Open Letter to Joe Albero

Dear Joe,

I congratulate you for the success of Salisbury News. In this day and age, I think it's important for the blogosphere to catch the stories that occasionally slip through the established press' fingers. However, there is an alarming trend on your blog that I want to point out.

First let me make it clear that while I did vote for Barack Obama last year, I don't think that he's some sacred cow that no one can touch. Questioning and fact checking your leaders--whether they are Democrats or Republicans--is the most patriotic thing you can do. My problem is that you print things about the President that are simply not true.

For example, recently you posted a picture of Obama not putting his hand on his heart at last week's Veteran's Day ceremony. The problem is according to FactCheck.org, that picture is him approaching the podium while "Hail to the Chief" played. And it wasn't even at the Veteran's Day ceremony either; it was at a Memorial Day observation.

Then a few weeks ago you quoted Obama as saying, "My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it." Well, according to Politifact, it's a made up quote.

And then there's the whole Obama is a Muslim baloney. Snopes.com disproved that urban myth a long time ago.

The troubling thing is I posted those links in the comment section of those blog entries, and you didn't put them up. I wasn't rude, neither did I call you names. All I did was post the links, and you deleted them.

Like I said, I'm not one of Obama's "brown shirts" who want to silence his critics. Neither am I going to devote my entire blog to hating you, like The Salisbury Grinch. It just troubles me that, as a citizen reporter, you don't check your facts. How are people supposed to trust you if you don't check your facts?

From one blogger to another,

Travis