Letters to Maribel

TGW readers accuse Gannett's news president of disrespecting the First Amendment, Second Amendment and America's veterans.

Maribel Perez Wadsworth, President of the USA TODAY Network and Publisher of USA TODAY at Gannett.

A story published Friday chronicled how Gannett’s most senior news executive, Maribel Perez Wadsworth, had my old website killed.

This resulted in the loss of eight years of gun-related content, and scores of profiles and stories about American veterans were also killed.

As a veteran, I’m still a bit perturbed about that. Neither Maribel nor any of Gannett’s senior staff have ever served a day in uniform.

It shows.

I made Maribel’s email available — maribel@gannett.com — in case anyone wanted to drop her a line.

And a whole bunch of you did.

Here are my favorite, and I’m only using first names:

---

How dare you! What gives you the right, without notice or consideration of keeping his property, to delete 8 years of journalistic information, articles, photos, etc. compiled by Lee Williams on TheGunWriter.com website?  How about we take all of USA Today’s archives and trash them because we don’t like the anti-American, leftist content in them. Would that be ok with you?  I doubt you people ever read the Constitution, let alone the 1st Amendment.

You’re a disgrace to freedom loving people everywhere.  Probably why you’re ratings will soon be in the trash heap of history.

Al

---

I continue to walk around in a daze, unable to fathom how my country has been given up to the most harmful movement in its history. It seems today’s corporate CEO’s are totally lacking in the backbone of the nation’s ancestors, finding it most comfortable to go along with the most ridiculous forms of political correctness, and to aid and abet the destruction of all that America has represented over the centuries.

Re: thegunwriter.com -  to infringe censure or eliminate anyone’s right to freedom of speech is inexcusable under any circumstances.  It is ethically and morally wrong . . .  or weren’t you taught that in school.   Such actions are a disgrace to the publishing industry and betrayal of America’s TRUE values.

Wes

---

Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to complain about your censorship of 2nd Amendment related information.

You insult the 1st and 2nd Amendments of the constitution.

I urge you to restore TheGunWriter.com and it's entire archive.

Sincerely,

Patrick

---

Done and here is what I said "Are you proud of yourself, because you sure shouldn't be! Do you honestly feel you have made this a better, more sane world? Because you haven't! I know you're just jumping on the "guns are bad" bandwagon because it is a cool thing now. I am a veteran of the Vietnam war and your inane actions cause me to wonder why I risked my life for herd follower like you. You're alive because I carried a gun and did what my country asked me to do. And now you spit on me, and the 55 thousand plus that didn't make it home. I hope you're very proud, but know in my world you're not an American. Come try and cancel me! Richard Vaughn Black Elk A Troop Scouts 7th/17th Air Cavalry RVN 1968-69

Rick

---

Ms. Wadsworth, I have long known that USA Today was a left wing paper but I didn't know it was so far left it is or has become Marxist/Communist. I will certainly encourage the hotels I stay at to quit providing it in their lobbies. Destroying the Gunwriters archives was totally unjustified and I encourage you to restore them. Remember that just under one-half of the countries voters support its views on guns, but probably more since there are estimated to be 100,000,000  gun owners in the USA.

Leo 

---

Hi there.
You know, I worked with USA Today and Gannet folks back in the day when I was at Y&R and I found them to be professional and not in the least petty.  Good folks in other words. It comes as a surprise to me that my friend Lee Williams, late of the Sarasota Herald Trib, has been having difficulties with his old management and, most recently, been deprived of the content of his long running website, thegunwriter.com. I find it hard to believe that he would be prevented from having access to the content that he had created over many years.  The content is of value is to him and of little use to USA Today. Therefore I can only think that this is the result of some misunderstanding.  As I said, pettiness had never characterized your organization. I think that it would be a good thing if you would step in and fix this problem.  Clearly, the local management is behaving sub-optimally.  You can fix it with a pen stroke.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Ed

---

Good Day.

Please add my name to what I am sure is a growing list of people who are horrified by your apparent destruction of Mr. Williams' life's work. Please tell me this material can be retrieved and restored to his control. If not, know I view your theft as unconscionable; a modern day reenactment of book burning. 

I LEFT THE CORPORATE WORLD THE VERY DAY A BOSS INTIMIDATED ME TO DO SOMETHING I KNEW TO BE WRONG TO SAVE/ADVANCE MY CAREER. I ATTRIBUTE A LONG AND HEALTHY LIFE TO THAT DECISION TO ASSERT MY INTEGRITY. I HAVE WATCHED MANY PEOPLE WHO FOLDED UNDER THAT PRESSURE WITHER AND DIE MISERABLE DEATHS. I SINCERELY HOPE YOU ESCAPE THAT FATE.

Bill

---

Maribel, taking the work of someone like Lee Williams is a disgusting anti-American move. I can understand if you no longer want to support his work with your papers no longer what to publish him going forward, but to wipe out his work is a low life move. Judging from your name, I take it you have no background or history with our country which would make sense for you as an anti-American - non-Patriot to pull such an underhanded move. True Americans Liberal or Conservative, a true business person would simply give notice and let him pursue his business elsewhere if you do not believe in what he has to say. Destroying his work is the move of a low-life scum. Look in the mirror, what do you see Maribel? Don't know where you are from or what your background is but it does not belong in this country. You are just part of this new totalitarian cancel culture which will eventually come for you too. Sooner than later I hope 

Disrespectfully yours.,

RR

---