It has been a very interesting week, to say the least. Throughout the media conglomerate in these United States we have been fed a Thanksgiving feast worth of fear in roughly 72 hours (and, a lot longer than that for those counting at home). First, the tragedy at Fort Hood in Texas, then Friday morning a man who was laid off at a job two years ago goes into the building and starts shooting people!
It's a sick, sad, world - folks.
Now I try to keep things light. I'm not big on 'drama'. To be honest, one of my favorite things is making people laugh. So I'll write about how Dustin Pedroia can and will make out with your sister if he so chooses, or how Joe Girardi looks like a rat. There's no (intended) malice, there is no anger stewing inside, building up to be unleashed on the masses..
Nope. None of that..
That is until I began watching ABCNBCCBSCNN in the wake of the incidents in Orlando, Florida and more specifically, Fort Hood.
Now - my 'political identity' is somewhat of a magic show. There's a lot of smoke and mirrors, useless tricks to defend the lack of substance - but there is something there. For instance; I was raised Catholic, by an excellent set of parents, my father being considered more of a 'conservative' and my mother being considered the 'left-wing-nut-case', yet I would consider myself pro-choice; after all a woman's right is a woman's right.
Above all else, I am assertively patriotic. I love this country, through and through. I may not support a war we're involved in, but I will show utmost respect and undying gratitude to the people who serve in those wars. True American Heroes.
I want the people (the right people, that is) held accountable for the attacks on our country. I get angry (literally angry, shouting matches) with people who say "no, I don't vote - it doesn't matter."
You ASSHAT! Whether it matters or not is not the point - millions upon millions of people around the globe have fought, died, lost loved ones, possessions, homes, families - all for the right to get a CHANCE to vote. Some people do take for granted a God given right of a free society and that boggles the mind.
Get to the point, I'm falling asleep at my desk, you idiot..
Well, watching the news (full disclosure: I caught most of the 'updates' from CNN & MSNBC) I couldn't help but feel a little sick to my stomach when they began talking about Major Nidal Malik Hasan.
Major Hasan committed the worst attack on a US military installation on US soil in the history of this country. Major Hasan should be tried to the fullest extent of the law, and then thrown in Levinworth.
What I don't need to hear about is Major Hasan's religious views, nor what he shouted when he began his rampage. I want facts - I want what the media used to do - INVESTIGATE AND REPORT. Easy concept right?! One would think..
I don't need to know the gory details of what went on during those moments that stopped the clock, what we need to find is the real heart of the story - the WHY- Why did Major Hasan do this? What were the real reasons? When or where did he put up warning signs? Was this something that manifested over time? These are the real points. These are the facts that should be presented to us, the viewing public, to bring closure to this awful, awful incident.
Instead? We get Wolf Blitzer saying he's "Oh, look! He's Jordanian! No, wait, sorry - Palestinian!" "Oh hey! He's in TRADITIONAL GARB" (weird..I would consider jeans and a t-shirt 'traditional American garb' does that mean everytime I walk into a gas station in Canada I'm going to blow it up?)
I never heard of Timothy McVeigh as "Anglo-American-Terrorist"..nope, from what I remember he was a "domestic terrorist" and the national media spent so little time on the real root of the problem in OKC, just like they are now. The real 'why' in the OKC bombing was the people, or factions McVeigh was working for. His indictment even names 'unknown co-conspirators' but the government, EVEN AFTER HAVING A PLANTED ATF AGENT INVOLVED, cannot bring them to justice.
Whatever brought Major Nadal to do this horrific crime is a huge, and ultimately ignored factor in this entire story. We know he's a muslim, big deal. We know he was at a convenience store the morning of..
this doesn't answer my question - though. Come on, Wolf!
"So" I thought to myself, "maybe Anderson Cooper will be a little less biased. Maybe, JUST maybe, being a man of the media, who's lifestyle is questioned through out the media, would add just a little bit of integrity to his reporting"
A news-hungry little cow can dream, can't he?
Coop lasted all of 23 seconds before going to the "American-Muslim Soldier rampage". TWENTY THREE SECONDS! I COUNTED! With a stop watch no less!
If Major Hasan was indeed working for a 'rogue faction of outside influence' then PLEASE make sure you have this nailed down, gagged and bound as the 150% truth. Please, PLEASE - for the good of what's left in this country, get the facts straight.
We cannot afford another miscalculation by the press. American society, in the catch twenty-two it is in, relies on the press, but yet most of us can't trust them. "Truths" from Columbine High have been disemminated from that tragedy years ago, and still to this day many of the rumors and 'facts' have turned out to be completely false. The product of panic induced rumors and hearsay.
Balloon Boy was a classic example of the major news media getting it wrong, falling on their face, then trying to get the mud off of their collective faces. See what happens when you just point a camera in the air and let a bunch of idiots in suits speculate for three hours? You get exactly what you deserve, scorn, ridicule, and a generally untrusting viewing audience.
So please - enough of the 'We report, you decide' mentatlity. We shouldn't have to decide what is true and what is not through our news sources. We should, as a free society, be able to trust our news media are above outside influence, big corporation, political swaying, and petty rumor perpetuation.
We should be able to trust them..
Unfortunately, the reality I see is that we cannot.
Until the media addresses the real issues, and does some - GOSH - actual FACT FINDING - then we the people are subjected to the ongoing 'think tanks', 'punditry' and 'roundtable discussion' with talking heads in too much make up and thousand dollar suits, rambling on about opinion and shilling whatever product they happen to hawk at that current time. The one with the louder voice wins, and the host can cut you off because "It's my show - dammit"
Like I said, it's a sick, sad world..
I just want one reporter to do some digging..
and find out "Why?"
http://www.twitter.com/mootek
Until next time - resuming radio silence.
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