It seemed like the time was right to create another voice that would echo the dissent that was being sparked, in of all places, Comedy Central and HBO. I became a big fan of John Stewart and Bill Maher. These men were providing viewers with informed opinions about everything from the war to the abuses of Wall Street tycoons who were ripping off the rest of us to the tune of billions of dollars. When Cindy Sheehan camped in front of George Bush’s elaborate Texas ranch and requested a meeting to discuss the death of her son, a soldier serving in Iraq, none of the major network news reporters commented on how bizarre the story really was. George Bush’s spokesmen repeatedly told the press the President was too busy to meet with a single mother and this is the mis-information the major newscasters reported. The absence of perspective made Ms. Sheehan look like a kook. The implication was, of course, that George was simply too busy fighting a war in which thousand of American soldier’s lives were at risk to meet with a single unhappy mother. The reality, as John Stewart and Bill Maher made abundantly clear, was that W wasn’t devoting his time to the war, he was chopping wood and bike riding with Lance Armstrong.

One day my anger concerning the shortcomings of network news boiled over and I placed posts in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco and Austin offering to pay writers a small sum if they would produce material that could both make people laugh and think at the same time. Very quickly, talented free thinkers from around the country began to surface. I received hundreds of emails encouraging me to move forward with my humble project. More importantly, I also received hundreds of submissions from people as distressed over the current state of political and cultural affairs. Presented on these pages is the best of what was received. There is already a stash of articles for the next edition and I am hopeful the material will continue to flow. Many of the writers reported composing their material in response to their own frustrations with the current administration and many offered to write for free, just to give voice to their concerns. I was also very fortunate to have recently met the two people who have helped give The Other Truth form, James Acker and Andrea Fiore. Thanks to James and Andrea The Other Truth was able to take shape. Their vision helped The Other Truth come into existence. Thanks also to Rose Baldwin and Tina Maloney. Without their encouragement and support this publication would have never become a reality.

So there is no mistake, this is not a partisan publication. We are not in existence to advocate voting for the Democratic party versus the Republican. Our writers have no reservations about taking on members of all political parties and social issues. If it appears as though we attack the republicans more than any other, there is good reason. The Republican party has become the party of the absurd extremist. If republican party members and supports weren’t causing so many people so much grief there wouldn’t be so much to complain about. Destructive wars, bad social policy, interfering with a woman’s right to choose, the imposition of prayer in school, religious symbols in public buildings, attempts to introduce “intelligent design” into the science curriculums of public schools and other similarly stupid policies will, sadly, provide us with material for years to come.

The Other Truth is a collaborative effort of writers, designers, editors and the advertisers who, in their meager way, unwittingly support this grand effort most of whom have never been actively political. Thanks for reading. Come back often and tell your friends about us. Submit an article, cartoon or photo from time to time. We’d love to hear from you.

Steve Marx
Editor, The Other Truth