Posted on 01/31/2017 3:00:23 AM PST by markomalley
With the debate over the legality of President Donald Trump’s immigration and travel ban still raging Monday evening, NBC broadcasted their Nightly News program “from the shadow of the Statue of Liberty” accompanied by a lecture from anchor Lester Holt. “Behind me the Statue of Liberty, which for nearly 130 years, has symbolized the welcome arms of a country of immigrants,” he opined at the start of the program, “But tonight she also stands as a symbolic flashpoint in a country in the midst of soul searching over the limits of its generosity in an age of international terrorism.”
NBC, much like its competitors ABC and CBS, spent most of their Monday night program centered on the White House’s controversial executive order. “The White House calls it a necessary step to protect Americans at home from threats from abroad,” Holt continued, “Critics call it a solution in search of a problem and an unconstitutional and thinly disguised ban on Muslims.”
But neither ABC nor CBS treated it as a time to seemingly pontificate about the morality of the issue, let alone march out to the Statue of Liberty and use it as a prop:
And a final thought before we leave you tonight. There's been a lot of talk about who we are as a country and how we should represent ourselves to the world. For many, the ideals inscribed on the statue behind me frame that discussion. For others, the threats of a modern era necessitate adapting to a new reality. It is complicated and in many ways forms a new crossroads in America. And we will remain at the intersection of this unfolding story to report it.
Long before the show started, NBC was hyping Lester’s lecture with a video tweeted out by the NBC Nightly News account, where he said of Lady Liberty, “In many ways, it has become a symbol of a country right now wrestling to reconcile its creed versus its security needs.” And of the veracity of their reporting, he claimed, “Tonight we’ve got all the sides covered in this. The legal debate. The debates about what we saw at the airports. As well as the rationale for the president’s decision.” But the only side they covered it from was the left.
If NBC really wanted to cover “all the sides,” then they would have done what CBS Evening News did and actually report on the support for the ban. “Today the White House said that most Americans agree with the immigration ban and a respected poll from Quinnipiac University agrees,” announced anchor Scott Pelley, “It was taken three weeks ago, and by margin of 48 to 42 percent, American voters support suspending immigration from terror-prone regions, even if it means turning away refugees.”
CBS reporter Dean Reynolds actually went out and spoke with supporters of Trump and the travel ban, something NBC and ABC failed to do. “Trump supporters were on hand at Los Angeles International Airport this weekend voicing their belief that the president's immigration order is sensible and overdue,” he reported. Reynolds sat down with Trump voter and internet entrepreneur Vito Glazers who told him, “Well, I don't think it's perfect. I do think it's a great step to creating much-needed action in the right direction.”
When asked if he thought politics was involved with the order’s opposition Glazers joked, “Absolutely. I think that if we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse that the left would find a way to protest for zombies' rights.”
Instead of lecturing America on the values of liberty, Holt would have been better served by going out and talking to the people.
Transcripts below:
NBC Nightly News
January 30, 2017
7:01:20 PM Eastern
LESTER HOLT: Good evening. Behind me the Statue of Liberty, which for nearly 130 years, has symbolized the welcome arms of a country of immigrants. But tonight she also stands as a symbolic flashpoint in a country in the midst of soul searching over the limits of its generosity in an age of international terrorism. This evening protesters joined by some members of Congress have gathered outside the Supreme Court in Washington. Following a weekend of fierce and emotional reaction and confusion over president Trump's temporary ban on travel to the United States by citizens of seven predominantly Muslim countries. The White House calls it a necessary step to protect Americans at home from threats from abroad. Critics call it a solution in search of a problem and an unconstitutional and thinly disguised ban on Muslims. Tonight we'll hear from both sides.
…
7:28:44 PM
HOLT: And a final thought before we leave you tonight. There's been a lot of talk about who we are as a country and how we should represent ourselves to the world. For many, the ideals inscribed on the statue behind me frame that discussion. For others, the threats of a modern era necessitate adapting to a new reality. It is complicated and in many ways forms a new crossroads in America. And we will remain at the intersection of this unfolding story to report it. That will do it for us on a Monday night. I'm Lester Holt. For all of us at NBC News, thank you for watching and good night from Liberty State Park in New Jersey.
...
CBS Evening News
January 30, 2017
6:40:27 PM Eastern
SCOTT PELLEY: Today the White House said that most Americans agree with the immigration ban and a respected poll from Quinnipiac University agrees. It was taken three weeks ago, and by margin of 48 to 42 percent, American voters support suspending immigration from terror-prone regions, even if it means turning away refugees. 53 percent support requiring immigrants from Muslim countries to register with the government. Here's Dean Reynolds.
[Cuts to video]
DEAN REYNOLDS: Trump supporters were on hand at Los Angeles International Airport this weekend voicing their belief that the president's immigration order is sensible and overdue.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: He’s keeping our country safe and lawful.
REYNOLDS: Vito Glazers is a Chicago internet entrepreneur who voted for the president. What do you think of this executive order on immigration?
VITO GLAZERS: Well, I don't think it's perfect. I do think it's a great step to creating much-needed action in the right direction.
REYNOLDS: Mr. Trump's stand on immigration was important in winning Glazers' support, and while he's only one voice, polls say his views are representative of many fellow Trump supporters.
GLAZERS: I don't want America to end up in a place where political correctness is being used against us to destroy us.
REYNOLDS: Do you think politics is at work here?
GLAZERS: Absolutely. I think that if we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse that the left would find a way to protest for zombies' rights.
[Cuts back to live]
REYNOLDS: He also said something else that probably a lot of Trump supporters agree with, Scott, that it’s ironic that so many people are upset with a president who is merely following through on promises he made during the campaign.
PELLEY: Dean Reynolds in Chicago, thanks
I don't know what Trump hopes to replace this EO with, but equal numbers of males and females would be preferable. To "level the playing field", as the Dims often cite.
Yes, remember that scene in “The Godfather, Part II” when young Vito Andolini (changed to Corleone by the immigration officer) was held and put into quarantine because it was determined he was carrying the smallpox virus.
Lester Holt is a high ranking opposition party leader.
It is there for all to see.
What “journalist” lectures a nation?
After 22 years in the military, I don’t need some moron from the extreme left, commie lib “media” lecturing me on the Statue of Liberty. FU Lester! Kiss my Red, White and Blue @$$!
After 22 years in the military, I don’t need some moron from the extreme left, commie lib “media” lecturing me on the Statue of Liberty. FU Lester! Kiss my Red, White and Blue @$$!
We don’t welcome psychotic murderers in to kill us anymore?
That’s the whine?
So WE can support you with our tax dollars...oh wait, THAT’S the insane part!
“..... I think that if we were in the middle of a zombie apocalypse that the left would find a way to protest for zombies’ rights.””
Unless of course if the left were in charge, the media would ignore the zombie apocalypse and focus on why the right is denying vampires and warewolves rights to each others bathrooms.
BM
Boom !!!!
+1. Very well put
Did Lester the molester mention the book of law that Lady Liberty holds?
Did Lester cite any immigration law from our earlier days?
Did Lester mention our early immigrants got zero welfare?
Did Lester mention our early immigrants worked hard, assimilated, and wanted to be Americans?
Does Lester ever do fair?
Does Lester understand the difference between reporting and editorializing?
Has Lester an IQ above 90?
Pretty sure the inscription on the base of the statue doesn’t read, “give me your layabouts, your grifters, your terrorists yearning to blow up.”
“Boom !!!!”
Yeah, I think that’s a mic drop.
“Holt seems to be on some amnesia-type behavior or just reading off some script that he doesn’t understand.”
I’d guess the latter. He can’t have amnesia over what he never knew.
Holt; his ideology is only surpassed by his ignorance.
Walkers were people too.
HRC got money from Saudi Arabia, and took on regime change in Syria, so that a pipeline could go through Syria to take Saudi oil. Where were the tears as the country was being destroyed by Isis “rebels” that we armed?
Wars have consequences, and I am sure these people would rather have their homes instead of rubble. I am also thinking they would probably like to stay in the Middle East, if a safe place can be set aside, until the war is over and rebuilding can start.
Lester, you fool, the Statue of Liberty stands by Ellis Island where immigrants passed through LEGALLY. The Statue of Liberty is not guarding a cactus on the southern border watching out for illegals.
We elected Trump because of dumb@sses like you, Lester...And good on you, Vito.
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