Subject: National CBS Television Advertising
To: CBS Ad Department

As a CBS viewer (the majority of my favorite television shows--dramas, like Judging Amy and The District, as well as CSI--are on CBS), I am writing to voice my concern over your network's recent unfair, inconsistent, and indeed un-American actions regarding ads for the Super Bowl. You have rejected ads from both the MoveOn.org Voter Fun and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, claiming you have a policy of not running ads promoting "controversial issues of public importance", and yet apparently you are going to run a very controversial anti-marijuana ad from the Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Perhaps you think that the ONDCP's ad is not controversial. If so, you are wrong. According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, the latest CNN/Time polling data indicates that 72% of the American public supports marijuana decriminalization, thus clearly this too is a "controversial issue of public importance" that divides American public opinion, and any public service announcement on the subject that promotes only one side of this issue must be considered an issue ad.

As a viewer of your network, I hope you will reconsider your decision to ban some issue oriented ads while allowing others. A free society relies on the honest debate of controversial issues. For CBS to allow certain points of views to be expressed on it's network while denying others strikes at the heart of democracy and the free flow of ideas. I hope you will either reconsider this network policy or reject the ONDCP's propaganda ads in accordance with CBS policy.

Sincerely,

Madeline Althoff