Sunday, February 12, 2006
Without Fear or Favor
Many newspapers used to carry a motto, usually on their front page or with the editorial credits. "Published without fear or favor." It was supposed to indicated that the presses integrity and belief in the freedom of the press, as well as their responsibility was absolute and could not be swayed.
Well, no more. Case in point, have you seen "the" cartoons? You know the ones, of Mohammed. The ones that are SO offensive to Muslims. The ones that violate the imaginary prohibition against images of the "prophet?" You won't see them in the American press or media. Have you tried to find them elsewhere, say on the Internet. It isn't easy.
Why? Why won't the American media and press, the freest in all the world, show them to us? The decision by a Danish paper to publish them in the first place may not have been the brightest move ever. But now they are news. We've been shown amateur video of President Kennedy being murdered infinite times. We've seen footage of South Vitnamese General Nguyen Ngoc Loan summarily execute a Viet Cong prisoner on the streets of Siagon over and over and over. We've seen our soldiers bodies stripped and dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. We've seen the burned bodies of American civilians hung from bridges in Fallujah.
But we can't see these stupid cartoons? Why not? Bob Lonsberry has a few ideas about it.
Which in my opinion makes us at least a little better than the radical Muslim thugs who are in such a snit over these ridiculous cartoons. ¶ Sunday, February 12, 2006
Well, no more. Case in point, have you seen "the" cartoons? You know the ones, of Mohammed. The ones that are SO offensive to Muslims. The ones that violate the imaginary prohibition against images of the "prophet?" You won't see them in the American press or media. Have you tried to find them elsewhere, say on the Internet. It isn't easy.
Why? Why won't the American media and press, the freest in all the world, show them to us? The decision by a Danish paper to publish them in the first place may not have been the brightest move ever. But now they are news. We've been shown amateur video of President Kennedy being murdered infinite times. We've seen footage of South Vitnamese General Nguyen Ngoc Loan summarily execute a Viet Cong prisoner on the streets of Siagon over and over and over. We've seen our soldiers bodies stripped and dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. We've seen the burned bodies of American civilians hung from bridges in Fallujah.
But we can't see these stupid cartoons? Why not? Bob Lonsberry has a few ideas about it.
"Publishing them first was a questionable call.One more thing, when our countrymen's bodies were defiled by savages in the streets of Somalia and Iraq we didn't riot. We didn't burn embassies. We didn't kill innocent people. We didn't even rain vengeance down on those responsible.
But publishing them now is not.
Now it’s not commentary, it’s news. These cartoons are the root of an international incident which is costing people their lives every day. Relations across the world are shaken by these cartoons.
And it only makes sense that people – American people – be allowed to see those cartoons, if only to be better able to judge the propriety – or impropriety – of the worldwide Muslim response. Basic news judgment indicates that we ought to be able to see what all the fuss is about. ...
"Is there a double standard at play here, which puts Muslim sensibilities above the responsibility of the free press? Do the networks care more about Muslims than they do viewers? Is this political correctness, another kissing of the Muslim backside?
Or is this outright cowardice? Are the American news organizations just spineless? Do they fear being targeted by Muslim protests or Muslim terrorism? Are their principles so cheap that they can be sold over some silly editorial cartoons?
It seems so."
Which in my opinion makes us at least a little better than the radical Muslim thugs who are in such a snit over these ridiculous cartoons. ¶ Sunday, February 12, 2006
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if you are interested in seeing the cartoons that were published you can do so here:
http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698
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http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/698
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