Kudos Galore
 
Letters From the Issue of Thursday, July 6, 2006
Phoenix New Times
 
Highest regards: I just wanted to write in and congratulate John Dougherty and New Times for finally getting a smattering of the recognition that he and it deserve for the eye-popping polygamy coverage the paper has published over the past three or four years ("Dougherty Honored" with the Casey Medal, June 22).

Without it, Warren Jeffs, the religion's criminal prophet, would not be on the FBI's Most Wanted List, and none of the rapists of little girls would be indicted and standing trial.

That it took law enforcement so long to do anything about this heinous problem — and still the surface has only been scratched — is almost unbelievable. The practice of turning the other way for so long by Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano and Attorney General Terry Goddard is criminal. I don't know how they can sleep at night.

If not for John, this would still be a terrible little secret that mainstream Mormons could keep hidden. There would be no national publicity, no book on the subject, not even the HBO show Big Love. (For the life of me, I don't know why Dougherty doesn't sue the creators of that show who have taken their plot lines right out of the pages of his New Times articles.)

Again, congratulations, John! Without your work, Arizona would be much worse off than it is. My hat is off to you and to New Times for employing you to fight unpopular battles.

John Tomkins, via the Internet

Three cheers and a huzzah: High praise and appreciation for John Dougherty's inability to walk away from a story — no matter how unpopular he, or it, may become.
 
phoenixnewtimes.com
Originally published July 6, 2006
 
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