Media Bias???
As a self-described progressive, I often shy away from terms like “left wing media” or the Limbaugh phrase, “drive-by media”. Sure, humans control the media and a certain level of bias will seep through, but I do not think that the mainstream media is actively engaged in a conspiracy to destroy everything American. However, over the weekend, the coverage of the Canadian terrorist arrests has changed my view.
While not completely ignoring the story, the mainstream media has, for the most part, buried the Canadian terrorist arrests behind gay marriage, flag burning, Ivy League masochists and a morbid tale of mistaken identity. Initially, I learned of the story from a brief blurb reported on MSNBC Saturday morning. The weekend anchorperson simply said that Canadian officials arrested a group of young Canadians accused of plotting an “Oklahoma City style attack.” While this accurately describes the means of attack (ammonium nitrate), it fails to capture the essence of the attack. Not once in this initial report did the report reveal the ethnicity or religious background of the accused.
The next morning, the nation’s leading newspapers treated the story in a similar fashion, discussing the similarities between the Canadian terrorist plot and the Oklahoma City tragedy. Not until the last paragraph did the AP story reveal the name of the accused. Guess what? All of the men have Islamic names.
The story hinted that these men attended mosques known for fundamentalist teachings, yet they refused to come out and say—17 Muslim men arrested in Canadian terrorist plot.
When Madrid was attacked, we could dismiss it for Spain’s active role in assisting the U.S. in combating global terrorism and a centuries old conflict between Spain and the Muslim people. Likewise, when London was attacked, the motive was clear. The United Kingdom has long been the United States strongest ally on the war on terrorism.
But Canada? Canada has provided refuge for disgruntled Americans fleeing the Bush regime and what they perceive as an illegitimate war. Like France and Germany, Canada scoffed at the United States’ planned invasion of Iraq and many of the tenants of the so-called, “Bush doctrine”. Indeed, if anyone were going to plot to attack Canada, it would seem to be some right-wing militant group from the United States, not Arabic terrorists.
I write this blog on the eve of June 6, 2006—6/6/06—a magical date to evangelical Christians all over the world. You see, “666” is the number used in apocalyptic, Biblical literature to reference the “mark of the Beast.” The word “apocalypse” stems from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means, “to uncover”. Just as the Biblical prophets used “666” to uncover the face of true evil, a good journalist would have uncovered the face of true evil with this story. Emasculated by sense of political correctnesss, the mainstream media purposely ignored the root of this story, failing not only the American people but the world at large.
Never in my life did I think I would echo the words of George Bush, a man I feel is the worst president the United States has ever seen, but we, as global citizens, did not choose this war, Muslims did. Again, not all Muslims, but Muslims nonetheless. To ignore the ethnicity and religious background of these Canadians, spits in the face of all peace loving, non-Muslim citizens.
While not completely ignoring the story, the mainstream media has, for the most part, buried the Canadian terrorist arrests behind gay marriage, flag burning, Ivy League masochists and a morbid tale of mistaken identity. Initially, I learned of the story from a brief blurb reported on MSNBC Saturday morning. The weekend anchorperson simply said that Canadian officials arrested a group of young Canadians accused of plotting an “Oklahoma City style attack.” While this accurately describes the means of attack (ammonium nitrate), it fails to capture the essence of the attack. Not once in this initial report did the report reveal the ethnicity or religious background of the accused.
The next morning, the nation’s leading newspapers treated the story in a similar fashion, discussing the similarities between the Canadian terrorist plot and the Oklahoma City tragedy. Not until the last paragraph did the AP story reveal the name of the accused. Guess what? All of the men have Islamic names.
The story hinted that these men attended mosques known for fundamentalist teachings, yet they refused to come out and say—17 Muslim men arrested in Canadian terrorist plot.
When Madrid was attacked, we could dismiss it for Spain’s active role in assisting the U.S. in combating global terrorism and a centuries old conflict between Spain and the Muslim people. Likewise, when London was attacked, the motive was clear. The United Kingdom has long been the United States strongest ally on the war on terrorism.
But Canada? Canada has provided refuge for disgruntled Americans fleeing the Bush regime and what they perceive as an illegitimate war. Like France and Germany, Canada scoffed at the United States’ planned invasion of Iraq and many of the tenants of the so-called, “Bush doctrine”. Indeed, if anyone were going to plot to attack Canada, it would seem to be some right-wing militant group from the United States, not Arabic terrorists.
I write this blog on the eve of June 6, 2006—6/6/06—a magical date to evangelical Christians all over the world. You see, “666” is the number used in apocalyptic, Biblical literature to reference the “mark of the Beast.” The word “apocalypse” stems from the Greek word apokalypsis, which means, “to uncover”. Just as the Biblical prophets used “666” to uncover the face of true evil, a good journalist would have uncovered the face of true evil with this story. Emasculated by sense of political correctnesss, the mainstream media purposely ignored the root of this story, failing not only the American people but the world at large.
Never in my life did I think I would echo the words of George Bush, a man I feel is the worst president the United States has ever seen, but we, as global citizens, did not choose this war, Muslims did. Again, not all Muslims, but Muslims nonetheless. To ignore the ethnicity and religious background of these Canadians, spits in the face of all peace loving, non-Muslim citizens.
posted by Texas Cynic at 8:16 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home