Bissonett: ‘Hate’ article provides no facts, smears ADF

Your front page ‘Hate’ report was really about labeling ADF (Alliance Defending Freedom) as being a hate group.

I read the article several times trying to find any substantiation of the charges leveled against ADF by Rob Chevaleau, Brian Newly-Rider and Chelsea Blandford.

The charges were: “ADF is trying to restrict civil rights of you and me. They are trying to codify the idea that some people are less than others. Through their sheer animosity and hatred, they are trying to legalize discrimination, and they are doing it through a veil of religious liberty.”

I couldn’t find any substantiations by any of these charges by these people or this newspaper.

Lots of accusations, but no facts.

On the flip side, how and why has ADF won 80% of its court cases? This relevant fact was not mentioned in the report.

No doubt these folks or this newspaper isn’t interested in that.

Then these very same people state their own (perceived) personal discriminations … of which none had anything to do with ADF.

Editor, Melissa Rosequist, states in her editor’s column, How can we overcome hate in our communities?, that it was an “honor” for her to hear their stories. That sounds like news bias to me.

The prepared statements from ADF were a token gesture meant to set up these people to express their own hatred for ADF. (How ironic! However, who is hating who is not my issue for writing.)

Your report is veiled smear of ADF while pretending to be hearing all sides.

This newspaper calls itself independent and nonpartisan? Please stop the pretense!

P.S. Also, please don’t cite Southern Poverty Law Center, which is an extreme left-wing organization that has been criticized by both liberal and conservatives for its own bias.

Editor’s Note: Jim Bissonett is a resident Scottsdale