Beware! They walk among us!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
If Your Mother Says She Loves You, Check It Out
Back in The Day when I was in journalism school (Northwestern University, M.S.J., ’77) we had a saying, “If your mother says she loves you, check it out.” This was part of an effort to instill in us would-be journalists a healthy skepticism. We were taught to check out every fact and if it couldn't be verified, leave it out of the story.
Apparently that is no longer the case.
I’m referring specifically to the media’s coverage of Rush Limbaugh and his attempt as a minority party of a consortium to purchase the St. Louis Rams National Football League team.
As soon as the story of Limbaugh’s interest in the team broke, stories surfaced in the media about Limbaugh’s racist statements on his radio show, such as praising slavery and saying Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray deserved a medal.
The problem is that Limbaugh never said any of these things. He wasn’t misquoted or taken out of context; he simply never said them. The most cursory check would have revealed the untruth of these statements.
Yet, the mainstream media, not to mention left-wing bloggers, accepted these outrageous allegations as Gospel truth.
In the wake of the firestorm created by these false accusations, the consortium asked Limbaugh to withdraw his offer. He refused. The consortium fired him.
Another subject covered in journalism school was libel law. One aspect of libel is what’s known as the public figure doctrine. That means that it’s not enough to demonstrate that the story was untrue, malice had to be demonstrated as well as damage.
Rush Limbaugh is certainly a public figure.
So, can he demonstrate malice?
In this context, malice means either knowing that the information was untrue or that the reporter displayed careless and reckless disregard for the truth.
For example, if I were to report a story from the Associated Press that later turned out to be untrue, I'd be protected from libel because I would have every reason as a professional journalist to assume an AP story was accurate. But if I us to cite such an unreliable source as the neighborhood gossip, Wikipedia or someone with a history of libel such as Al Sharpton, I’d be in serious trouble.
But this doesn’t prove libel against a public figure. It’s not enough to demonstrate that the story was maliciously untrue, the libeled party must also show loss.
Rush lost the St. Louis Rams
I’m a “recovering journalist,” not a lawyer. I can’t speak to what will happen should Limbaugh seek judicial relief.
But I will say from what I know as a journalist, some journalistic careers will be ended by this shameful episode.
Apparently that is no longer the case.
I’m referring specifically to the media’s coverage of Rush Limbaugh and his attempt as a minority party of a consortium to purchase the St. Louis Rams National Football League team.
As soon as the story of Limbaugh’s interest in the team broke, stories surfaced in the media about Limbaugh’s racist statements on his radio show, such as praising slavery and saying Martin Luther King’s assassin James Earl Ray deserved a medal.
The problem is that Limbaugh never said any of these things. He wasn’t misquoted or taken out of context; he simply never said them. The most cursory check would have revealed the untruth of these statements.
Yet, the mainstream media, not to mention left-wing bloggers, accepted these outrageous allegations as Gospel truth.
In the wake of the firestorm created by these false accusations, the consortium asked Limbaugh to withdraw his offer. He refused. The consortium fired him.
Another subject covered in journalism school was libel law. One aspect of libel is what’s known as the public figure doctrine. That means that it’s not enough to demonstrate that the story was untrue, malice had to be demonstrated as well as damage.
Rush Limbaugh is certainly a public figure.
So, can he demonstrate malice?
In this context, malice means either knowing that the information was untrue or that the reporter displayed careless and reckless disregard for the truth.
For example, if I were to report a story from the Associated Press that later turned out to be untrue, I'd be protected from libel because I would have every reason as a professional journalist to assume an AP story was accurate. But if I us to cite such an unreliable source as the neighborhood gossip, Wikipedia or someone with a history of libel such as Al Sharpton, I’d be in serious trouble.
But this doesn’t prove libel against a public figure. It’s not enough to demonstrate that the story was maliciously untrue, the libeled party must also show loss.
Rush lost the St. Louis Rams
I’m a “recovering journalist,” not a lawyer. I can’t speak to what will happen should Limbaugh seek judicial relief.
But I will say from what I know as a journalist, some journalistic careers will be ended by this shameful episode.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
We don’t need no stinkin’ hate crime legislation!
Notice to gay bashers:
It’s best to make sure that your intended victims are not actually two extreme cage fighters out for a night on the town, as these two Brits discovered to their chagrin.
According to the U.K.’s Daily Mail:
Two thugs who attacked what they thought were a pair of transvestites picked on the wrong men - when their intended victims turned out to be cage fighters on a night out in fancy dress.
Dean Gardener, 19, and Jason Fender, 22, singled out the two men walking along a street in wigs, short skirts and high heels.
Bare-chested Gardener was caught on CCTV confronting one of the men in a pink wig, black skirt and boob tube - then seen swinging a punch, a court heard.
But the other cage fighter, wearing a sparkling black dress and matching long wig, sprang to his friend's help, delivering two lightning-quick punches to the two stunned yobs.
The cage fighters were then seen teetering away in their high heels, stopping only to pick up a clutch bag they dropped during the melee.
Gardener and Fender were left dazed and seen staggering to their feet after their failed attack.
It’s best to make sure that your intended victims are not actually two extreme cage fighters out for a night on the town, as these two Brits discovered to their chagrin.
According to the U.K.’s Daily Mail:
Two thugs who attacked what they thought were a pair of transvestites picked on the wrong men - when their intended victims turned out to be cage fighters on a night out in fancy dress.
Dean Gardener, 19, and Jason Fender, 22, singled out the two men walking along a street in wigs, short skirts and high heels.
Bare-chested Gardener was caught on CCTV confronting one of the men in a pink wig, black skirt and boob tube - then seen swinging a punch, a court heard.
But the other cage fighter, wearing a sparkling black dress and matching long wig, sprang to his friend's help, delivering two lightning-quick punches to the two stunned yobs.
The cage fighters were then seen teetering away in their high heels, stopping only to pick up a clutch bag they dropped during the melee.
Gardener and Fender were left dazed and seen staggering to their feet after their failed attack.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Restoring America’s Image in the World
One of the biggest campaign issues last year was America's image overseas. Democrats claimed that the country's reputation was tarnished by the Bush Administration's policies. They promised that an Obama Administration would restore the United States' standing in the eyes of the world through enlightened leadership.
President Obama announced one of these policy changes Sept. 17 when he cancelled anti-missile defenses promised to Poland and the Czech Republic. The timing was particularly ironic, coming as it did on the 60th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland when Communist forces joined hands with their Nazi cousins in destroying the Polish state.
The Poles and Czechs are not happy with this shift in American policy.
According to an Associated Press report by Vanessa Gera on Sept. 18:
This new policy gained nothing for the United States and betrayed the trust of two allies, both of whom have reason to distrust their aggressive neighbor to the east.
Still, there is at least one major foreign leader who appreciates this policy shift by the Obama Administration:
President Obama announced one of these policy changes Sept. 17 when he cancelled anti-missile defenses promised to Poland and the Czech Republic. The timing was particularly ironic, coming as it did on the 60th anniversary of the Soviet invasion of Poland when Communist forces joined hands with their Nazi cousins in destroying the Polish state.
The Poles and Czechs are not happy with this shift in American policy.
According to an Associated Press report by Vanessa Gera on Sept. 18:
Poles and Czechs voiced deep concern Friday at President Barack Obama's decision to scrap a Bush-era missile defense shield planned for their countries.According to the AP report, the Czechs are no happier with Obama's policy reversal than are the Poles:
"Betrayal! The U.S. sold us to Russia and stabbed us in the back," the Polish tabloid Fakt declared on its front page.
Polish President Lech Kaczynski said he was concerned that Obama's new strategy leaves Poland in a dangerous "gray zone" between Western Europe and the old Soviet sphere.
Recent events in the region have rattled nerves throughout central and eastern Europe, a region controlled by Moscow during the Cold War, including the war last summer between Russia and Georgia and ongoing efforts by Russia to regain influence in Ukraine. A Russian cutoff of gas to Ukraine last winter left many Europeans without heat.
The Bush administration's plan would have been "a major step in preventing various disturbing trends in our region of the world," Kaczynski said in a guest editorial in the daily Fakt and also carried on his presidential Web site.
An editorial in Hospodarske Novine, a respected pro-business Czech newspaper, said: "an ally we rely on has betrayed us, and exchanged us for its own, better relations with Russia, of which we are rightly afraid."Reportedly, the Russians offered no concessions in return for scrapping the missile shield plans.
The move has raised fears in the two nations they are being marginalized by Washington even as a resurgent Russia leaves them longing for added American protection ... "No Radar. Russia won," the largest Czech daily, Mlada Fronta Dnes, declared in a front-page headline.
This new policy gained nothing for the United States and betrayed the trust of two allies, both of whom have reason to distrust their aggressive neighbor to the east.
Still, there is at least one major foreign leader who appreciates this policy shift by the Obama Administration:
Friday, September 18, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Anti-Prop 8 Fallout
Remember how gay activists "Outed" Prop 8 supporters last year by publishing their names, addresses, places of business and financial contributions and then urged gay marriage supporters to "contact" these people to express their displeasure? It was part of the Prop 8 Maps Project, which used Google Maps to pinpoint Prop 8 supporters (ironically, those behind the project kept themselves anonymous).
Well, is seems that gay marriage supporters in Washington State planned to use the same tactics there to, uh, "convince" their opponents not to sign a defense of marriage petition in that state. But this time, a federal judge wants to see where political debate ends and voter intimidation begins.
A news release from the law firm Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, which represents Project Marriage Washington, notes in part:
A U.S. District Judge agreed to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the release of petition signers’ names will remain in effect until the court makes a permanent ruling.
For more on the case, visit the Catholic News Agency.
Well, is seems that gay marriage supporters in Washington State planned to use the same tactics there to, uh, "convince" their opponents not to sign a defense of marriage petition in that state. But this time, a federal judge wants to see where political debate ends and voter intimidation begins.
A news release from the law firm Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom, which represents Project Marriage Washington, notes in part:
“This has triggered hundreds of cases of harassment, vandalism and threats of violence directed at marriage supporters throughout the nation. Such personal attacks occurred in large numbers after the adoption of Proposition 8 in California last November ... No one should have to suffer vandalism and death threats just because they support government protection of traditional marriage.”
A U.S. District Judge agreed to issue a temporary restraining order preventing the release of petition signers’ names will remain in effect until the court makes a permanent ruling.
For more on the case, visit the Catholic News Agency.
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