By William L. Garvin
(My prayers and condolences go out to the victims, their families and friends in Aurora. May God hold them all in His comforting arms.)
What is wrong with them? Why won't they learn? Why do they circle the victims like vultures over carrion waiting to strip the flesh from the aching hearts of grieving families? Again, the mainstream media rush to judgment is as irresponsible as the instantaneous froth and fury that erupted on the internet. However, it's easier to understand the "cheep tweets from the cheap seats" in cyberspace than the harmful and erroneous "reporting" by "respected" journalists.
Last week, The Washington Examiner published an article speculating that the villain in the latest Batman movie, who was named Bane, would be tied to Romney and Bain Capital. Rush Limbaugh tied his radio show commentary on this article into Hollywood's liberal bias. Both missed the fact that Bane attacked the wealthy, the one percent of Gotham City. Furthermore, Chuck Dixon (who created Bane for DC Comics in 1993) immediately refuted the Examiner article saying "Bane is a force for evil and the destruction of the status quo. He's far more akin to an Occupy Wall Street type if you're looking to cast him politically. And if there ever was a Bruce Wayne running for the White House it would have to be Romney." Nonetheless, after the Aurora theater massacre, cybersilly was filled with the usual acerbic vitriol blaming Limbaugh for the acts of the murderer. Predictably, they were also shrieking for gun control and the confiscation of weapons, second amendment and its supporters be damned. This sort of no holds barred invective, while crass and undesirable, is tolerated on the internet.
What should not be tolerated is the irresponsible reporting by ABC's George Stephanopoulos, Good Morning America anchor and Chief Investigative Reporter, Brian Ross. Mark Twain said "Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please." This was obviously the intent in the following exchange: Stephanopoulos-- I'm going to go to Brian Ross. You've been investigating the background of Jim Holmes here. You found something that might be significant. Ross--There's a Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado, page on the Colorado Tea party site as well, talking about him joining the Tea Party last year. Now, we don't know if this is the same Jim Holmes. But it's Jim Holmes of Aurora, Colorado. Stephanopoulos--Okay, we'll keep looking at that. Brian Ross, thanks very much. There are several people in Aurora with the name of Jim Holmes but they chose to focus on the single name with Tea Party connections even though he was more than twice the age of the shooter who was already in custody. They previously tried to blame Sarah Palin and talk radio for the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords; Dan Rather swore by an obviously forged document, and they previously tried to blame Christians for the Oklahoma City bombing. All these slanted presentations of political biases were broadcast under the guise of news. Here they go again. Since both ABC and NBC have recently admitted doctoring videotapes which they incessantly repeated on "news" programs, this is just one more nail in the disintegrating coffin of mainstream media objectivity.
In the twenty-four hour news cycle of modern times, there is an insane rush to get it first. This primal force trumps the need to get it right. When this is coupled with an editorial bias, the result is the airwaves and the print media are merely extensions of the political battleground. As has been noted, "In war, the first casualty is truth." Make no mistake about it, this is not an "inadvertent" or isolated example; this is the status quo. This is a deliberate strategy.
Of course, ABC and Brian Ross have subsequently apologized but as usual, it's too little and too late. Jim Holmes, the fifty-two year old conservative Hispanic has had to disconnect his telephone because of the death threats he is receiving. He also has to worry about his family and friends. How are you going to unring the bell, ABC? As Winston Churchill noted, "A lie can get half way around the world before the truth can get its pants on." ABC and these two should be hanging their heads in shame.
P.S. To the pusillanimous troglodyte author of my recently received hate mail: If I couldn't spell any better than you, I wouldn't sign my name either! Have a nice day. Bill
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