Letter to Mark Brewer from the “We Support Dave Walker” Facebook Group

We Support Dave Walker - 500 Members, 19 Oct 2008

List of other sites featuring this letter

The following letter was sent to Mark Brewer this morning, signed by David Keen and seven other representatives of the “We Support Dave Walker” Facebook Group:

Dear Mr. Brewer

We are writing on behalf of 498 supporters of cartoonist and blogger Dave Walker, a group which includes bishops, national journalists in the UK and US, lawyers, clergy, and concerned members of the public. 

We would like to ask you please to contact Dave Walker and withdraw the demands made in the ‘Cease and Desist’ letter which you sent him in July. Your letter, as far as we know, instructed Dave to remove all his posts about the recent history of SPCK bookshops or face action for libel. With the pressures of the impending Lambeth conference, and a very short deadline given by yourself, Dave complied. He commented at the time: “I have therefore removed all of the SPCK/SSG posts on this blog, as, although I believe I have not done anything wrong I do not have the money to face a legal battle. The removal of these posts is in no way an admission of guilt.”

Many of us have read the posts concerned, and are surprised, to say the least, that they could be called libelous. Indeed, the first three posts make no mention at all of yourself, the Society of St. Stephen the Great, or anyone associated with you. The 4th post reports your takeover of the bookshops with the comment “this is splendid news.” Another post is a simple link to your SSG video on YouTube. Other items include verbatim reports of your own statements, and in the simple post on the death of Steve Jeynes, dozens of people used the comments to expressed their grief and condolences to Steve’s family. 

Dave is a reasonable man, and if all critics were as fair as he is the world would be a better place. If you were able to reconsider, and point out specific statements and claims you were unhappy with, we are sure Dave would be happy to correct them where appropriate. This is the normal process of debate on the internet, and in real life, and follows the strong tradition of free speech for which our countries stand and are rightly proud.

So this is a polite request from all of us: please contact Dave Walker, advise him that your ‘cease and desist’ communication no longer stands, and let him report freely. 

Yours sincerely

Rev. David Keen and seven other signatories representing the ‘We Support Dave Walker’ group

• Google search for this letter’s opening sentence

Sites Featuring this Letter (Most Recent First)

• Better Late: Exploring Orthodoxy, 18/10/2008 (B)
• And another one…: the maturest student in the world, 16/10/2008 (B)
• An Asbo for Dave Walker: asingleblog, 14/10/2008 (B)
• Dave Walker and Mark Brewer: Jeremy’s Journey, 14/10/2008 (B)
• Letter to Mark Brewer: spckwatch, 14/10/2008 (B)
• Are you listening Mark Brewer? Scatter Cushions, 13/10/2008 (B)
• The Sorry, Messed-Up Saga of SPCK and SSG: Dave Paisley, Disaster Area, 13/10/2008 (B)
• J Mark Brewer, please listen up! One Blog, One Lord, 13/10/2008 (B)
• letter to the mark brewer: Jody, The Radical Evangelical, 13/10/2008 (B)
• An open letter to Mark Brewer: Real Ale Fanatic, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Letter to Mark Brewer from the Facebook we support Dave Walker group: Jane Stranz, Of life, laughter and liturgy…, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Supporting Dave Walker: Chris Taylor, stillbreathing.co.uk, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Please Cease and Desist with the Cease and Desists: Sub Ratione Dei, 13/10/2008 (B)
• A Letter in Support of Dave Walker: Matt Wills, A very ordinary title for a blog, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Supporting Dave Walker: Atelier-Beads: Around the Worktable, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Dear Mark Brewer: Jonathan, The Red Pill, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Supporting Dave Walker: Mike Peatman, Purple Words on a Grey Background, 13/10/2008 (B)
• Open Letter to Mark Brewer…: Malcolm Chamberlain, 13/10/2008 (B)
• A Letter to Mark Brewer: David Keen, St. Aidan to Abbey Manor, 13/10/2008 (B)

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