Posted on 07/07/2007 8:57:27 AM PDT by Congressman Billybob
Sometimes a small story can tell much more than it intends to. A story sent out by the Associated Press on Friday, 6 June, is apparently about crime and punishment in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. It is actually about journalistic crime and punishment at the AP.
The title, as printed online by the Philadelphia Daily News, is, “Hazleton mayor loses key argument for illegal immigrant crackdown.” This title is the exact opposite of the truth. Why that is so, is the real story here.
To provide the back story, Hazleton is one of the first towns to pass ordinances which restrict the ability of illegal immigrants to live and work in that town. The ACLU took the town to court, claiming that its ordinances were unconstitutional. That case has been tried, the trial court’s opinion is pending. Regardless of the outcome, that case will probably go to the US Supreme Court.
As one of many reasons why Hazleton should pass such an ordinance, Mayor Lou Barletta cited a recent murder in the town, apparently committed by two illegal immigrants. The story claims that the fact that prosecutors “dropped homicide charges against... [the two] ... deprives ... Mayor Barletta of one of his key arguments for kicking illegal immigrants out of Hazleton.”
Two paragraphs later, the article proves its main conclusion to be dishonest, when it says that Luzerne County prosecutors dropped the cases because “a key witness became unavailable,” and “not because they were convinced of Romero's and Cabrera's innocence.”
Who was the witness who disappeared? The article answers that question: “Cesar Ariel Jacquez, had been inadvertently deported.” And, what had he provided to investigators? Again, from the article, “Police found the murder weapon in Jacquez's apartment, and Jacquez would have testified that Cabrera and Romero gave it to him after the homicide.” An interesting question, which a good reporter would look into, is how Jacquez came to be deported when so many other illegals aren’t? Did the apparent murders get him deported? Did the ACLU attorneys get him deported? Inquiring minds want to know.
Here’s what the ACLU had to say about the dismissal: "This dismissal of charges adds to the long list of discredited claims Barletta has made in the course of demonizing undocumented immigrants for allegedly destroying Hazleton...."
The Mayor called the ACLU statement “repulsive,” and added, “Derek Kichline's family and friends will never see justice for his death. The fact that the ACLU celebrates this and turns it into a public relations spectacle is disgusting.”
The journalistic crime of the Associated Press is that it twists this story into its opposite. The people of Hazleton have more reason, not less, to worry about the illegals in their midst once these two apparent murderers have beaten the rap. There are two journalistic misdemeanors by the AP as well.
Mayor Barletta is not trying to “kick” anyone out of town. He and his council are simply trying to require actual citizens who rent apartments and hire employees to take reasonable steps to assure that their tenants and employees are Americans. Illegals would not be prevented from visiting Hazleton.
And the last crime of the AP was to omit a very important point about the citizens of Hazleton. The Mayor was recently reelected. He did more than merely win overwhelmingly; he won both primaries. He filed as a Republican, but won the Democrat primary as well, by write-in votes over the previous Democrat Mayor as an opponent.
Why is that fact important? It shows that an article which presents the views of pro- and anti-Barletta spokesmen as fairly equal, is actually false. And why is this nationally important? Because the national press on the subject of illegal immigration has been just as biased, and just as spotty in reporting the facts, as this writer on this story about just Hazleton.
Readers and viewers today must always approach media coverage of major issues with an initial question. Is this news outlet likely to be biased on this subject? If so, in what direction? Then, read or watch the report with those answers in mind, to avoid being fooled by what you read on the page or see on screen. The Associated Press ought not to require such scrutiny. Sad but true, it has earned it.
Others at FR may have seen the anomolies in the AP article, as I did.
John / Billybob
Excellent analysis Congressman Billybob. Multiply that by 1,000 and you have the overall daily effect of AP’s horrendously inaccurate and biased PC reporting. Anything that has an AP byline needs to be carefully scrutinized.
Excellent piece, CBB. It is rare that I see an AP article that’s not slanted.
Many thanks to you, Billybob/John. You are truly a treasure!!!
Media bias? Surely you jest!
(sotto voce) are you going to be able to sack Heath?
Fits in with the fact that the ACLU and the people that work for it are disgusting.
I found the article not only biased, but very sketchy and thready. It was written like popcorn in a kettle. Jerky and inconsistant.
But, what is the alternative?
He is not the sharpest tool in the shed. He has voted the way Nancy Pelosi instructed him to, entirely too many times. And his knowledge of how Congress works is so limited that he still needs staff assistance to find the executive washroom.
The problem is not beating Heath. The real battle is getting the Republican nomination. And that depends on whether the former incumbent, Charles Taylor, wants to make a second flight straight into the ground, or whether he will seek to handpick his successor.
Stay tuned.
John / Billybob
John / Billybob
thanks. Good luck.
Great expose, Cong. billybob, of both the ACLU and AP.
Nice piece. June should be July I think. FReegards
The Quisling traitors of the ACLU, at their most disgusting.
Bless this Pa. mayor. Now in SoCal, Santa Ana is trying to be a Sanctuary city. Freepers out in SoCal should flood Santa Ana with protests on this immoral action.
ping
Demand a border fence! Build it NOW!! Beef up the border patrol and close our borders!
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OUTSTANDING! Thanks.
Lou Barletta BUMP!
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