Bias & Arrogance at the New York Times

The Point with Mark Hyman ^ | 10/26/04 | Mark Hyman

[Just Another Guy]

The Point's Mark Hyman slaps down an editorial page writer at The New York Times!

Bias & Arrogance At The New York Times

"Will America's Veterans Please Shut Up?" That's the sentiments expressed by the New York Times.

In a conversation I had with editorial writer Andrew Rosenthal during the recent brouhaha over John Kerry's snub of American POWs, Rosenthal offered a perspective of how the paper views America's servicemen and women.

"I'm sick of hearing about Vietnam," he offered. Rosenthal made it clear that the New York Times didn't deem it newsworthy that 13 American POWs including two Medal of Honor winners - who collectively suffered nearly 84 years of horrific abuse and unspeakable torture ended 31 years of self-imposed silence in order to set the record straight. These American icons rebutted Kerry's claims that his 1971 Senate testimony accusing American servicemen of "war crimes" committed on "a day-to-day basis" harmed no one. Not true, they say, as Kerry's testimony was used by their Communist captors. Rosenthal dismissed their torture as no big deal. He also admitted that the Times had not covered the POWs nor would it underscoring that the paper's editorial policy drives the paper's news reporting.

Now the New York Times can show all the disdain it wants toward our military veterans. That's the paper's right. They can hate whomever they want.

But we find it odd, considering the business it claims to be in. Using the First Amendment to report news may only entail a daily subway commute for Rosenthal and his liberal friends, but it didn't come without the terrible sacrifice of millions of servicemen and women sacrifice that Rosenthal arrogantly dismissed when he stated, "The New York Times has done more to support the First Amendment than any other group." I think the two million American war dead and wounded in the 20th century alone tell a different story.

But then again, Rosenthal and his elitist friends don't care about American troops as he made so abundantly clear. "I'm sick of what the right-wing fanatics are doing to this war. It's the same thing they did to Vietnam," Rosenthal told me. His chief complaint? That this nation's sons and daughters who put on the military uniform would dare to hold accountable people like John Kerry who testified before Congress that their fathers who served before them were war criminals.

I support Rosenthal's and the New York Times' First Amendment rights to write what they want no matter how ugly the sentiment. It just saddens me that when he and his arrogant friends ride home tonight in the comfort of a New York City subway car that they cannot at least give a little thanks to the brave servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. But then that's not the way of the New York Times.

You can share your views with the New York Times at (212) 556-1234.

And that's the Point.

I'm Mark Hyman.

[Gibtx]

the msm is dead.... this is their end.......

and kerry's as well..... it is over....

[carlr]

The great irony is that their old comrades,the Russians may have screwed them this time.Welcome to the real world socialists,idealists.

[WildTurkey]

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