Oren M. Spiegler – 8/17/17

 


This page was last updated on September 15, 2017.


Trump showed everyone he stands with the haters; Oren M. Spiegler (OMS); Beaver County Times; August 17, 2017.

Mr. Spiegler is such a prolific letter writer the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review gave him a little tribute back in 2003.  Google “Oren M. Spiegler” and you’ll get more hits than you know what to do with.  Unfortunately, prolific is not a synonym for competent.  Mr. Spiegler claims to be a Republican.  In my critique of “Breathing more freely,” I cited reasons why I was “beginning to believe Mr. Spiegler is simply another Republican impersonator,” but he sealed the deal with “Greatest foreign policy debacle.”  Subsequent letters provided more confirmation.  The group of local Republican impersonators also includes Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, Edward J. Hum, Bill Ralston, and George Reese, all claiming to be disgruntled Republicans.  While he has previously claimed to be a Republican, this appears to be the first time Mr. Spiegler claimed to be a registered Republican in a BCT letter.  If true, Mr. Spiegler joins Mr. Hum in going the extra mile to further his impersonation of a Republican.

ALERT!  Though I missed it by several months, Mr. Spiegler finally did the honorable thing and ended his charade and deregistered as a Republican.

You can find links to previous critiques of Spiegler letters I critiqued here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.

The BCT has or had a limit of 12 letters per writer per year.  In 2014, the BCT either ditched that limit or made a huge exception for Mr. Spiegler.  By my count, the BCT published at least 25 Spiegler letters in 2014.  Mr. Spiegler and/or the BCT dialed things back a bit in 2015; the BCT published only 15 Spiegler letters in 2015 and 10 in 2016.  This letter puts OMS’ 2017 letters at 14.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.


“In reviewing the stunning twists and turns of the administration in the days following the atrocity that took place in Charlottesville, Va., one recognizes that perhaps the most laughable pledge made by the president is that he will bring us together, this as he pours gasoline on our wounds and lights a match to it.”

[RWC] Remember, none of this is about pulling down statues.  While this stuff is sucking all the air out of the room, nothing is getting done about the repeal of Obamacare or tax reform.

Is OMS writing about Donald Trump (DT) or Barack Obama (BHO)?  In what ways did BHO “bring us together” during his eight years in office?

“Donald Trump’s white supremacist backers were right.  When the president first spoke about the rally that took the lives of three innocent people and injured many more, he meant what he said: that ‘many sides’ were responsible for the bloodbath.  He did not condemn the haters whose presence and provocation set the stage for what took place, nor did he call them by name or distance himself from them.”

[RWC] I thought calling “haters” by name was wrong and encourages more “haters.”

Sorry, but both sides “WERE responsible for the bloodbath” to one degree or another and both sides had their fair share of “haters.”  It’s not arguable.  Watch the videos.

The rally organizer [Jason Kessler (JK)] received a permit from the city to hold the protest at Lee Park, the site of a Robert E. Lee statue to be removed.  When the city changed its mind and told JK to hold the protest at another park, JK went to court alleging the city was violating his First Amendment rights to free speech.  The ACLU agreed as did a federal judge.  The judge issued an injunction allowing the protest to take place the following day at Lee Park.

Putting a bunch of postings together, here’s what appears happened.

Counter protesters attempted to block entry to Lee Park and scuffles ensued.  Both sides appear to agree the police didn’t do anything until the violence reached the point the event was declared illegal and the police started getting everyone out of the park.

JK held a press conference the day following the riot.  JK stood at the podium alone and had no one there to protect him.  Likely OMS fellow-travelers physically attacked JK.  One of JK’s attackers punched him and another – a woman - tackled him to the ground as he tried to escape the hateful mob chasing him.  Finally, a police officer helped JK to his feet and stopped further pursuit by the attackers.  The police held the guy (Jeff Winder) who punched JK but eventually released him without arresting him.  I don’t know if any of the other attackers were arrested.

“It was only after facing intense pressure that two days later, he mouthed from a Teleprompter beautiful words that were written for him, words he did not mean.  His off-the-cuff remarks the following day clarify where he stands and we saw the real Trump, squarely in the corner with the haters.”

[RWC] OMS must employ creative reading/listening.  You really need to twist DT’s words to put him “squarely in the corner with the haters.”

“Some, including a number of honorable individuals in his party have criticized the president and distanced themselves from a ‘leader’ who has not a shred of integrity, decency, or compassion and who has no knowledge of what our country represents.”

[RWC] One of the last things I need is for a lefty – especially a former Republican impersonator - to define who is “honorable.”

“It is a frightening time to be a member of a minority race, heritage, or religion in 2017 America.  May God help our beleaguered United States and enable us someday to recover from the stain of what has befallen us.” 

[RWC] Using lefty rules, OMS can’t comment on things he doesn’t experience.  Is OMS “a member of a minority race, heritage, or religion?”  Unless he is, OMS must apologize for his comment.

If OMS believes in the lefty definition of separation of church and state, he needs to apologize for hoping God will “help our beleaguered United States.”


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