Thanksgiving Salute

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Dear Viewers,

I put together a Thanksgiving (search) message — an Internet video — for our troops in Iraq. Yes, it really should be directed to military families and to all our troops — not just those in Iraq — since we have troops all over the world. Military service impacts many and many serve. So, while the discussion on the tape is Iraq, I hope you understand that we support all our troops and their families — wherever they might be — and that we realized that it is particularly hard to be away from home on a holiday.

If you are getting this e-mail directly to your e-mail account, please go to www.gretawire.com to see the Internet video. Simply click on the text for the video. Of course I regret that many of our troops can't get to the Internet and thus can't see this video — but I hope others tell them about it. I do know that many troops do have access to the Internet since I get so many e mails from them from the front lines.

Having said that, I hope you will enjoy my short and very amateur video that I did in our Washington, D.C. FOX News Channel bureau. You will note that at one point on the video my colleague Major Garrett (search) asks me about the audio on the camera. Well, there is a reason: I don't know what I did, or did not do, but my first video attempt had no audio on it. Many of the people on the video had to do it twice until I could get it right. They were very good sports about doing their tributes twice since they really do want our troops and families to know that we appreciate their sacrifices. My colleagues who had to do it twice, however, did enjoy teasing me about what a dope I am with the camera. I am learning... maybe not very fast... but I am learning. (I hate to read the instructions... plus, the print is very tiny in the instruction booklet.)

Speaking of cameras and of the military, Tuesday night Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Myers was on the show. Before the segment started, he told me that he just bought the still camera that I had recommended to him a year ago and he loves it. It is a very small camera — fits in your pocket. Every time General Myers is on the show, we discuss cameras when we are not doing the interview. (Yes, I love gadgets.)

In exchange for the camera advice, General Myers gave me some Web advice: He told me to check out this new website www.americasupportsyou.mil. Now YOU need to check out this Web site. Finally there is a place where you can go to tell our troops how much you appreciate them.

Now for some e-mails — again, randomly chosen, so any viewpoint conveyed is simply accidental and not by my design:

E-mail No. 1 (re: the Ron Artest/NBA incident)

I wish you would have confronted this CLOWN with the video tape that clearly shows him doing an underhand toss of the bottle that hit Ron Artest in the face. It seems that he is just milking his 15 minutes of fame and you and Fox let him have 2 minutes of it.
Blame for this incident goes to the players, fans, lack of security et al... but if he doesn't throw the bottle, the on-court player posturing was over with and the game would have resumed. The tossing of the bottle changed the whole dynamic of the situation, and this CLOWN who did it seems to not want take responsibility for his actions. TOO BAD that he is banned from the Palace for games and concerts and other events and that he can't take his kids to see concerts. Maybe he should sit down with his kids and have to watch the tape of him throwing the bottle and explain to them about being responsible for your own actions. Instead, WE have to watch this CLOWN smirking and shirking questions asked of him when we all can plainly see that he started the whole damn thing.
It was very disappointing that you did not go after him when the video evidence has been made public.
That being said, I do watch and enjoy your perspective on issues, I just wish you wouldn't have given this guy and his lawyer a pass.
Thanks for your time
Pat Butler

E-mail No. 2

Greta,
Friday night's violent basketball debacle is just another example of the long-running decades (yes, decades) of un-sportsmanship conduct and the lack of disciplined behavior by both players and fans that has permeated professional sports.
Mr. Green's comments are typical of many fans. His "holier-than-thou" smirkness and "selective amnesia" in regard to his after-the-incident appropriate fan decorum is fascinating, yet predictable. Too bad Mr. Green did not have a behavior epiphany BEFORE the incident! (How does he keep his day job???)
I believe that when the dust settles, everyone involved will walk away with just a "slap-on-the-hand" so to speak. Until team franchises, sports commissions, and the courts issue and enforce steep fines and stiff penalties (including jail time) to both immature and behaviorally ignorant players — and fans — the violence will continue.
Attending a professional sporting event is hazardous to one's well being. (Thank heaven a child was not injured.) It is sad that teams will fill their seats at any cost (literally and figuratively speaking) and retains players, paying homage to them with seven and eight figure salaries yet are bankrupt in self-control.
Thank you.
Florence
Vancouver, WA

E-mail No. 3

Greta,
Can't believe you interviewed the sly fan with white baseball cap for his opinion on NBA brawl with his lawyer who's no allowing him to answer if he threw the beer (come-on)? PLEASE LOOK at videos again very close, he's the SOB who started whole thing by throwing 1st beer cup, then the chair, THEN pushes outraged Artest toward another innocent fan for what should have been his beating, AND THEN held Artest until HE had a chance to start wailing on Artest back/head at the first chance he saw. HE'S THE BRAWLER
You guys were spinned and got to make it right!
Just watching out for all you at FOX!
Have a blessed day!
Bruce Champouillon
Newark, DE

E-mail No. 4

Dear Greta,
I'm appalled that O.J. Simpson is up to his 'Old Tricks' again. His attitude just plain 'sucks'. This is a cold-blooded killer who got away with murder and is doing nothing but flaunting this fact in the media whenever he gets a chance. If the jury wasn't so biased in his favor, the truth would have come out and he would be on death row instead of 'playing golf'.
This man is 'sick'. He is an animal. The things that come out of his mouth are cold and callous especially with respect to Fred Goldman and his Family. Mr. Goldman has every right to go after O.J. Simpson's assets and they are being carefully hidden. This is an attempt to 'punish' Fred Goldman when all he is doing is trying to make O.J. pay for taking his son's life when a jury would not do it's job and punish Simpson criminally. It was a travesty of justice or justice miscarried.
I don't think the unfairness to our justice system and the American public will go away anytime soon. Because O.J. Simpson and his arrogance and cavalier attitude toward the victim's of his crimes continues to keep this matter 'red hot'. He wants to 'thumb his nose' not only at Fred Goldman but he doesn't like 'white people' or the American judicial system. O.J. Simpson did not love Nicole as we understand the word 'love". He was' insanely jealous' of her. O.J. Simpson does not love anything or anybody besides O.J. Simpson. He's in love with himself. I'm sure he has congratulated himself many times for getting away with 'murder' and he is going to taunt the Goldman family as long as he can possibly do it. I feel very sorry for the Goldman family. They did not deserve this. Nobody does. This O.J. Simpson is a sociopath and a mental case who belongs locked up. The things he has done since the trial, his scrapes with his neighbors, girlfriends and business matters are all indicative of an out-of-control maniac.
Saying things like he won't 'work' but will 'play golf' instead if he is made to pay is "sorry ass talk' from a killer. Unfortunately, we still think of O.J. Simpson as the guy running through the airport for his Hertz Rental Car. But, not me. That was just a flash in the pan. He's definitely not my hero.
Best Regards,
Dave Taylor

And finally, this is not an e-mail but the posting by Martha Stewart from federal prison. I am curious what your thoughts are. Here it is:

Dear Friends,
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, I want to extend my deepest thanks and appreciation for the steadfast support I continue to receive from so many of you. I am told this web page has logged nearly 8 million hits since I began serving my sentence last month, and that supporters have sent more than 15,000 emails. I have also received thousands of letters. I cherish them all.
While I can’t answer each note personally, I want you to know that I am well. As you would expect, the loss of freedom and the lack of privacy are extremely difficult. But I am safe, fit and healthy, and I am pleased to report that, contrary to rumors you might have heard, my daily interactions with the staff and fellow inmates here at Alderson are marked by fair treatment and mutual respect.
In short, I am in good spirits and making the best of this difficult situation. Visits from my friends, family and colleagues - together with your goodwill and best wishes — will get me through this chapter in my life. For this friendship and support, I am very grateful this Thanksgiving.
Sincerely,
Martha Stewart

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