[MGSA-L] For consideration of the MGSA page

[Eric Poulos]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Eric Poulos <ericpoulos at gmail.com>
Date: Sat, Apr 20, 2013 at 11:01 PM
Subject: April 21st
To: antonis damataris <publisher at ekirikas.com>


To the Editor,

As a long-time subscriber--and sometime advertiser--to the Herald I
expected an article marking the anniversary of the dictatorship installed
by the military in April 21, 1967.

I found nothing in your editorial pages but instead was shocked to find an
ad exalting the fascist junta and its leader, George Papadopoulos.

During the seven years of the Junta's brutal rule, many were killed,
imprisoned and tortured. Censorship was imposed and newspapers, whether of
the right such as those published by Helen Vlachos or the left, were
banned. There was no freedom, only tyranny. The dictatorship was condemned
by practically every country in the world and the UN.

And yet the Herald carried an anonymous ad praising the Colonels.  The
advertisers praise fascism but don't have the guts to identify themselves.

I suspect that your response will be that this is not the Herald's opinion
but simply an ad.

I don't accept  that for two reasons.

One, I assume you have standards for advertisers and would not publish
pornographic ads or those advocating criminal acts. I further assume that
you would not accept an ad praising Hitler's crimes against the Jews or a
Turkish ad advocating the ethnic cleansing of Greeks from Cyprus or an ad
stating that Macedonia is Slavic not Greek.

Second is your timing. I hope  you share the concern of many that the rise
of the ultra right in Greece, generally, and of the Golden Dawn,
specifically, is a grave danger to the democratic rights of all.  Golden
Dawn has taken extreme racist positions and  has not only assaulted
immigrants, but members of Parliament.   Their growth  threatens  your
fellow journalists.

 To publish an ad that celebrates the fascist legacy which Golden Dawn now
seeks to emulate, is dangerous and a harsh reminder as to how important it
is to fight for  these democratic rights.

Yours truly

Eric G. Poulos
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