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Letters of support from top ranking community officials attesting to Dr. Lapides's rationality and dedication to the issues of free speech. The names, titles, and letterheads have been omitted to avoid invasion of these individuals privacy.  Back One StepMs. Elizabeth A. Allen, Vice-President Business Affairs & General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza 35th Floor New York, NY 10111 RE: DR. IRA T. LAPIDES September 23, 1993 Dear Ms. Allen: I have discussed the issue surrounding the misinformation about the affects of tobacco. I have known Dr. Ira T. Lapides for several years as a result of his interests in his community and his willingness to participate on many civic committees. In fact, he has served for years on certain committees and task forces which I have chaired. I find him to be a man of education, knowledge and principal. Although I am not a smoker I cannot help but notice that smokers are slowly but surely being treated as second class citizens. I do believe that smokers have "rights" as well as the non-smoker. No doubt the first amendment right to be heard is just as important to the smoker as the non-smoker. From my association with Dr. Lapides I know that he strongly believes in his cause and he believes in the rights of everyone to know the facts before they make a decision. I certainly believe that he should be given the opportunity to present the facts about tobacco. I know him to be a very rational person. He communicates well in a very interesting way and certainly would not be offensive if he were allowed to present the issues concerning tobacco to your audience. Therefore I urge you to give him an opportunity to voice a different point of view especially since his side of the issue has been silenced in any fair discussions that I am aware of. Sincerely yours, (NAME DELETED) September 15, 1993 Ms. Elizabeth A. Allen Vice President Business Affairs and General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 35th Floor New York, New York 10111 Dear Ms. Allen: As (TITLE DELETED), I would like to inform you that I know Dr. Ira T. Lapides to be an educated local businessman. I must say that I was personally stunned by Ira's chosen form of protest but after truly thinking about representation that the smokers -side in the controversy POSTs, I do recognize the validity of Ira's argument. am also a smoker and resent the picture painted by the press that smokers are lower class individuals. As Mayor of Gatlinburg, I support Ira's attempt to obtain air time for discussion on the controversies surrounding tobacco. Though, particularly given my concern for him, I cannot support his chosen form of protest. I can well understand it because of the one sided debate that has thus far existed. Based upon my experience of working with Ira I know that he strongly believes in the rights of open debate. On Committees which he has served, he has presented a balanced view and strived toward fairness. I feel that it would be a shame if he had to protest to gain access to the media. This would prove to be an interesting show for your audience and Ira should make his presentation entertaining and informative. He has done so when addressing City Council and I believe he will do so with the viewing public. Please consider my request for allowing Ira a chance to appear on your show. Sincerely, (NAME DELETED) October 4. 1993 Elizabeth A. Allen, Vice President Business Affairs and General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza 35th Floor New York. New York 10111 Dear Ms. Allen: This letter is being forwarded to affirm that I consider Dr. Ira T. Lapides to be a rational individual. Dr. Lapides is a man of strong conviction. He is capable of expressing his views in a clear and substantive fashion. Without doubt, he knows what he believes and is willing to stand behind those beliefs. Although Ira and I do not agree on the topic of smoking, I do understand his feelings. He feels that it is the right of the American public to hear both sides of the issue through the electronic media. Although I do not support Ira's protest tactics, I am requesting that you allow Ira to share a varied perspective on this controversial issue with your audience. Sincerely, (NAME DELETED) September 15, 1993 Ms. Elizabeth A. Allen Vice President Business Affairs and General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza, 35th Floor New York, New York 10111 Dear Ms. Allen: Please accept this letter as an expression of support of Dr. Ira T. Lapides. Specifically, Dr. Lapides has served on a Citizens Advisory Panel for the City of Gatlinburg since 1986. His six years of service, given some of the hard tasks and problems that his Committees have faced, has proven that Ira is a dedicated and tenacious individual. He has always been fair in his approach. From my experience of working with him, I know that he believes that all sides should have their say before decisions are made. Dr. Lapides has been an asset to this City and is always willing to give aid and council to strengthen his community. Certainly, granting him the chance to present his ideas cannot be so harmful to society as not granting him the opportunity will be to his family and community. I request that you allow Dr. Lapides the opportunity to appear on the Donahue Show to make his point regarding this controversial issue. Sincerely, (NAME DELETED) cc: Ms. Patricia McMillen, The Donahue Show Dr. Ira Lapides September 27, 1993 Elizabeth A. Allen Vice President Business Affairs & General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza 35th Floor New York, NY 10111 Dear Ms. McMillen: I am writing to you in support of Dr. Ira Lapides and his request to appear on your show to review a major area of health concern the issue of smoking tobacco. Ira is a well educated and articulate gentleman. He is thorough in his research and presents his information in an informed and lively way. He is not argumentative, as many TV guests are when they discuss controversial issues; rather, he presents his thesis and support in a well thought out manner, with humorous anecdotes as illustrations of his points. I am frightened about Ira's chosen method of protest. However, when one considers history, it is apparent that no method other than personal sacrifice has served to break down the barriers for free speech on the side of an issue that is not "politically correct". Rather than considering Ira to be irrational, I believe that it is the 'powers that be' who are acting irrationally in this instance. What conceivable harm can it do for the American public to hear all of the facts on both sides of the tobacco issue? As (TITLE DELETED), I have had the privilege of working with Ira for the past three years. He is a dedicated civic volunteer who is well informed about the issues, is dependable and always eager to discover all of the relevant information about topics under discussion. I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to demonstrate the importance of free speech and give everyone who watches your shows a chance to hear 'the other side'. Thank you for your consideration. I truly hope it is not necessary for Ira's protest to go forward. Sincerely, (NAME DELETED) Ms. Elizabeth A. Allen Vice President Business Affairs & General Counsel Multimedia Entertainment 45 Rockefeller Plaza 35th Floor New York, New York 10111 Dear Ms. Allen, As (TITLE OMMITED) I want to express to you my opinions and impression of Dr. Ira T. Lapides. I have known Dr. Lapides for a number of years and have worked with him on many occasions. He is a very intelligent, rational and community oriented person. Ira is also a man of principal who believes very strongly that the American people have the right to a different perspective on the issue of smoking. I am not a smoker and never have been however, I strongly believe as I hope you do that American Citizens should have the opporunity to hear all sides of any debate. The American people are very capable of making the right choices after hearing both sides of an issue. It is because of my deep faith. in the American system that I urge you to allow Dr. Lapides to present his views on smoking. A program of this nature would certainly generate considerable viewing interest. You will also find that Ira would be a very capable representative of the view point of millions of smoking Americans. I think his form of protest on this issue is very unusual and possibly dangerous to him. However I can see how he has become very frustrated and disillusioned over the medias response to his requests. I will close by urging you to allow Dr. Ira T. Lapides to appear on the Donahue Show and express his views. Some of your shows have exposed odd characters to the American public certainly exposing a different viewpoint from a rational thinking man can on1y bring a positive viewer response. Sincerely, (NAME DELETED) Back One Step
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Change in the form of a 30% or better increase to the cost of tobacco products with an added dose of insult. Get mad. Call your representatives and call them a name. Economically Ignorant Extortionist Fool, is politically correct and accurate. Here is the phone number for contacting your US Senators. PHONE NOW: 202-224-3121 Tobacconists are as helpless as any other victim of organized crime. Maybe we are even more helpless since we face criminals masquerading as government representatives. The time for nice words and platitudes has passed. The tax-gouging Congress has declared war on 20% of the American population. They have used taxation as a method of discrimination and discrimination as a tactic for persecution. Their punitive taxes have caused tremendous price increases for product, and you and we in the tobacco business have no representation to or protection from our government. Our forefathers went to war over a few pennies increase in the tax on tea, while we suffer from tax increases in the hundreds of percents. We too are being forced to cede our freedoms or also go to war. The government’s negative economic radical action against smokers will cause decreased tax revenues for the programs that these new taxes were to fund, and sooner rather than later, all will share in the misery caused by congressmen turned extortionists. It is way past time for being the squeaky wheel. It is time to be the screeching halt. Consider acts of civil disobedience before your obedience becomes subservience. The Gatlinburlier, Ira T. Lapides, PhD President |