Writer Blasts Coverage Of D.C. Protests
The Sept. 12 edition of the Bristol Herald Courier carried a front page article by Debra McCown on local participation in the Tea Party March in Washington, D.C. The article was accompanied by two photos of “members” of the something called the Tenth Amendment Foundation.
Reading what purported to be a news article about the protest, I discovered what was not apparent from the caption of the photos. The lady identified in the photo caption only as Linda Moon turns out to also be chair of the Republican Party of Johnson County, Tenn. One can only wonder if Ms. Moon’s status as party flak for the people unwilling/unable to admit who lost the 2008 election might have something to do with her “protest.”
In the middle of the so-called news article, I also found the following paragraph disguised as fact: “A major issue with these folks is health care, and many of them are the very sort who would appear to be targeted by the promises of reform: senior citizens some with visible health problems.”
As an editing issue, it is totally unclear what exactly McCown intended by referring to senior citizens being “targeted by the promises of reform.” In the context of recent crazed and untrue allegations concerning “death panels,” it seemed possible that was what she is talking about. If that is what she meant, she, her editor, and your newspaper should be ashamed.
On the other hand, the other possibility is that McCown meant an innocent use of the word “targeted” i.e.: Health reform was intended to benefit senior citizens. The problem here is that this reading makes no sense. Although health care reform will indeed benefit the whole country, senior citizens will not be the primary beneficiaries. Thanks to the Medicare program instituted 40 years ago by a Democratic president whom Strother Smith and Ms. Moon no doubt also “protested,” seniors have a “public option” which other parts of the population don’t have. Because of Medicare, seniors have a security on health matters which millions of the uninsured and privately insured lack.
Your paper needs to explain what McCown intended. It may also need to give her lessons on separating fact from fiction; especially including the fictional opinions of foundations designed to promote the anti-democratic agenda of radical wingnuts.
Hugh F. O’Donnell
St. Paul, Va.
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Reader Reactions
bbart (Mr. Race Hustler),
You refuse to even acknowledge my questions. Oh, I forgot my questions make me a racist, according to you. I don’t get that. Someone is a racist for simply asking questions???
Seems to me you are so wrapped up in the ultra left’s message, you can’t deal with any opposition.
How about this? Bernie Madoff’s situation makes me very angry. He’s white, so that makes me what?
Keep on hustling, sir. Keep looking for racial issues everywhere. Guess what….If you look hard enough, you’ll see (create) racial components in every situation. How much of your hate for Republican views result from a racial standpoint? Oh, I know…..I bet that’s different, right?
farmer,
It is my fervent hope that your children, grandchildren, and all of the children of your family study and travel outside the area that produced your narrow-minded bigotry. I hope they have the privilege and pleasure of working with people of various racial, ethnic and national identities.
I wonder, had I not left the Tri-Cities area for much of my education, whether I would have matured into someone like you. That is one scary thought.
I am signing off of this blog thread now.
cs-ino,
Perhaps you did not notice, but that post about Garrison Keillor was directed to the “rational” people.
No, I never did like Prarie Home Companion- and farmer is right.
That teacher & Supt. Schools should be dumped, I don’t care who the politician is…Obama, Bush, Frank- anyone.
So I’m obsessed with ACORN? That’s an interesting choice of words. Perhaps I’m obsessed with America’s tax dollars going to such a corrupt group of people, and how some of the loony left are ok with it. If anyone points out how corrupt they are, the accuser is most obviously racist.
Could it be that some of you leftist loons are a bit obsessed with George Bush? 20 years from now you guys will still be blaming him for nearly everything that goes badly. Was he to blame for the recent floods in Georgia? Get over it. Your fella Barack Hussein Obama is in now. Has he made any mistakes?
Oh, did you see the 2nd graders forced to sing the Obama song? I bet you loved that, didn’t you? I’d just love to hear what some of you loons would’ve said if young children would’ve been forced to sing about George Bush. Go ahead…tell me how wrong I am about that.
To the rational people out there,
Do you like Prairie Home Companion? If so you may be enjoy reading Garrison Keillor’s comments on:
THE RIGHT’S MIDDLE-FINGER SPIRIT OF CONTRARIANISM
Here is one choice paragraph that all the greedy pro-corporate control puppets should heed:
“The right believes that if you throw enough mud, some will stick, and if you characterize healthcare reform as an evil plot by one-eyed space aliens, you can defeat the thing. The fact is that there are 40 million uninsured Americans and soon, if nothing is done, there will be more. This is a moral dilemma, the same as if habeas corpus only applied east of the Mississippi or that green-eyed children will only be educated through the sixth grade. Not acceptable in the country I live in. And it’s up to people who care about the common good not to be scared off.“
http://tinyurl.com/y8donha
mr. race-baiter,
My comments are in CAPS
By the way, bbart. I mentioned ACORN again because you never answered the questions I asked in the first place.
YOU ARE OBSESSED WITH ACORN, LIKE MANY IN THE REPUBLIKLAN PARTY. I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ACORN OTHER THAN THEY TRY TO GET FOLKS REGISTERED TO VOTE. THE PRESS HAS UNCOVERED SOME WRONGDOING BY SOME OF THEIR STAFF. DOES THIS MAKE EVERYTHING DONE BY ACORN BAD? I DOUBT IT.
Folks who know the truth, but don’t want to talk about it, ignore questions about sensitive topics.
LIKE YOU DO.
However, I’m no fan of ANYONE, of any color, who does bad things.
LIKE BUSH’S MASS MURDER OF INNOCENT IRAQIS? FUNNY YOU NEVER MENTIONED THAT.
NO WAY. YOU’RE TOO BUSY TRYING TO HANG ACORNS ON ALL LIBERALS, PROGRESSIVES AND DEMOCRATS.
when folks like me OBSESS CONSTANTLY ABOUT the wrong doings of SMALL NUMBERS OF MINORITY CITIZENS, we’re labeled by THINKING PEOPLE as CLASSIC CASES OF RACE BAITERS.
By the way, bbart. I mentioned ACORN again because you never answered the questions I asked in the first place. Folks who know the truth, but don’t want to talk about it, ignore questions about sensitive topics.
That, sir, reveals who you really are.
Good try bbart. However, I’m no fan of ANYONE, of any color, who does bad things. It’s just that when folks like me mention the wrong doings of minorities, we’re labeled by you far left loons as racist.
To make you feel better, I was sickened by Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, and Scott Peterson. They’re white. Oh, and if Casey Anthony (she’s white) is found guilty of killing her little girl in Florida, I won’t like that either.
You are too funny, and way too predictable.
Get your ACORN dues in today!!!!! Lots of criminals out there are depending on that money!!!!!
mr. race-baiter,
I’m obviously far to the left of you. That puts me right in the middle of the normal people. Yes, there are some folks out there on the far left as well as the far right. I’m not one of them.
Also, normal people take note of things like the actions of some people at ACORN, perhaps they might even make a comment about it, and then they move on.
“Race-baiters,“ on the other hand, become obsessed with anything wrong done by someone of a different skin color than their own. They will not, can not, let it go. They have to bring it up every time they post or even speak. Day after day they try to prove their own racial superiority by repeatedly making negative comments about other ethnic groups.
That certainly sounds like you, doesn’t it?
Your comments reveal who you truly are.
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