Dear Clay Bennett,
I have never met you personally, so I am hesitant to write this letter because I am making assumptions about someone whose hand I have never shook and whose eyes I have never looked into. That said, I feel confident in saying I have a fairly good impression of you.
I know, for example, that you donate heavily to Republican campaigns, that you associate yourself with people who oppose gay marriage, that you heartily endorse the Bush administration. Knowing these facts, I can deduce that you are a Christian man, and I would imagine that you try to follow the tenets of the Bible in your daily life.
Mr. Bennett, I am also trying to be a Christian man. I know that doing so is a path filled with pitfalls, that there are many missteps we make along the way that leave us ripe for picking by those who do not believe. I understand how difficult it may be to be a 1) public figure and 2) a Christian.
But what I don’t understand is how you look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that you have conned an entire region with your lies. There are many misconceptions of Christianity – people will argue until the end of time about whether Jesus was a fan of gays – but no one argues that telling lies is The Christian Way.
So I ask you: Do you feel guilty about lying to us? Do you say prayers for forgiveness every night for your deceptions? Do you have an anchor of guilt the size of an oil derrick hanging upon your neck because of the way you got the City of Renton so riled up to help you? All that time you wasted in Olympia, all that taxpayer money you frittered away on endless meetings, all those volunteers who gave so much of their time and of their pocketbooks to help your business, all on the precept that you were “committed” to keeping the Sonics in Seattle – do you feel any guilt at all about that?
Mr. Bennett, there are two stories out there right now: The one you have told us for the past year, and the one Aubrey McClendon is telling us now.
Two stories, one truth. Which is yours?
Sincerely,
A Sonic Fan
10 comments:
So if you support Bush and oppose gay marriage, you must be a Christian, eh?
Lol, I sure hope not! But yeah I remember hearing that his anti-gay marraige coalition was relig based
Nuss,
An interesting approach to the issue. I would stay way from his politics and religion, but troubled times call for drastic measures.
I have never heard of anyone being opposed to gay marriage that wasn't religious, have you? If you throw the bible out of the equation, then why in the world would you oppose gay marriage? Because they make you feel funny?
I see where you're coming from, mcwalter, but I'm not the one that paid $250,000 to help Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, as McClendon did, or gave $1.1 million to fight the gay marriage issue, as McCLendon did in partnership with Tom Ward. (FYI, the group to fight gay marriage was founded/run by Gary Bauer, and is named Americans United to Save Marriage; if you think it's run by non-Christians, you're crazy).
What kills me is that these guys have no problem putting millions of dollars into conservative campaigns, and then turn around and stick their hands out to public officials and beg for money. They're complete and utter hypocrites who would probably castigate any politician who supports welfare for poor people, while all the while availing themselves of the same thing.
But to stay on topic, the key issue is what happens now that McClendon has spilled the beans on the Bennett Group's intentions. Does the NBA intervene? Is it all over for the Sonics in Seattle?
Another thought on bring religion, personal politics, etc into the Sonic Fans push to keep their team in Seattle is that you cloud the issue with a hot topic set of issue that has nothing constructive to do with the argument that current owner has reportedly been caught trying to make a half-hearted effect to keep the team in Seattle.
Now, I'm a moderate living in San Francisco... so what the hell does that make me? In you're in SF or Seattle I'm some arch-conservative, if I'm in Oklahoma (or some other Red state) then I'm some hippie socialist. It's a relative to how each person's preconceptions and biases towards the religion, politics, etc. My point is that bring up some one's personal politics is not constructive towards our over all goal.
To that end we need to unite as Sonics fans and not focus too much attention towards who Clay & Co donate $$$. Furthermore, I'd like to say that I salute Nuss' article for it creative and ability to frame Clay & Co group as bunch of thieves looking to pull a one over on the great 206.
I can't wait for the season to start.
Nuss,
I posted before seeing your response. Well said!
I'd like to attempt to answer your open ended questions:
Does the NBA intervene?
No, I don't think so... the reason for intervening is the article from the Journal Record. Now, if Bennett insists on leaving after 07-08 season by breaking the lease, without the City of Seattle's approval, then I think we see Stern step in. Remember the league did block the Grizzles' sale to a new owner who wanted the team in St. Louis, because he couldn't demonstrate that they'd make more $$$ or be more financially stable in St. Louis. Granted the Griz did eventually leave for Memphis where they still don't make any $$$.
Is it all over for the Sonics in Seattle?
No, I think Seattle has a lot of fight level in her. In fact, this article might be the Sonics form of Ken Berning's moving trucks leaving Kirkland to get the fan based behind building the Sonics a new home. As a die-hard NBA fan and a life long Sonics fan I certain will hold out hope for as long as possible.
Bennet seems to help conferm the bible adage "it is eazier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needel than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."
"I have never heard of anyone being opposed to gay marriage that wasn't religious, have you? If you throw the bible out of the equation, then why in the world would you oppose gay marriage? Because they make you feel funny?"
My Grandfather is an agnostic who hasn't attended church in almost seventy years; yet, in spite of that fact, he's wholly against gay marriage. As it is, his viewpoint based on antiquated traditions of cultural standards and societal norms, but he has every right to hold that perspective.
Personally, I'm an atheist who thinks that the governmental institution of marriage should be altogether abolished, but that's just me.
Mr. Bennett is actually jewish.
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