Dear FRONTLINE,

It saddens me that upstanding leaders who care for our political system have no incentive to hold office for fear of this type of sensational witch hunt. There is no difference if it is a mayor of a city, or a federal position.

The only way to overcome this in America is for voters to educate themselves on the issues and not put stock in obvioulsy biased media.

Luke McRae
Ritzville, Washington

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was very disappointed with your portrayal of Jim West as a man who in his last days was contrite for how he had smeared the gay community, both as a state senator and as mayor.But my recollection is that in his last year as mayor of Spokane, West opposed extending same-sex benefits to Spokane city employees. West made several vehement and brutal statements in opposition.I understand that West planned to veto the city ordinance allowing benefits for same-sex couples, until it became clear that the city council was about to unanimously over-ride his veto.So as a former resident of the city of Spokane, I remember Jim West as an arogant, conservative political hack, in denial about his own sexuality and having absolutely no sympathy for the gay community in Spokane. Like many others, he maniupulated the electorate by "pushing" the emotional issues for his own political gain.

Rob Chandler
Harrington, WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

The Frontline report did not touch on the animosity toward Mayor Jim West by the Cowles family that owns the Spokesman Review newspaper. Mr. West's arbitration of the Spokane Riverpark Square scandal involving the developer (the Cowles Family) and the city of Spokane put the mayor at political risk. Anyone with an interest in the Riverpark Square fiasco can find the information on the internet. The lesson to learn here is do not anger the Cowles.

Spokane, WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for "The Hidden Life" broadcast. As a former elected official, who ran for office and was elected while being openly gay, the report sent my emotions on a roller coaster.

It is difficult for society to understand the true impact hatred and discrimination have on people's lives. You told a story that needed to be told. No one was the hero here. But, perhaps your work will provoke some understanding.

Tom Roberts
Santa Barbara, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for presenting both sides of the Jim West story.As a conservative-leaning heterosexual male, I found the most chilling parts of your program to be, much to my surprise, not the interview with Mr. West, but the interview with the newspaper editor. To me, your program is more an illustration of the dangers of activist media than it is a story about a closeted homosexual politician.

Although I personally disagree with Jim West's behavior, my disagreement is my personal opinion, and I certainly respect others. In the absence of any real evidence supporting the notion that Jim West broke the law, the newspaper was deeply in error to take up this crusade against a public official. Ultimately, the newspaper's actions probably served little good except to draw national scorn and embarrassment to an otherwise good city. The ironic thing is that the media here will cite the successful recall as justification for their running the story. That, of course, is a logical fallacy.

Witness the frightening power of media in our society: the ability to destroy the professional lives of completely innocent individuals, simply through manipulation and unevidenced accusation. Citizens of Spokane beware.

Nate O'Connor
Tempe, AZ

Dear FRONTLINE,

It seems to me that the only people guilty in this story are those who worked at the newspaper. This is journalism? I don't think so. It was a witch hunt. When the editor said at the end that he felt terrible I didn't believe him for a second. There was no reliable evidence that Jim West was a pedophile but this editor of the paper was going to let his personal opinion ruin a life. Shame on him and his reporter too.

When a newspaper does a thing like that doesn't the victim have some recourse?

I suppose idiots and bigots are entitled to their opinions but not in the position of power these men had.

Barbara Crowley
Boulder,, CO

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a retired editor and publisher, I watched with embarassment as this story unfolded. In Minnesota we have a News Council made up of journalists and private citizens to which an agrieved citizen can appeal. The results are published, both pros and cons. If Washington has a similar procedure in place, it is my feeling that Mayor West could have made a strong case that the Spokane newspaper overstepped the bounds of responsible journalism.

gary peterson
pelican rapids, minnesota

Dear FRONTLINE,

What the Spokane paper did to Mr. West is a perfect example of the abuse of a powerful tool where the abusers are safe from possible repercussions by claiming that they were working for the public good. The newspaper editor and reporter in this story chose to take the life of another individual into their hands to accomplish there own political agenda and to sell salacious papers. No evidence of any of their accusations were ever remotely provable, yet they still chose to destroy him. I wonder if these men could withstand such scrutiny.

Gentry Dotson
Grandview, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a gay father, living comfortably in liberal Toronto with my son and partner, I was prepared sit back and gloat at another Republican hypocrite swinging in the breeze. True to Frontline form, your balanced and fair story made me see another side and as it unfolded, left me feeling a deep, deep sense of sadness at the judgement we level at each other, the agony that others endure, the strength in the face of scorn they exhibit, and prejudices we all carry, both straight and gay. Mr. West started out as a villain in my eyes and ended a hero. He faced his detractors with what can only be called grace. And as they crowed over headlines like "West Goes Down" he stood watching his defeat with utter dignity and it was then I felt real respect and a sense of forgiveness for this man.

Michael Seven
Toronto, Canada

Dear FRONTLINE,

I think that there is bias still floating around that homosexuality has something to do with "pederasty". If an older straight man was the mayor and he had hired a young woman he was sexually interested in i doubt that media exposure would have been nearly as intense in this situation. People tend to ignore some of these heterosexual courtships as commonplace occurences and tend to demonize homosexual courtships as somehow relating to child abuse. I dont really see the correlation, but the newspaper certainly did their best to exploit superstitions that have been around for centuries.

Raymond Grigas
Chicago, Illinois

Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear Frontline,Thank you for this remarkable program. I felt really emotionally attached to every segment.Reading the extended interviews, I see that Steven Smith has not been approached after the FBI has disclosed the case. I would really like to know what his views are after having our justice system state "There was no indication that West had improperly assisted any potential employees or interns".

Ryan Almario
Atlanta, GA

FRONTLINE's editors respond:

Click here for more on the FBI's investigation and the paper's and Mayor West's responses to it.

Dear FRONTLINE,

I found it most ironic that the very community that preaches tolerance for homosexuality hated West, but the church that is intolerant of homosexuality accepted him.

Paul Giandomenico
Boston, MA

Dear FRONTLINE,

The fact remains that Jim West had a comfortable life and a good job -- but sponsored laws that would deprive other people of living a comfortable life or getting a good job. The homosexuality of a famously anti-gay mayor should have been story enough but the Spokesman-Review wanted a crime. How predictable then that homosexuality was once again conflated with pedophilia, that a sting operation was conducted on the thinnest of possibilities, and that no -- NO -- pedophilia was ever substantiated.

Seems like there's enough homophobia to go around for all parties concerned.

To be clear. I do not give Mayor West a pass. I am a gay man too, roughly West's age. I came though, as did thousands of others, with my integrity intact. Victims are not predestined to be victimizers. The ones who become victimizers should answer for their actions, publicly. The Bible, which these homophobes are so quick to hide behind, has a a saying they would do well to heed: "Live by the sword, die by the sword."

John Calendo
North Bergen, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

In the part where reporter [Bill Morlin] and an associate confronted the mayor, [Morlin] was behaving like a bad cop with a suspect whom he had prejudged as guilty of a criminal act. When the mayor abuses his power he is, rightly,deposed. When a the journalist does it, he is somehow given hero status.

Pittsfield, Massachusetts

Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for producing this story in a balanced presentation. You gave us the room to listen to the stories of bright, engaged and all too humans being; a tragedy and yet a story of redemption. I will ponder this one for a long time.

marlboro, ny