Opinions

For the last couple of months, I’ve been going through articles from the Houston Press, primarily ‘South Park Monster’,  and offering my opinion of them.

As you may have guessed by now, I’m a big believer in the power of words. I believe a phrase carefully considered and properly delivered can provide more spin than cold fact. Writers at and quoted by the Houston Press seem to have been bending their considerable skill in this area to presenting a particular view of Coy’s case. Monday’s letter offers an explanation as to why.

Most people get their news from trusted sources; newspapers and TV channels. We assume that those outlets will at least try to present both sides of an issue, and include enough information so that we can decide where we stand. But sometimes, you get a piece like South Park Monster that, although it seems pretty comprehensive, just leaves you with a bad taste in your mouth.

Most people are getting their information about the case from either the Houston Chronicle, or the Houston Press. Until recently that was the only information available, so please understand that many of those who stand against us have never been allowed to get the whole story. They know that eight women were brought in to accuse Coy, but they don't know that all those cases were dropped. They heard the impassioned words of the prosecutors on TV, but were never told that one of those prosecutors now works with SPM's defense lawyer. The Chron seems to have been pretty dispassionate about the whole thing; the Press, less so. A search of the Houston Press’s archives bring up quite a few mentions of Carlos Coy, sometimes leaving you wondering “Why did they even include that?” If they're going to take time out from an article about food to call Coy a child molestor, surely they can take a few minutes to let people know that many key figures in his case have had serious ethical questions raised against them.

 Well, Monday we got an answer; maybe that's why the Houston Press never has Coy's name far from their tongues.

It is so important to spread what we’ve learned. There were a great many factors that I believe contributed to Coy's conviction and long denied justice, and the shaping of public opinion against him was a big part of that. You can help turn that around.

Please, take a moment this weekend to talk to somebody about the case. Pass out a couple of flyers, or write a letter to the DA. The purpose of putting this information out there is to reach out to people that may not have fully considered the circumstances of Coy’s conviction. By allowing them access to information, you free them to make a decision based on fact, not the opinions of others who may be bearing a grudge.

We don't have advertisers. We don't have a massive distribution budget. We don't have a bunch of college graduates banging away on word processors to make our point to the public. But we have truth, and we have you.

You, and the information you possess, are our strategy for justice.

Thanks for reading, and acting.