11/17/99

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal's Letter to Dr. Laura

November 3, 1999

Dr. Laura Schlessinger
c/o Premere Radio Networks
15260 Ventura Boulevard
Suite 500
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

Dear Dr. Schlessinger:

I heard your recent radio broadcast excoriating Sara Miller, a 14-year old girl from Henry James Middle School in Simsbury; for her first-place essay in the Law Day Essay Contest sponsored by my office last spring. Your attack on Miss Miller and the essay contest was extraordinarily misinformed, unfair and harmful.

I have enclosed for your review the full text of Sara Miller's first-place essay. As you well know, but failed to note on your show, your comments were based on excerpts taken from Miss Miller's essay, not on the full essay. After you read Miss Miller's thoughtful, well-reasoned essay, you will see that she is not advocating lawlessness, as you proclaimed. Rather, Miss Miller has based her argument on a United States Supreme Court ruling, the First Amendment, and her own views about personal responsibility.

Miss Miller's argument is that people are able to judge for themselves whether the content they view on the Internet is acceptable to themselves and appropriate for their children. She is not condoning illegal behavior or opposing laws to prohibit wrongdoing.

The Law Day Essay Contest is designed to give students the opportunity to explore issues at the forefront of public debate. The goal is to encourage students to research and analyze issues of public concern, learn to draw their own conclusions, and write a clear- concise essay outlining their arguments. We do not dictate to them what their answers should be. The judges do not give awards based on their own personal views of the topic, or on their agreement with a student's views. Instead, awards are based on whether a student has thought well about the issue and crafted a well-organized, well-reasoned essay thoughtfully expressing his or her viewpoint.

Quite simply, your attack on Sara Miller was appalling. Her first sentence reflected more care and insight than your entire diatribe. And a great deal more maturity and professionalism as well! Since you have been doing what you do for so long, I hesitate to give advice, but may I respectfully suggest that you call to check your facts before you throw stones. It would be a better example to young people like Sara Miller.

Sincerely,

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL

Enc. c: Joseph Townsley, Simsbury Superintendent of Schools Michael Churilla, Principal, Henry James School Betsy ONeil Sara Miller

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