Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Corkscrew "journalism"

Half truths are total lies
Taking words out of context

 

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, Donald Trump makes some headline-worthy remarks.

Problem is, the headlines frequently are not accurate.

I watched and heard "The Donald" clearly state he wants to prevent Muslims from entering the U.S.

I watched and heard tv talking heads on ABC, CBS, and NBC state that Trump would bar a Muslim who is an American citizen from re-entering the county.

One network had the absolute chutzpah to suggest that a U.S. Marine who was killed in action would not be allowed back into the U.S. had he survived his deployment.

Only a fool would twist Trump's words to suggest he meant U.S. citizens..

(Although to be fair, the male attacker in San Bernardino was a "born in the USA" citizen.)

Trump later backed off and allowed that athletes coming to compete in sports, diplomats, and at least one other category of Muslim visitors would be permitted to enter the U.S.

One tv network admitted that the U.S. has not always been kind to people. Case in point, the tv talking head said with film in the background, were Japanese during WW 2. First and second generation Americans were herded into concentration camps just because they were Japanese.

Germans were not incarcerated, even those pro-nazi Germans in the Bund.

Italians were not locked up behind barbed wire even if they were pro-Il Duce.

Mind you the people sent to camps were AMERICAN CITIZENS. Many Japanese were fighting for America in Europe. America was afraid to let them fight in the Pacific, but Germans and Italians were fighting in Europe. Looking different made the difference.

The network talking head carefully ignored the fact that the U.S. refused to let Jews trying to escape the nazis into the country. An appeal to allow 20,000 CHILDREN into the country was denied by America's politicians.

Maybe Trump is too radical to be president. He appears to be honest, which is more than can be said for many -perhaps most -who have resided in the White House.

No question that Trump is NOT "politically correct," most especially in the eyes of the liberals.

One thing apparently ignored is that the San Bernardino massacre was at the hands of a native son, a born and educated in America Muslim. Despite evidence to the contrary, none of his acquaintances nor his mother - who shared a home with her son and daughter-in-law - reported the couple's terror-like behavior to the authorities. The pair had more than 3000 rounds of ammunition in their home and bomb making equipment in the garage. Mother never saw the bullets and never went to the garage?

Were all the people who knew them afraid? Were they in agreement with the couple's ideology?

When something is written or said in the media I am skeptical. So many times what is said is distorted or only partially reported. Watching a politician - particularly a Republican politician - say something on tv and then listening to the media report it is like listening to two different talks.

The way statements are presented in the media makes me think of a cork screw; twisted beyond recognition.

IN WASHINGTON

President Obama:."We should put in place stronger screening for those who come to America without a visa so that we can take a hard look at whether they’ve traveled to war zones,” Obama said Sunday in a televised address from the Oval Office. “And we’re working with members of both parties in Congress to do exactly that.”

U.S. House or Representatives: The House overwhelmingly passed legislation on Tuesday (407 to 19) that would overhaul the federal visa waiver program and bar those from Iraq, Syria, Iran and the Sudan, or those who have visited those countries in the last five years, from traveling to the United States without a visa.

Sounds good, but a terrorist likely has a passport that is used for trips to the "forbidden lands" and another passport for legitimate travel - say to the U.S.

Citizens of many countries currently can enter the U.S. sans visas. Among the no-visa-required countries are Belgium, France, Germany, and UK, all of which have active terrorist organizations as proven by recent events.

QUESTION: How are passport checkers at international arrival points going to know the man or woman with a "clean" passport was in Daesh-controlled areas or Iran?

STILL ANOTHER QUESTION: Since it is difficult - or very expensive - for a person to enter the U.S. with weapons and bomb making equipment, the person with intent to kill and maim must be supported by people already in the country - perhaps a "born in the USA" citizen.

ANSWER: The president's and representatives' plans are useless; hardly "better than nothing."


No comments: