Sharon, a new neighbor of mine, has recently returned from Iraq. About her, I thought, "Here is the person the national media are after, using as a political pawn." This is the person to whom the local editors give short shrift. The media say they put out nothing but high-quality news, and never political propaganda -- although in the case of the Associated Press, they can't be too critical or they can't fill up the paper.
So, here I am apologizing, if that's the right word, for the job the national liberal media does on our troops, telling people such as Sharon that they're just attacking a Republican president and trying to throw elections toward fellow Democrats and socialism. She says she still can't watch the news.
I try to explain AP stories, such as the one which ran in The Augusta Chronicle on June 1, which began, "U.S. military deaths plunged in May to the lowest monthly level in more than four years ... ." The next paragraph tried to cancel that good news by saying, "But many Iraqis, U.S. officials ... are uncertain whether the lull signals a long-term trend or is simply a breathing spell like so many others before."
Yet, when U.S. casualties were high, AP didn't give a bright side, but wrote in The Chronicle only a month before on May 1, "The killings of five U.S. soldiers ... pushed the American death toll for April to 49, making it the deadliest month since September." Wait, where is the, "Some generals feel the situation will improve"? It's not there.
You know, a lot of those soldiers trained at Fort Gordon. Sharon did. She's training to be a drill instructor, has been to Iraq twice and was treated for post-traumatic stress disorder. Couldn't editors think of that before running AP stories? Maybe those editors could meet soldiers such as Sharon.
Tom Hunter, Augusta
Comments
Tom, as a former journalist, you know better than a "liberal media." You shot yourself in the foot with your last paragraph..."treated for post-traumatic stress disorder"... and sent back? Do you not see what a toll this invasion has taken on people like your neighbor? And you defend this?
grouse the thing that bothers me most are people such as you who will fight for their right to speak our against our brave men and women for all to hear but never seem to think for one single moment that these same people, who are fighting and dying like so many before them, are the ones you and others should say thanks....In other countries around the globe your mouthing off would never be allowed...Not to be ugly about it all but if you and others have nothing supportive or good to say about our military then just hush....:-)
Where is the criticism of our troops in either the article or in Grouse's response? Is there a bright side to 49 American troop deaths? Please tell the parents of those who gave the ultimate sacrifice the bright side of their child's death. I am active duty, I have been to Iraq, and the Phillipines southern Zamboanga province where al qaeda is as plentiful as the mosquitoes. Right-wingers never seem to be able to comprehend the difference between criticizing the administration and spitting on troops.
There should be no division when it comes to supporting our government and it's troops republicant...None and if there are then they do not need to be seen and heard world wide. If your active duty then I applaud you for your sense of honor and duty to your country and folks like myself...Thank you so much and as always you and others will remain in my prayers...In my time criticizing the government and spitting on our troops was one in the same..Much shame is and should be heaped on the heads of the people who protested against the men and women of the VietNam era...
A person saying that George Bush ordered the invasion of Iraq under false pretense is quite a different thing from saying that U.S. troops are baby killers. Over simplifying this is a method used by the right wing to garner support for their cause. It is a straw man argument. Only the most vile lefties believe that our military is responsible for this sorry state of affairs. Anyone who spits on a Soldier/Sailor/Marine deserves the punishment that is hopefully inflicted on them.
You will not have to look far to find these vile lefties Republicant...They are alive and thriving unfortunately...
it is unfortunate that the media tend to run stories heavily which feature bad news about soldiers in iraq but very little good news. i have to say that i have not heard one of my liberal friends (and i seem to be surrounded with them) make a negative comment about the military. to a man / woman, though, they criticize the actions of our gov't and its leader, GWB.
Grouse, soldiers don't choose to go to war but are sent. The writer is right as the liberal MSM never has any of the accomplishments of those who are fighting. Never hear of the schools that were rebuilt, collection from home of school materials, rebuildling hospitals, etc. Nope, the liberal media hate GW Bush so much, they take it out on the troops. No-you can't "support the troops but not support the mission" as the left so often like to say. that is pure leftist mouth manure.
Republicant, thanks for your service. I served in Vietnam as well as the Phillipines. The writer is correct-there ARE some bright sides to any war but never hear or read about them (unless on Fox or CSPAN). Had we had the type media during WW II as we do today, we would be speaking German on the East Coast and Japanese on the left coast. There is no such thing as "journalist" in the MSM today. As I said before, those who claim to "support the troops but not the mission" is jsut pure hypocritical mouth manure. So-called journalists these days are rated by the public lower than lawyers. The likes of Walter Cronkite was one reason we did not win the war in Vietnam. Lies and more lies and doom and gloom.
Bone, you haven't read some of Cain's anti-military/Bush diatribes, have you?
In other words CHRISTIAN134, I shouldn't exercise my freedom of speech? Only those who agree with the powers-that-be should speak? I didn't say anything bad about the military, if anything, I was saying what a unnecessary toll this invasion has placed on the members of the military. Please work on your comprehension skills. JACK, if we never hear about all the things you listed, then HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM?? And yes, you can support the men and women of the military without supporting the invasion as you so right pointed out - they were sent to.
My comprehension seems pretty good to me grouse...Oh alright..hum... I will certainly try just for you friend....:-)Try smiling it helps....
How dare the media report the news. They need to be a political spin piece for our government. Fox News gets it. They love spewing propaganda...err...positive news to support the government right now.
Grouse, I learned about the good things from such channels as CSPAN, military channel and Fox, certainly not CNN, ABC, NBC or the NY Terrorist Times. No, grouse, if you support the troops, you support the mission they are performing each and every day. Doesn't matter is you or I agree with having invaded Iraq- I supported it when the intel was reported at the time. As we who have been in the intel business, it ain't always right, even when others (Brits, Saudis, Cliton, Hitlery, et al,) said SH had WMDs and needed to go. If for no other reason, SH had our recon flights fired on daily (and overt act of war), refused to abide by the cease fire terms, ad nauseum. This nation does not need another Vietnam to endure and be internationally embarrassed about again being looked on as a paper tiger or spineless when the going get tough. We are winning and to pull out now is just plain stupid.
Imdstuff, there iarewno sources more guilty of propaganda than the Communist News Network (CNN) and their MSM ilk, National Propaganda Radio (NPR), NY Terrorist Times, Left Angelses Times or the Washington Poop. Reporting the news is one thing, but any resemblance to real journalists and those we have to contend with tody is purely coincidental. It ain't a surpise that over 80 per cent of American journalists are DIMocRATS, 93 per cent in the DC area.
Yesterday, I watched and applauded as our soldiers were marched through the Atlanta airport on their way back to Iraq. My heart was full of pride, but anguish. Young faces, i tried looking into each soldier's eyes as they passed my way. All I could think about was which ones would not return and which ones would be maimed for life. As a retired soldier it was one of those poignant moments that brings tears to your eyes.
Jack, just to take Fox as an example, you don't consider them mainstream? Murdock controls many media outlets. It has been reported elsewhere that Bush, Cheney, et al, ignored contrary advise and proceed with the invasion without due discretion. This invasion has sucked billions of dollars out of our economy and loss of lives on both sides. Your definition of winning and mine are two different things.
no, jack, i tend to skip anything with JRHC on it.
The AP, UPI, Reuters etc are newssources with correspondents world wide. They all have one thing in common; no editing allowed. The same goes for affiliated TV stations that rely on their networks for national, international news and/or CNN. If a local story becomes a national news story (i.e. the widow with 5 dead husbands) it is "fed" to the local affiliate with footage and copy, usually provided by that affiliate, but no editing allowed. It is often the reporter that "packages" the news story then sends it by electronic means to a central or regional bureau. There it may be re-edited or changed in some way. My point is that what a field reporter/journalist reports may not necessarily be what the reader/viewer gets.
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