Note to KOAT and ABQJournal: Let Miller debate

KOAT-TV and the Albuquerque Journal plan to hold a debate between the 3rd Congressional District candidates on Oct. 19, but they don’t plan to let one of the three candidates participate.

Media organizations should know better. By excluding independent Carol Miller, they’re helping prop up the corrupt and morally bankrupt two-party system that dragged us into the current economic crisis and other problems.

In justifying the decision to only allow Democrat Ben Ray Luján and Republican Dan East participate in the debate, KOAT New Director Sue Stephens told The Santa Fe New Mexican that she invited the two candidates “in the public’s eye,” saying Luján and East “lived through the primary. They have had exposure.”

Of course they’ve had more exposure than Miller. They have played the game created by the two parties and propped up by the special interests that fund and keep those parties in power.

But the media isn’t supposed to be part of that system. It’s supposed to be independent of the powers-that-be. Especially at a time when America is in crisis and the public is fed up with the powers-that-be, you might think the media would take seriously its responsibility to be independent of that system.

Miller has been invited to and attended other forums and debates. She told The New Mexican she expects KOAT and the Journal to change their minds. She had to collect 11,000 signatures to appear on the ballot.

“Why would one place eliminate the only woman running and someone who did more than everyone else to get on the ballot?” The New Mexican quoted Miller as asking. “I’m sure as soon as we make our case they will change their mind.”

Miller has already started to push, sending an e-mail to supporters urging them to “stand up for democracy.”

“Since KOAT-TV and the Albuquerque Journal have decided to involve themselves in the political arena in this manner, they have a moral responsibility to present the entire picture and not (censor) or exclude, especially at such a critical time in history when who we send to Congress could help determine the direction in which our country moves,” Miller wrote.

I agree, so I’m going to tell you how you can help. You can contact Stephens and the Journal’s editor, Kent Walz. Stephens can be reached at (505) 884-6324 or sstephens@thenewmexicochannel.com, according to Miller’s e-mail. Walz can be reached at (505) 823-3802 or kwalz@abqjournal.com.

Tell them to let Miller participate in the debate.