Wake up WaPo
Alright, all Nazi references are back on the table. If you told me five years ago that our country would be having military marches to glorify a wrongheaded war, I wouldn't have believed you. I mean they did that for the Third Reich didn't they?
Rummy's plan to "honor" the victims of 9/11 by having a "Freedom March" and a country music concert strikes me as the singlemost tacky and disrespectful "tribute" I could possibly imagine. That it's being sponsored by the WaPo, 2 radio stations (what do you want bet they're Clear Channel affiliates) and a TV station leaves me almost speechless.
The WaPo's excuse on the other hand leaves me sick to my stomach.
Bush has consistently equated 9/11 with Iraq and Iraq with "a march to freedom." So tell me this "Freedom March" is not about justifying that war. From this side of the fence it looks like a pathetic attempt to drum up some support for the occupation - which is currently hovering at about 38% I believe.
Not to mention what is media doing sponsoring a government event anyway? The Fourth Estate is supposed to be watching the government, not colloborating with it. The WaPo and the other media companies should withdraw immediately - particularly considering their own employee policies on such matters.
"Rick Weiss, a Post science reporter and co-chair of the Washington Post unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, notes, 'It is dismaying, to say the least, that I can be fired for participating in a peace march while my employer feels free to co-sponsor an event that so blatantly beats the drum of war.'"
Rummy's plan to "honor" the victims of 9/11 by having a "Freedom March" and a country music concert strikes me as the singlemost tacky and disrespectful "tribute" I could possibly imagine. That it's being sponsored by the WaPo, 2 radio stations (what do you want bet they're Clear Channel affiliates) and a TV station leaves me almost speechless.
The WaPo's excuse on the other hand leaves me sick to my stomach.
Post spokesman Eric Grant echoed the publisher's view, claiming the paper's interest was strictly non-partisan. "The Post's interest in the event is consistent with our past support of causes relating to the victims of September 11 and honoring veterans of wars past and present," he said in a statement. "The walk was never presented to us as a rally to support the war and we would be very disappointed if it took that approach."The publisher (and what do you want to bet he's at least a Bush Pioneer) says if it "becomes partisan" the paper will withdraw its support. As if it's not already a partisan event? As long time reader Ann Rock asks, where were these people on the Fourth of July?
Bush has consistently equated 9/11 with Iraq and Iraq with "a march to freedom." So tell me this "Freedom March" is not about justifying that war. From this side of the fence it looks like a pathetic attempt to drum up some support for the occupation - which is currently hovering at about 38% I believe.
Not to mention what is media doing sponsoring a government event anyway? The Fourth Estate is supposed to be watching the government, not colloborating with it. The WaPo and the other media companies should withdraw immediately - particularly considering their own employee policies on such matters.
"Rick Weiss, a Post science reporter and co-chair of the Washington Post unit of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, notes, 'It is dismaying, to say the least, that I can be fired for participating in a peace march while my employer feels free to co-sponsor an event that so blatantly beats the drum of war.'"
posted by Libby Spencer at 8:26 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home