MoveOn.org bought this ad in The New York Times Monday. (Click to enlarge) Mr. Sulzberger is the paper’s Publisher.

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Dear Arthur (Pinch) Sulzberger,

A few months back I emailed to ask you a simple question. The subject line of that email was ‘the dumbest question I’ve ever heard in my life.’ I never heard back from you or anyone. In light of recent events, I decided that it deserved another try.

The other day the NY Times ran an ad paid for by the group Moveon.org. The headline read “General Petraeus or General Betray Us?” Leaving aside the clear assertions the ad makes, this got me thinking.

An organization with the stature and influence the NY Times has can’t seriously endorse this terribly flawed ad. But then I thought of the aforementioned email I sent to you with no response. I thought, “Is Arthur (Pinch) Sulzberger’s silence an affirmation that the NY Times agrees with this disgraceful ad?” I hope to receive an answer this time.

It’s true that during the Vietnam War, your father (Punch) asked you what you (Pinch) called, “the dumbest question I’ve ever heard in my life.” He asked, “If an American soldier runs into a North Vietnamese soldier, which would you like to see get shot?” You answered, “I would want to see the American get shot. It’s the other guy’s country.”

Today, I think the public has a right to know whether the publisher of the largest newspaper in America, the New York Times, still feels the same way about American soldiers.

So again, I pose the same question to you albeit with a more current tone: If an American soldier runs into an Iraqi insurgent, which would you like to see get shot?

I’m looking forward to your response. Have a nice day.

Sincerely,

Andy Bryant
Virginia Beach, VA