Media ethics, consistency questionable in release of photos

Townhall.com ^ | May 12, 2004 | Jonah Goldberg

[fight_truth_decay]

It's time to put up or shut up. Last week I wrote a column saying that CBS should have thought twice before showing the photos from Abu Ghraib prison. The response from readers and even some journalists was like I'd proposed banning the printing press. Numerous e-mailers said I'm no different than a Holocaust-denier who'd ban photos from Auschwitz.

Well, now we have the horrible news that Nick Berg, an American contractor, was beheaded by an al-Qaida affiliated group explicitly in response to the release of the Abu Ghraib photos.

I say in response to the release of the photos - and not the abuse - because that's exactly what I mean.

Excerpt

[fight_truth_decay]

I sent Rather a Priority gram ($) today. I need not say more.

[MNJohnnie]

Democrat Senators now have American blood on their hands

Well it has happened. The dangerous demagogary of the Democrat Party leadership, and the DNC directed "News" Media's hyperventilation over the Iraqi Prisoner abuse,has now lead to the execution of an American Hostage in Iraq. The current political grandstanding by Democratic Party leaders, cheerlead by the "mainstream news media", is directly responsible for this death. The Democratic Senator Leaders are an embarassment to their States, their Offices and themselves. There is now American Blood on the hands of the Democratic Leadership from John Kerry to Mark Dayton. Despicable is too gentle a word to discribe the political power whores that run today's Democrat Party.

[MNJohnnie]

Democrat Senators now have American blood on their hands

Well it has happened. The dangerous demagogary of the Democrat Party leadership, and the DNC directed "News" Media's hyperventilation over the Iraqi Prisoner abuse,has now lead to the execution of an American Hostage in Iraq. The current political grandstanding by Democratic Party leaders, cheerlead by the "mainstream news media", is directly responsible for this death. The Democratic Senator Leaders are an embarassment to their States, their Offices and themselves. There is now American Blood on the hands of the Democratic Leadership from John Kerry to Mark Dayton. Despicable is too gentle a word to discribe the political power whores that run today's Democrat Party.

[Ichneumon]

Bump. Be sure to fax copies of Goldberg's editorial to CBS, the Democrats, and Hackworth...

[fight_truth_decay]

now lead to the execution of an American Hostage in Iraq

Berg would have been found dead anyway; but the media hype on Abu Ghraib gave them a perfectly orchestrated media platform to show off their Blood Work. Those crying out the loudest at the hearings with demands for the removal of Rumsfeld seem silent tonight.

Rumsfeld said footage showing prisoners of war is a violation of the Geneva Convention. The Geneva Convention prohibits the photographing or interrogation by media of those captured in battle. However every major news service has been showing Iraqi, Afghan and Coalition prisoners in their broadcasts for over a year. Rather and cronies just pushed it to the limit. The Geneva Convention is an old worthless piece of paper that lost its teeth decades ago; if in fact, it ever had any in the first place.

[Nick Danger]

Am I the only one who suspects that the beheading of Mr. Berg has turned the entire self-flagellation act that the media has been promoting, back on the media themselves?

The sheer anti-Americanism of what the Democrats and the media have been doing with these events in the prison was really brought into focus by this beheading. The Iraqi prisoners may have had hoods over their heads, but the heads weren't rolling around on the floor.

I think the next Democrat who tries to turn these prison events into politcal hay is going to find herself the target of considerable anger.

[bootyist-monk]

The press and the Democrats resorted to form, and finally felt safe in demonizing the Military, something that has been " out of fashion" since 9-11.

Now their actions have not only endangered our men and women in uniform, but the feeding frenzy over the photos can be directly tied to the brutal murder of Mr. Berg. The men wearing panties on their heads had the blood of Americans on their hands. Given their actions, should anyone be surprised that the media and the Democrats were sympathetic to them?