Various Responses & Thoughts

["Schrade, Scott" <sschrade@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Before I go, I have to ask.........
> Who is going to take on Stern?
> COUSIN SCHRADE!

What can I do?  I'm so pale & weak.

> Keets, I too am wondering if Pete in some sort of sub-conscious or 
> even conscious way decided to go ahead and really make himself the 
> focus so as to bring the spot light onto this cause he is obviously 
> very dedicated to.

STOP!!  Pete DID NOT initiate this mess on purpose!  He's hired body-
guards for himself & his family, for Christ's sake!  You think he wanted
that?  Sacrifice his family for "the cause?"  Ruin his career for "the
cause?"  C'mon.... There's no fucking way.  Stop it.          

> Am I right by thinking that the "A different Bomb - Revisited" was 
> posted *prior* to his using his card?

There's the rub, Stanley.  We don't know.  We don't know when the credit
card transaction occurred.

> US authorities traced suspects through credit card payments.

Here's the first mention, I believe, of a credit card "payment."  

> They haven't talked about it tonight, but the last two nights my father 
> and 16 year old brother in particular were laughing about this and my 
> mother along with those two were telling me to calm down and stop de-
> fending Pete.

Excellent, honest post, Anna.  You're not alone in the battle.

> 1. Did Pete actually get charged on his credit card for access to the 
> site, therefore supporting the illegal site with his own money?

See above.  Most of the articles just mention Pete being "traced" via
his credit card.  One has mentioned credit card "payments."  My guess
would be that an actual payment was made. 

> 2. Did Pete talk to any police personnel prior to researching child 
> pornography?

Here are enlightening parts from Pete's Sun interview, before he was
arrested:

*****
He also said he had spoken yesterday to Jackie Malton,
formerly a Detective Chief Inspector based in London's
Fulham, with whom he discussed child pornography last
October.

He said: "She reminded me of our conversation and said
she would be willing to speak to my lawyer or the police."

Townshend said that in the past he contacted the National 
Crime Squad and had hoped to work with Scotland Yard and 
the NSPCC to front a website warning of the Net dangers.
*****

> 3. Did Pete actually call police immediately upon entering the site 
> via his credit card?

No, I don't think so.  Here's another quote from the Sun interview:

*****
Townshend said he spoke to a lawyer friend about visiting 
the sites and had been advised to keep silent.
*****

> Most do not know the facts.  Most don't care to know them.

But, Jon, most don't use their credit cards to gain access to a child
porn website, either.  Hey, I'm defending Pete like a motherfucker, but
if any of you are confused as to why public opinion is mostly against
him then *you* are the ones burying your heads in the sand.

> That is what I think of his (Howard Stern's) opinion of Pete. 

Howard also called Pete a "musical genius" yesterday.  We really can't
blame these people for thinking the worst.  We can try to change their
opinions, but we really can't blame them for their initial reactions 
to this story.

> I almost never post to the list,

Don't be such a stranger, Chris.

> Whenever I tell someone the story behind ADB and give the background 
> before the blowup, everyone agrees that he is being made the fall guy.

Maybe they're just agreeing with you to try to get you to be quiet. ;-)

Another question that occurred to me is, what's going to happen with
the Who tunes Pete's been selling to advertisers, T.V. shows, etc?  Will
CSI stop using "Who Are You" as their theme?  Will advertisers break
their contracts?

Will Pete & The Who's many charities now think twice about asking Pete
or The Who to perform at such-and-such benefit?  Will more radio stations
ban The Who?  Or will they just quietly stop playing them?

"No one knows what it's like to be the bad man, to be the sad man...."
	- Pete Townshend


- SCHRADE in Akron