The Reason Why VHeadline.com Has Been Censored

[Guest guest]

" Mary " <XMJMac

Sun, 19 Feb 2006 13:07:03 -0500

The Reason Why VHeadline.com Has Been Censored

 

 

 

 

Do not take anger out on the oil company, but rather on the rogue element!

 

VHeadline.com commentarist Mary MacElveen writes: To the many

VHeadline.com readers around the globe ... but more especially here in

the United States where we take 'freedom of the press' very seriously

and where censorship is abhorred ... who have read the alert put out

by the editor for this e-publication.

 

You may well ask yourself what this means.

 

Well as a journalist whose work has been effected, I will tell you.

On December 20th, 2005, VHeadline.com was notified that a major US oil

company would cut off all advertising to our site. No explanation was

given although an agreement had been reached earlier that month for

the long-term advertising to be continued through 2006.

 

In fact the payment had already been confirmed by a senior executive

just before he went on Christmas vacation to Venezuela and

arrangements had been made on the strength of it to send Christmas

bonuses to a team of editorial and technical volunteers who make

VHeadline possible.

 

It was an obvious setback to our unique efforts to combat the seawall

of disinformation that has been spread about the good things that are

happening in Venezuela but, very much to the editor's astonishment,

just two days before Christmas he received another missal ordering

VHeadline immediately to remove all pictorial representations of the

company's logo from the website, including the company's logo on a

leading Venezuelan racing driver's competition uniform...

 

The unexplained decision to kill VHeadline's advertising contract just

hours before payment was to be made, and the additional cease and

desist order smack very much of being the vindictive actions of a

rogue element within the US oil company and could, of course, been

seen as a mechanism by which to make VHeadline.com's continued

publication an impracticality ... in other words, an effort to shut us up!

 

The reason I do not name the US oil company here is because I want

this editorial to be published in VHeadline and, under current

conditions, an ethical editorial stance has been taken not to publish

newsfiles related directly or indirectly to the oil company while this

e-publication is subject to what is logically considered to be an

infringement and/or restraint on its constitutional freedoms to

publish (or not to publish) illustrations which include the company's

logo (for example VHeadline.com is banned from publishing a picture of

the oil company filling station!).

 

For example: In December, I covered the delivery of low cost heating

oil to the Bronx and took several pictures. VHeadline.com is now

banned from showing these pictures to you although they are

copyrighted and owned by myself. Personally, I take offense when I

travel to New York City on my own dime and am subsequently denied the

right and freedom to publish any photographs I may have taken where

this company's logo can be seen ... call it blatant censorship at best!

 

* The status quo irks all the more since I have vehemently

supported the oil company's policies in the past and have told

everyone to purchase the company's oil products so that the profits

from sales can go to feed the poor within Venezuela.

 

Yesterday on a trip, and in view of the impasse, my husband asked if

we should go to the company's filling station to fill up knowing that

a rogue element by the name of Raphael Gomez continues to refuse to

explain the whys and wherefores of what has happened.

 

My response was immediate: " Abolutely! " I said. " We should not punish

Venezuela's poor because of this rogue element. " I even told a man

filling up at the station where the profits will go and he was both

amazed and gave a warm smile of appreciation.

 

If this act of censorship and arrogance angers you, please feel free

to telephone Raphael Gomez at Houston (832) 486.4000 and also please

feel free to express your angst by contacting the Venezuelan Embassy

in Washington, D.C.

 

Their contact information is below:

 

Venezuelan Ambassy

1099 30th St., N.W.,

Washington D.C. 20007

USA

Main #:(202) 342 2214

Fax #: (202) 342 6820

Email: apaiva

 

I have read countless stories about the company's (otherwise) good

works in cooperation with the Venezuelan Embassy since we were forced

to comply with Mr. Gomez' unexplained edict and it angers me that a

muzzle has been placed on me ... there have been many who have sent me

news releases where the only action available to me is to delete the

email since I am prohibited from writing about it in this e-publication.

 

In the meantime, I have read that the religious right in this (USA)

country have started a boycott against the company and again, I feel

powerless to add to this discussion.

 

Quite frankly, and I address this to both the company and the

Venezuelan administration, the enemy is NOT VHeadline.com ... more

closely you may find it within.

 

Again, I say, do not take anger out on the oil company, but rather on

the rogue element responsible for the censorship we are experiencing

at VHeadline.com...

 

His name is Raphael Gomez telephone Houston (832) 486.4000

 

Mary MacElveen

mary

 

http://www.vheadline.com/MacElveen