Jim Carey (Free Press Pub.) fires Barrie Dunsmore

[donsu]

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/-thisweek/col/track.html

Those of you who think freedom of the press is alive and well in the Green Mountains, think again. The Burlington Free Press just sacked its best op-ed columnist in living memory — former foreign correspondent Barrie Dunsmore of Charlotte.

For 30 years Dunsmore covered the world’s hottest hot spots for ABC News. From crossing the Nile with the Israeli Army to covering the liberation of Saigon by the Vietnamese communists, Barrie Dunsmore has been there, done that. On the night the Berlin Wall started coming down, Dunsmore was in our living rooms, live on “Nightline.” His was the trademark crisp voice that made us sit up and pay attention to the Big Bad World.

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Dunsmore’s final Burlington Free Press column provided a brilliant analysis of the disastrous impact of religious fundamentalism at home and abroad. This from a guy who’s seen thousands of dead bodies piled high in the name of somebody’s Almighty God. Dunsmore took particular note of the recent success of Mel Gibson’s film, The Passion of the Christ.

“What the success of this movie underscores,” wrote Barrie, “is the growing power in this country of the fundamentalists, without whose support George W. Bush would not have been elected president. And whether it is the appointment of federal judges who oppose abortion, the limitations on stem-cell research, the proposed constitutional amendment against gay marriage, or unquestioned support for Israel, Mr. Bush’s White House goes out of its way to pursue and promote the fundamentalist agenda.”

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A few days ago, Dunsmore received the following email from David Awbrey, the editorial page editor of The Burlington Free Press. (Yes, the same guy who accepted the free UVM basketball tickets.)

“Barrie, I deeply regret this, but Free Press publisher Jim Carey has taken a dislike to your column and doesn’t want us to run it anymore. He has been vague on the reasons and my appeal that he change his mind has been for naught. He is the boss, however, and I must accede to his wishes. Therefore, we must drop your column, even though it was very well received by readers and was a great asset to our Sunday pages. Again, I deeply regret this decision, but I have no other choice.”

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As readers know, this isn’t the first time the top guy at the local Gannett chain paper has worn his religious beliefs on his newspaper’s sleeve. Carey’s company car carries the bumper sticker “No Jesus, No Peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace.”
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may his car break down in the middle lane during rush hour, while Jesus is out to lunch.

[devinsgram]

1. A small church near me has that sign also.

Evidently that church or Jim Carey do not KNOW anthing about who Jesus was or what he taught.