Pete Doughtie is an experienced newspaperman who publishes a family owned free weekly publication, The Rutherford Reader (The Reader), supported by third party advertisers. The Reader appears in supermarket racks, fast food chains and various retail outlets in several counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, it has more than 43,000 on-line subscribers. The Reader is based in Murfreesboro, a community of 100,000 in the buckle of the bible belt. However, that locale didn't prevent Doughtie and The Reader from being falsely accused of "hate speech" and having his publication yanked from Kroger Supermarkets, a Kentucky Fried Chicken fast food outlet, and even the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.
If the intimidation of The Reader distributors, who were prodded by false claims of "hate speech," causing them to pull the publication from racks, isn't enough, there was the sudden revelation of a 52,000 square foot Murfreesboro Islamic Center project to be built on a 15 acre site in the community with no public debate whatsoever.
Taking it to the bible belt. h/t Maggie's Farm |