Journalism takes a hit and 19 die
One of my biggest personal peeves is being labeled as part of the “liberal” media. Labeling all media as liberal is as ignorant, and as much of a cop-out, as labeling any other group by the characteristics of a few.
People who wouldn’t think of assigning labels for racial, religious or gender traits seem to find nothing wrong with assigning labels for professional association.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Am I liberal? Yes, on some issues (many of my co-workers are now laughing). Am I conservative? Yes, on some other issues (many of my family members are now laughing). Truth is, I am somewhere in the middle, as I suspect most of our readers are.
That fact established, the perception of the media as being liberal is now, at least in theory, partially responsible for the deaths of 19 servicemen in Afghanistan in June of 2005.
A new book, “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10,” details the events as shared in this story.
Basically, four Navy Seals were faced with the tough decision about whether to kill or release three Afghan goat herders who, apparently inadvertently stumbled across their strategic military position. The Seals chose to take a chance and release the Afghans. According to the lone survivor of the four, concerns about how the “liberal” media might report their actions entered into their decision to release the goat herders, who included one boy of about 14.
Those goat herders then, obviously, reported the Seals’ position to the Taliban, resulting in the deaths of three, serious injury of one, and the deaths of 16 others who tried to rescue the group of Seals.
Members of the media didn’t pull the trigger, but those who continue to perpetuate the image of a liberal media – ironically frequently conservatives in the media – certainly fueled a decision that had tragic consequences.
I won’t be dragged into a political debate about what is right or wrong about these military actions as young men and women from across our country put their lives on the line every day. What I DO know is they deserve not to be second-guessed when faced with these dilemmas. Stereotyping – of the media or any other group – shouldn’t play a role in what are, literally, life and death decisions.
People who wouldn’t think of assigning labels for racial, religious or gender traits seem to find nothing wrong with assigning labels for professional association.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
Am I liberal? Yes, on some issues (many of my co-workers are now laughing). Am I conservative? Yes, on some other issues (many of my family members are now laughing). Truth is, I am somewhere in the middle, as I suspect most of our readers are.
That fact established, the perception of the media as being liberal is now, at least in theory, partially responsible for the deaths of 19 servicemen in Afghanistan in June of 2005.
A new book, “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10,” details the events as shared in this story.
Basically, four Navy Seals were faced with the tough decision about whether to kill or release three Afghan goat herders who, apparently inadvertently stumbled across their strategic military position. The Seals chose to take a chance and release the Afghans. According to the lone survivor of the four, concerns about how the “liberal” media might report their actions entered into their decision to release the goat herders, who included one boy of about 14.
Those goat herders then, obviously, reported the Seals’ position to the Taliban, resulting in the deaths of three, serious injury of one, and the deaths of 16 others who tried to rescue the group of Seals.
Members of the media didn’t pull the trigger, but those who continue to perpetuate the image of a liberal media – ironically frequently conservatives in the media – certainly fueled a decision that had tragic consequences.
I won’t be dragged into a political debate about what is right or wrong about these military actions as young men and women from across our country put their lives on the line every day. What I DO know is they deserve not to be second-guessed when faced with these dilemmas. Stereotyping – of the media or any other group – shouldn’t play a role in what are, literally, life and death decisions.
posted by Sheila Friedeck at 2:47 PM
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