How to Respond to Defamation of Character: A Lesson for Ashland Oregon

Toni Buckley Dockter – Founder; Publisher; Editor-in-Chief; Distribution Manager; Intrepid Reporter; IT Guy; Coffee Girl

email: fwepub@aol.com

MOTTO: When telling the truth is a revolutionary act. 

All editorial     All social commentary    All for the common good

 Issue Number 36  –  August 25, 2020

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Originally I planned this article to be a response to an email I received from a councilman in Ashland Oregon: Dennis Slattery. His bunk made me laugh. When I got to the part where he accused me of not presenting the “facts,” I exclaimed as loud–but not as scary–as Kimberly Guilfoyle did last night on TV: “This guy has NO IDEA what satire is!” Hence my duty to debunk the bunk.

But it will have to wait while I add further commentary to the previous Gazette article about a different full-of-bunk email from a different councilman.

Is there something in the water in Ashland?

No, I think the malady is more a result of a cootie-infested BroFest gone nutty.

However, to entice you to check out the Slattery article after I have posted it, here’s a teaser:

Separated at Birth: Dennis Slattery and his evil twin, Karl Rove.

 

I will be sharing the stuff Karl “King of Dirty Tricks” Rove told me about his relationship with his twin–like the many times he punked him in childhood and then later with Slattery’s bio on the city council website. Check back later for that tall tale.

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Back to Rich Rosenthal’s email–which portrays me as a spewer of racist crap.

Before Attticus Finch has a chance to jump into the fray and lower the boom, I will reframe the narrative my way. Tell the real story. Tell the truth.

Rosenthal called me a “low operator.” I’m not sure what that meant. So I asked my good friend Dr. Fauci for clarification. He told me it means “a person who has a low tolerance for something.” Fauci said he is a “low operator” when it comes to faux-science, faux-vaccines, and faux-Presidents.

OK, got it. So yes, I am a “low operator.”

Here is what I have a low tolerance for:

* Dog owners who don’t pick up their dog’s poop.

* Starbucks customers who stand in line for eternity and when the get to the front of the line, can’t decide what they want.

* Wedding guests who hog all the crab cakes at the reception.

I have an even lower tolerance for:

* BuBu’s (Bumbling Bureaucrats) and Graham Crackers.

* Old-thinking ego-bloated white men with a sense of entitlement.

* Old-thinking white women who support these yahoos.

Then you gotta lower the bar all the way to the ground where I have zero tolerance for:

* Bigotry, injustice, abuse.

* Greed, stupidity, mendacity.

* Moral pygmies, skanky politicians, douchebags.

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Switching gears, let me tell you a story. Why? Because stories (about ourselves or others) tell us who we are–individually and collectively. This is the level where we relate to each other as part of the human condition. We feel connected to the greater whole. That’s the beauty–and everlasting appeal–of literature.

A letter-writer in The Tidings today said Tonya Graham (candidate for Mayor) has integrity and leadership skills. But that opinion falls flat with me and I doubt others are convinced either.

Why? Because there are no examples to prove it. There is no story to validate that assessment. It reads as just a political ploy.

Conversely, here’s my Story #1:

When I was in Miss Wade’s 4th grade class (Orange County, California), the girls in my class played volleyball at recess and lunch and softball after school. Linda L. and I were always the captain of the teams. Linda was a better athlete than I. But I was a better coach.

At the start of a game, Linda and I alternated picking players. Because we wanted the best players on our teams so we could win, a girl named Loretta was always chosen last. She was a shy girl. Not a go-getter type. Not a good player.

But she kept showing up to play–even though she knew her classmates thought she was the worst player on the court.

This situation bothered me. It seemed unfair. It seemed mean. So I started picking Loretta 4th (second to the last).

Linda thought this was a bad idea. But with coaching and encouragement Loretta got better. Over the school year she continued to improve. She moved up to being chosen 3rd. One day for the heck of it I chose her first. And we won that game. And lo and behold the next time we chose sides, Linda chose Loretta first!

When 4th quarter report cards came out, there was a section where the teacher would write an evaluation of the student’s performance for the year. One of the things Miss Wade wrote about me: “Toni watches out for the other students. She is a champion for the underdog.”

Fast forward many decades….

Story #2: I am still a champion for the underdog: women, LGBTQ community, and people of color. I watch out for the rights of these groups.

I was thrilled when Kamala Harris was chosen as the Vice-President candidate. That’s two out of three! I bought this t-shirt to wear as a political statement–which matches my gay-pride rainbow Converse All-Stars, Betsey Johnson rainbow necklace, and rainbow mask.

 

 

You may be wondering, why are there two t-shirts and two necklaces? Good question! Because as a Professional Shopper, I sometimes buy in duplicates. Sometimes I even buy in bulk.

Why? Because sometimes when I am out and about a complete stranger will say, “I like your necklace!” or “I like your coat!”

Or, in the case of what happened on Sunday at Market of Choice when I wore the Kamala rainbow outfit, a guy checker said “I like your t-shirt. I wish I had one.” I asked him what size he wore. He said XL. I went home and ordered him one from Amazon.

I give presents and cash (more on that later–it’s a natural form of generosity) to all sorts of people, organizations, and causes all the time — just to be helpful. No strings attached. As helping one American helps America.

I can tell many variations of this story in Ashland alone. And I will in a future article…as a response to Rosenthal and Slattery maligning my character. I will illustrate how I make Ashland a better town–one person at at time. I believe Rosenthal and Slattery are paintingt me in a negative way so that it might rub off on any political candidate I may choose to support.

I won’t stand for defamation. But I will stand up for myself. That’s the best way to slam dunk BuBu’s, Graham Crackers, and Nattering Nabobs of Negativity.

Bottom Line: Story # 1 and Story #2 do not add up to a racist miscreant.

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Up next:

1. Why I am against torture so I won’t be having coffee with Dennis Slattery.

2. Commentary on money which has Rosenthal, Slattery, and Graham unglued.

3. Why continuing the status quo political scene in Ashland’s City Hall is a death knell.

4. More stories that confirm Rosenthal and Slattery write ridiculous emails.

5. Specific reasons why I’m not voting for Tonya Graham.

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