"A World of Grey" - What Andrys Basten Found in the Anne Kilkenny Letter

When she's curious about something, Andrys Basten is not a woman to let things lie.

In response to what's been called one of the great classical music scandals of our time, she looked into the story of pianist Joyce Hatto (who essentially lifted recordings from other pianists and passed them off as her own.) Basten diligently researched the subject, compiled links to available articles and materials, and created "The Joyce Hatto Hoax Log," an extensive and meticulously sourced website.

She's now curious about the letter Wasilla resident Anne Kilkenny wrote about the woman who made Wasilla a household name - Sarah Palin. And she's researching the statements Kilkenny made to see if she can substantiate or refute what was said. Most important of all, she's sharing her hard work with the rest of us by gathering them in one carefully-sourced place, just like she did with Hatto.

Why is she going to all this trouble? In her words:

I picked up Kilkenny's note, which was obviously not just to friends...I felt what she was saying was important to explore. So I started a page for it. Wall St. Journal footnoted their Sept. 9 report on the letter as originating probably from my page.... And while doing so, I read up as much as I could on the Net, to find information from the more balanced sources, pro and con, to try to find out what is true and what isn't, where that can be determined.

I've added daily Updates re what I find about the various actions mentioned by Anne Kilkenny. Some of it is refuted and some of it is confirmed. What I've found is a world of grey. It's fascinating.

There are some incorrect charges on most pages, including that Palin is anti-contraception, she's not, though she has supported abstinence as safest method to prevent pregnancy. But I have updates sorted by date and also a reference section. I find it all fascinating and not at all black & white as seen too often.

Reader feedback led to my adding an update on my original Anne Kilkenny post that includes a link to factcheck.org, which takes a critical look at the accuracy of Kilkenny's letter.

But I also wanted to draw attention to Basten's work and her page. What she's doing is exemplary. She's not taking anything at face value. She recognizes the power of the internet in providing in-depth material and additional perspectives on the issue. She's devoting an enormous amount of time to this project. She's showing us her breadcrumb trail and unselfishly allowing us to benefit from her hard work.

Andrys Basten is taking a proactive approach to her responsibilities as a voter. She's not letting one side or the other spoon-feed her the story that she wants to hear (and that they want her to swallow hook, line and sinker); and she's not only looking at the materials that support her pre-existing views.

She's one of the few rational voices that I've heard comment on this letter, because she recognizes that there are no absolutes - only shades of grey. And in doing so, she puts the rest of us to shame.

This election is a moment in time that calls upon the best within us. It challenges us to look beyond those prettified images of the candidates and dig deeper to uncover the truth, the facts, the issues and the consequences of voting one or the other into office.

Right now, the truth may be a moving target depending on where you stand as a Republican, Democrat, or Independent.

But with more voters like Andrys Basten taking their civil rights and our democratic system of free elections seriously, eventually those moving targets will be pinned down enough for us to make educated, informed decisions - and vote not for the latest American political idol anointed by the media, but for a President and Vice President whose intelligence we respect, whose integrity we uphold, whose commitment we honor, and whose abilities will move us past a difficult war, a struggling economy, a fragmented society and a polarized electorate to bring us together as one nation worthy of the designation "The United States of America."