights.

He acknowledges that McCain-Feingold "limited freedom of speech, which is hardly ever a good thing." But how a columnist for an American newspaper then follows that by saying that these limits of free speech are a good thing because they only apply to groups and not individuals is truly disturbing.

What if newspaper groups were not allowed to editorialize or print political commentary regarding elections for 60 days prior to an election? I am sure that Mr. Brunswick would be the first to protest the obvious unconstitutional implications of such a law. Then why should the print and communicative media have free access to political debate while individuals (groups, Mr. Brunswick, consist of individuals) be excluded from the process? Groups from all over the political spectrum have opposed McCain-Feingold since its inception.

Does Mr. Brunswick think that media groups such as his are not agenda-driven and that they alone provide unbiased, balanced views of American political life and that their views should remain unchallenged for two months prior to an election? Reading Mr. Brunswick’s and Mr. Pollak’s commentary on any given Saturday would prove otherwise.

Raymond McGoldrick
Cooperstown

In researching the history of Oneonta during the 1940s, I came across Russ and Irene Padden’s (http://www.rpadden.com/ohs2004/homecoming.htm) World War II Oneonta Scrapbooks that included the postcard of the Honor Roll. I was able to again locate my father’s name, as I had done so many times during the 1940s.

I grew up in Oneonta during this time and never walked downtown without stopping to look for new names to this Honor Roll board and seeing if a Gold Star had, unfortunately, been added to any of my friends’ fathers’ names.

On the back side of this board and facing away from Main Street were names from World War I. This was a short list of names, at least compared to the World War II side, and just maybe it listed only the names of those killed in World War I. I don’t think I ever knew for sure.

I have always wondered what happened to this Honor Roll board. It’s disappointing that Oneonta can restore an old wooden railroad caboose but can’t do the same for a display board that honors the names of those in the Oneonta area who served and possibly died in World War I and World War II.

Charles Wheeler
Pearl River