Digging deeper on Michael Moore’s ‘9/11’

It seems Patrick Goldstein’s article attacking Michael Moore [“Truth Teller or Story Stretcher?” June 22] is as slippery as Goldstein claims Moore is. To refute Moore’s claims that Jay Leno and Bill O’Reilly have been feuding with him, Goldstein asks ... Jay’s producer and Bill! And they ... deny it! O’Reilly’s numerous falsehoods have been well documented, and Leno is the guy who basically kicked off our current Republican governor’s campaign.

Sorry, Patrick. You have to dig a little deeper than that. If Moore is the publicity-seeking goon his opponents claim he is, do you think he would really duck “The Tonight Show”? And if someone did a joke (with visuals, however ridiculous) about blowing up your house, would that perhaps make you feel ... threatened?

Joel Canfield

Redondo Beach

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Of course Moore exaggerates -- that’s part of his art. Of any artist’s art -- for instance, the caricature by illustrator Steven Lawrence that accompanied Goldstein’s article. Or any great black-and-white art (there are no black-and-white line drawings in nature, just lots of colors and grays). Moore exaggerates to more clearly point out the truth. That is a far cry from telling outright lies.

Bonnie Compton Hanson

Santa Ana

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Michael MOORE, a man who supposedly uncovers the truth, sure has a knack for stretching it. His credibility is severely damaged.

Karin W. Ahlf

Costa Mesa

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If the media, The Times included, were doing their job properly, we might not have to be watching films like Michael Moore’s, because he’d be making comedies instead. As it is, I’m glad he’s around to find some humor in tragic times. What’s really tragic is when the truth is finally shown and people still seek room to quibble with it.

Charles Fredricks

Santa Monica

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Moore doesn’t claim to be “fair and balanced.” Anybody who goes to see his documentaries, or reads his books, should be able to immediately ascertain that Moore is not presenting a soft-spoken, excruciatingly politically correct, PBS documentary.

Which is, I must suspect, the real problem that many of Moore’s critics have with his work. It’s not the typical wimp pablum put out by liberals. Moore’s work is as in-your-face as much of the content on Fox News. He is not willing to play sniveling liberal toady to America’s right-wing bullies and thugs. He’s giving back what’s been dished out, and more.

Celeste Harrison

Whitlow

Arroyo Grande