Media mischaracterizes vets at rally
This is the headline of Salon’s article about the rally yesterday;
Of course, it says “protesters”, but what they mean to say is that TWO protesters engaged in waving Confederate flags and shouting that Obama is a Muslim. But they make it sound as if the entire protest contingent was a bunch of right wing nuts. It was Larry Klayman who made the statement, according to CNN, and as near as I can tell, Larry Klayman isn’t even a veteran according to the biographies that are on the internet;
“I call upon all of you to wage a second American nonviolent revolution, to use civil disobedience, and to demand that this president leave town, to get up, to put the Quran down, to get up off his knees, and to figuratively come out with his hands up,” said Larry Klayman of Freedom Watch, a conservative political advocacy group.
Here’s the URL to the CNN article and it’s original title;
Of course, what the media is trying to do is paint veterans as right wing crackpots instead of people who are trying to win back our dignity and our political voice. Of course, we must be partisan. Because we don’t like balancing the budget on our backs and because we don’t like our memorials shut down in our faces, we must be racist, too, especially if some dude off the street showed up with a confederate flag;
I guess none of the reporters could ask the dude with the flag which side he represented, or if he was a veteran or not before they splashed their broad brush on the entire crowd.
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Veterans Issues
Drive by of the morning network shows and NBC Today mentioned the protest but referred to it as a Tea Party and conservative protest, never once using the word veterans. On ABC Good Morning America they gave a passing acknowledgment of a protest in DC over the weekend but simply labeled the group as protesters who clashed with police. Once again no mention of them being veterans.
Perhaps not referring to the people in the crowd as veterans is a blessing in disguise.
Don’t we get enough of a bad rap from the media?
It’s possible we pissed off, or pissed on, CNN… After all we did start chanting “CNN GO HOME YOU ARE NOT WELCOME!” And that from 3,000 people is usually enough incentive to get them away from us. There were some plants in the crowd early, but they were ‘politely’ asked to leave by the Patriot Guard… I didn’t see any arrests, I did witness. DCMPD actively strike two people during a show of force, and being downright disgraceful (the bicycle Cops at least), while other Cops were pointing us to the WH and showing encouragement for returning the barricades there. DHS showed up ready for a potential Tarir Square that did not happen, and after the ill conceived show of MPD bike Cop douchebaggery, all LEOs pulled back from the WH three blocks once they figured out we policed our own and were non violent.
at the risk of being labeled a “right wing extremist”, oh wait, too late, i am going to quote Ann Coulter. “the definition of a racist is anyone that disagrees with a liberal”.
We Vets don’t pony up to B. Hussein 0bama & Co., so that makes us “hateful, racist, right-wing extremists” to them, and the liberal mess media repeats their talking points!
Those who have never served will never understand those who have. The pencil-necked geeks at Salon and elsewhere among the Lib-Cong have not a clue.
You thought the media was going to be fair? HA!
We are making the chosen one look bad. Of course they are going to paint us all as NAZI Racist Violent Hillbillies.
See any people of color in any of the media photos?
“Never let the facts get in the way of a *good* (pre-determined) story!” Not like there weren’t many many Veterans there who could have answered questions/sarc…
Yeah, when I heard that noise from the Freedom Watch guy about civil disobedience, Gandhi, and the Koran, I cringed and turned away. I wasn’t there because obama is an asshole, which he is. I wasn’t there to hear echoes of Joan Baez, the Berrigans, and you-know-who about civil disobedience. And I’d guess that all but a few of the thousands of Veterans and their families weren’t there for any of those reasons either.
I’m kinda conflicted on this.
1. It don’t matter. The media will just make shit up if they can’t find the odd loose cannon, so it just doesn’t matter.
2. The guy’s heart is in the right place. We gonna go all isolationist now? How’s that worked out in the past?
3. The destructionists are so good at “divide and conquer” mostly because we’re a bunch of stuck up snobs and ‘tards that beg to be divided and conquered.
4. The confed flag is “racist” only because the same degenerate, thumbsucking, intellectually inbred sacks of quivering snivel say so. It’s actually a symbol of states rights and rebellion.
So, we gonna go all cringy because some race baiting degenerates say such and such is racist? Because every G** Dam**d thing on the planet is racist to those malicious ****wads whenever it suits their mouth breeding, snot gobbling needs.
5. Aren’t we done yet with allowing the enemy to demand how we go about opposing them?
I heard last night on news, “right wing conservative veteran activists.”
I had to chuckle when I heard that!
O/T but maybe a maybe.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/kef9cxu
Snip:
Government Shuts down Catholic Services on Navy Base; Church locked; Priest threatened with arrest; TMLC Files Federal Lawsuit
In the wake of the government shutdown, despite provisions in the Pay Our Military Act, Catholics at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base in Georgia are being denied religious services. The Catholic priest who serves this community has been prohibited from even volunteering to celebrate Holy Mass without pay, and was told that if he violated that order, he could be subject to arrest. Protestant services continue to take place. Only Catholic services have been shutdown.
end snip.
Anyone know if that’s true and accurate as reported?
While there were a lot of conservatives on the Mall, there were also a lot of non-sign carrying moderates. And as far as leftist plants, who said liberal Veterans couldn’t attend? The intended and original message was “open the memorials”, not impeach Obama.
This is from the main event Facebook page:
Official Stance of the Million Vet March on the Memorials:
The political agenda put forth by a local organizer in Washington DC yesterday was not in alignment with our message. We feel disheartened that some would seek to hijack the narrative for political gain. The core principle was and remains about all Americans honoring Veterans in a peaceful and apolitical manner. Our love for and our dedication to remains with Veterans, regardless of party affiliation or political leanings.
Feel free to check out the 60+ apolitical and peaceful rallies of the Million Vet March across the nation at our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Million-Vet-March-on-the-Memorials/539097822833735.
So, this morning the barrycades are back up, shielding concrete and granite from the destructive tires of wheelchairs on which sit some of the very men for whom the WW II Memorial was constructed. I wish that each government employee (police or otherwise) would be required to personally inform each WW II Veteran that he is forbidden from wheeling into the Memorial. This cat and mouse game is too impersonal. Barrycades come down. Barrycades go back up. Yeah, a big game.
2/17 Air Cav:
It’s just another symptom of the overall disease. We keep limiting ourselves to addressing symptoms while the disease is allowed to run rampant.
I don’t think the media is trying to portray veterans as crackpots – I think they’re portraying the vehemently anti-Obama Tea Partiers as crackpots. And it’s a shame that these personally-focused ones garner all the attention because it overshadows the politically focused ones who had some valid points.
And it’s likely the event wasn’t portrayed as a ‘veterans’ rally because there wasn’t a million vets, and nor was it focused on veteran issues. The most notable people attending were simply conservative firebrands, not veterans. It was high on rhetoric and low on issues and ideas. Contrary to popular belief here, most liberals hold our veterans in high regard, though granted ones who have no connection to the military often don’t understand the nature of their service.
“I don’t think the media is trying to portray veterans as crackpots…” Really? So all those headlines that connect some SOB’s insane crime to his having once been in the military (“Veteran Accused of…”) are figments of our imagination and THIS issue is miraculously different? And you say, “Contrary to popular belief here, most liberals hold our veterans in high regard….” Yes, they no doubt hold their cleaning ladies and chauffeurs in high regard too, don’t you think?
@ 13
You and I both know very well that anybody carrying a Confederate flag at one of these rallies is bent on undermining the rally. It’s a big hot button for the race-baiters, and every person in the entire US knows it.
That said, the confederate flag, alone, is not a symbol of race prejudice.
I remember when the Kluxers were on TV in the early 60s, and the anger this evoked in the viewers (Texas). What I heard was “That’s OUR flag, and they don’t dare misuse it it.” What I later saw was the confederate flag, with the nazi flag added. That combination does send a specific message. And that’s how a homegrown, Democratic terrorist group wound up flying the flag of a defeated foreign power, in the United States.
@ 10
It do make a difference. You can help. Take your favorite picture or clip from these rallies, and do your part to make them go viral. For example, you can send them to CNN and ask them some pointed questions about the coverage. Same goes for MSNBC. You can write your local paper, and your Congresscritters. One person won’t do it, but a whole lot of them, will.
16 Anonymous Independent Says:
October 14th, 2013 at 11:32
http://www.teaparty-platform.com
@ valerie:
Well said on the help issue.
My own take on the thing. Anyone sitting idle on this and a whole plethora of other issues is aiding the enemy by default due to their inertia.
Anom Ind:
Nicely done, outing yourself as someone who’s opinions are manufactured by the same thumbsuckers who keep telling us that communism is the best thing ever! I mean, the msm.
Your concept of what the TEA party is and isn’t is made for you by the same mindset that’s all in in their support of every damned abuse of power that Obama has committed to date.
The shame of it is that I don’t see the veteran response as being a partisan one. We’re heading down tomorrow with members of the Jewish War Veterans to protest, as well. This goes beyond the closing of the memorials, but rather:
a) The IT guys for the VA are furloughed, and this means no one is working on the supposed system that’s supposed to bring backlog relief
b) Education benefits are reportedly verkakte. I heard some excuse about prorated cost of living, but if someone’s check from the VA for school is less than the check for the starting month of the semester, there is some bullshit at work.
I don’t have the full list, but I know I’m going down because it’s only going to get worse, and they can’t keep piecemealing it. GOP or Dem, I vote for folks so they can find compromise with the other side, not so they can point fingers in either direction when gridlock ensues.
Maybe I’ll see some other TAH folks? I hope so.
@16 Then why is it always liberals who imply I should feel bad about my service? Or who seem amazed that I would join the military despite having a solid middle class background and several ‘better’ options in the scholarship offers I had in high school?
I’m not trying to say these opinions are universal among liberals, but I only seem to encounter them from liberals.
@18.
Yeah.
The US Military stills recognizes Confederate campaign and battle credit.
@17: I view the mention of someone’s veteran status when they’ve committed a crime as a product of two things. The first, which is completely unimportant, is simply that it’s notable. Same thing happens to crackpots who attend, say, Harvard. Read an article about the Unabomber, for example, and it’ll tell you he was educated there. Does it have anything to do with his psychosis? Nope, but it’s notable. So is military service. On a more positive side, it’s also why someone running for local office -who has no command of military assets- will generally mention their service, too. It’s notable.
The other factor is unfortunate, and goes to a lack of understanding of the nature of service and the people who serve. And this is that if a violent crime is committed, and with a weapon, people who live in lily-white versions of reality feel the need to ‘explain’ how they came by such masterful weapons training and killer mentality. And, sadly, while the real answer is “Some people are just fucked up”, that doesn’t hold for people who need more – and the military is associated with weapons and aggression. There’s plenty of blame to go around for that, from Hollywood stereotypes to very real mental health trends, but that’s what it is. There isn’t an agenda to hate on veterans in the liberal media though.
And none of my friends have cleaning ladies or chauffeurs so I can’t comment on that. Having taken part in a care-package drive on a very liberal university campus, though, and gotten nothing but the full support of people there, I tend to think maybe your view of things is a bit skewed. Don’t conflate one’s political leanings with one’s support for our veterans.
@19 (valerie): I’m aware of the Tea Party platform and can relate to some of it. I simply think the actual politically-focused Tea Partiers would get more traction and support if they didn’t have the ones who are simply anti-Obama and trotting out things like ‘put down the Quran’ in their midst.
I’ll just be in the corner singing Come Out Ye Black And Tans….
@21 : As I just said in my note to valerie above, I understand and can relate to many of the goals of the (politically-focused) Tea Party. Unfortunately for them, though, a lot of the movement has been co-opted by crackpots who are simply using it as a platform for personal attacks on the President, not issues of policy.
And I don’t support Obama, communism, etc.
Wow. Getting thrown under the bus by the MSM … who’d a thunk?
We were ALL chanting “CNN GO AWAY, YOU ARENT WANTED HERE!” I wonder if we hurt Wolf Blitzer’s feelings…
@23: I don’t speak for liberals, but I’ll answer those best I can, and one at a time. First, anyone who implies you should feel bad about your service is probably either very young or very foolish. I’ve encountered a few like that, too, but they seem to be fewer and fewer in numbers now. And yes, they’re almost an exclusively liberal problem – mostly because of the difficulty some have of separating out their stance on the wars we’ve been engaged in and their stance on the soldiers themselves. Conservatives tend to be more hawkish and support both, AND tend to know more people who’ve served. Look at enlistment numbers from the various states – my guess is it’s much more common in Red states, and along with that comes additional exposure to what it means to serve. Many liberals lack that exposure.
The second bit is related to that – since many liberals have no idea what our military personnel do, they’re left with misconceptions about it fueled by TV stereotypes and the like. And none of those that come to mind really paint much of a lifestyle. It’s almost viewed as if you’re in the field 24/7, dodging bullets, serving with people who scream, charge at the enemy with two machine guns, one in each hand, and do somersaults to dodge incoming rounds. Compared with, say, a job, dating, etc. -all these things which they feel aren’t part of a military job- then joining the military seems like a crazy choice.
It’s a real shame, honestly. Look at attitudes towards the military amongst liberals who don’t know anyone who serves and those who do and you see an enormous gap in understanding, but that said there is still general support amongst liberals for our soldiers.
@25 – part of the problem with your argument is that you paint too broadly. A local candidate (I am one) mentions his or her military service, not just because it’s notable, but also because it can be relevant. Say for instance you were of sufficient rank to lead troops or coordinate efforts during disaster recovery. It’s of more merit than merely “notable.” So, too, is the leadership experience. I have both NCOES and an MBA, and while I can wax Six Sigma all the day long, the ability to motivate others to fall in line in local office is more than notable. Say your town floods, or you have a crisis in local law enforcement. The experience goes from notable to relevant quickly.
Perhaps that person already had those skills, hence why they may have prospered in uniform. And maybe it’s only notable for “recorder of deeds” and the like, but I think the argument shifts depending on office sought/office held.
And the same is true of veterans in the media. I, too, hesitate to blame a liberal media for the depiction of veterans. I blame an intellectually lazy media that rides the conventions of well-worn trope as opposed to fact and research.
But the depiction of the veterans rally is tellingly slanted. The Confederate flag generates breathless hysteria in liberal social media outlets, and the pictures of Cruz and Palin linking arms with vets floods the airwaves. In the meantime, they ignore (or report backpage) the 33 accredited, non-partisan veterans groups that are also converging on Washington tomorrow. Maybe it’s not liberal media bias against veterans, but it is highly manipulative in its presentation of the veteran outrage as associated with the Tea Party.
Here are some better photographs of the guy with the confederate flag.
http://crayfisher.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/do-you-know-this-asshole/
Was the same guy carrying the flag that made the Koran remark.
Unless you know the individual carrying a Confederate flag Shouldn’t be enough reason to label. The past 30 years or so the lib media and culture has done a very effective job of portraying anything to do with the Confederacy as racist, ignorant and redneckish.
Confederate symbols are always considered negative. The guy could have been an Obama voter and liberal as hell. As soon as you put up the battleflag of the boys who kicked the dogshit out of the larger yank army and stood up to the feds for 4 years the butt-hurt flows.
@32: That’s a completely fair point, and perhaps ‘notable’ wasn’t the best word to use. It just seems -unfairly, I’ll add- that most people simply gloss over one’s ‘veteran’ status without looking at what exactly it meant. Basically, it’s seen as an indicator of service, not of skills one might have learned or further developed while serving. Maybe I’m wrong on that, but that’s the sense I get here, and it’s a shame, since it’s quite clear that having had leadership experience (in the military or elsewhere) is a plus when looking to lead in a political office. As for the depictions of veterans, I tend to think this is just the media with respect to ANY group – they find the most sensational aspect of an event and focus on it. And let’s be fair, it happens on these pages, too. Some anti-war people have valid concerns, but who gets the press? Crazy people like Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink. Talk about Global Warming and the focus isn’t on the over 98% who generally agree on the broad principles, but on the 2% who don’t. Occupy movement? Let’s find a stoned slacker who has never worked a day in his life and says, “Uh, like.. cool, man..” every five seconds and do an interview with him, instead of addressing some of the issues people had with the banks. And yes, veterans converging on DC? Oh, look, a guy talking about how Obama is a Muslim yet again – this is just nuts, lets cover him! People have and want to indulge their confirmation bias in their views; the media is going to play up anything that does that, and people will selectively remember the times it does and forget the times it doesn’t. How to make this better? Have people calmly and politely point out that the crazies don’t speak for the masses, all while not taking jabs at the media for being biased. You can’t get people to see your side of the story when you’re constantly telling them they’re part of the problem and not offering solutions.… Read more »
Oh goodie, another honors grad of Diversity University. I’m busy now but I’ll be back, sans gloves.
Ohhhhhhhhh that bearded ASSHAT! I saw him in a pickup, with those two flags attached, following that truck that had the sign “There is no KING other than KING JESUS” on it, and on the side it blathered on about Sodomy needing to be punished by Courts Marshall and death in the Military… He”s a fucking nutcase… They were extremists and religious one’s at that. He was there to stir shit up, and at one point, was “Politely asked to leave” by the Patriot Guard
@ Anon Indie:
The personal attack by me was bad form. I do apologize.
My only defense is to admit that I am, by both genetics and inclination, a full blown Knuckle Dragger and tend toward hostile as default approach to most all situations.
@ 37
“Oh goodie, another honors grad of Diversity University”
Hehehehe. Love it.
@ 36
You claim to have ‘these pages’ figured out, so you took the time to post here why?
Andrew Breitbart: MFMC!!
If I’d been at that gathering, and IF I were carrying a flag, it would be a CONFEDERATE flag, or preferably, the “Bonny Blue” flag.
Y’all should look up the history of the “Bonny Blue” flag.
http://www.washingtonartillery.com/Def.htm
Most folks who object to the Confederate flag don’t object to the “Bonny Blue” flag, because they don’t know what it is that they’re looking at.
However, displaying it on private vehicles or in a barracks on an Air Force base might not be allowed, because it looks like the flag of an Air Force brigadier general.
@40: Am I wrong in that there is a particular bias here? I was just pointing out that, Left or Right, we highlight sensationalist aspects to stories that confirm our biases.
And I post here for multiple reasons – the biggest would be that this is first and foremost a military blog, not a political one, thought often times the two get tied together. And second, with regards to politics, I like to engage people on both sides of the aisle and hear their perspectives. If I only spoke with people who agreed with me on everything I’d have precious little conversation at all.
Oh, and by the way, I have the good ol’ Rebel flag on the front of my pickup truck, just like in the movie, “FORREST GUMP”.
http://www.flickr.com//photos/writesong/sets/72157624135445099/show/with/6551774351/
Anymouse Independent: You wrote, “I tend to think maybe your view of things is a bit skewed. Don’t conflate one’s political leanings with one’s support for our veterans.” You are so damned wishy washy you even have to qualify your attempted swipe at me. Is my view skewed or is it not? Your chosen screen name is also telling. You are independent, eh? You are above the fray, I suppose, someone whose intellectual gifts will not allow her to take a side or, worse, it’s cafteria-style political dining for you. (And, yes, I’m guessing by your writing style and word choice alone that you are a female.) Well, isn’t that just peachy and comfy. You do take sides, you know, it’s just that you are a tad confused about a number of things but, by and large, your arrow points leftward. We are Veterans, not his, her, our, or their Veterans. Hollywood loves Veterans. Many Hollywood liberals, including Jane Fonda (spit!), have said so. That makes it so, right? If they and their bedfellows in Big Media truly supported VETERANS–as distinguished from active duty military, they would openly support the oaths we took regarding the Constitution–ALL OF IT, they would be lambasting the gov’t for its sorry ass treatment of Veterans at the VA, they would strive NOT to connect whatever affiliation, however slight and short lived, some criminal had with the military, and they would certainly be appearing at rallies in support of issues affecting Veterans. Instead, we get skewed and oddball reporting and no suppport from the Hollywood libs. No, liberals do not support or even like Veterans. My skewed view is that they fear us. And of course they generally support the military and have done so for years and years. When I think of famous folks who support our Vetyerans and our active military, the names Barbara Streisand, Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, and Sean Penn just roll from my tongue, as I’m sure they do yours. Or can’t you decide?
Now boys, Annonymous Independent seems to be trying to inform himself/herself. Has AI, perhaps mistakenly, said things that sound a bit naive? – yes. But lets give AI the benefit of the doubt for now because he/she does seem to mean well and perhaps will learn a thing or two from the discussion.
And yes, I have been to the behaviour modification specialist H.R. calls the “executive coach” today. I am working on some less “one bullet one kill/Gen. Mattis” ways of dealing with people. How am I doing?
Dude with the Confederate and USMC flags is a plant. http://crayfisher.wordpress.com/2013/10/14/do-you-know-this-asshole/
@45: How is that wishy-washy? I was simply pointing out that your view of what a ‘liberal’ is doesn’t match my own experience. That is, your view is skewed. Unless you’re commenting on the phrasing where I said, “I tend to think..”, which, honestly, is just a manner of speaking. Is this better: “You, 2/17 Air Cav, have a skewed view of what a liberal is.”
And my screen name is chosen not because I’m ‘above the fray’, but because I identify with parts of both parties – ‘cafeteria-style’, as you say, because it’s oh-so-utterly horrifying that people will support ideas based on their own experiences and thoughts as opposed to which party they subscribe to.
But hey, since you choose to think I’m a girly hippie-sort who would seemingly rather hug trees, coddle terrorists and extol the virtues of communism -wrong on all counts, mind you- than make a decision on anything, let’s end this on something we can agree on: the situation with the VA is, without qualification, an utter disgrace and an embarrassing mess. Veterans deserve a whole lot better than they’re getting there.
No, you’re absolutely correct, there is a definite bias here, in fact, pick your bias, you’ll find plenty of different ones unless you’re skimming for a specific to the exclusion of others. That in no way excuses the media bias we are all complaining about.
And your comment here –>
“How to make this better? Have people calmly and politely point out that the crazies don’t speak for the masses, all while not taking jabs at the media for being biased. You can’t get people to see your side of the story when you’re constantly telling them they’re part of the problem and not offering solutions.”
is just pricelessly naive. You keep right on thinking that will fix it. Try it yourself and get back with us in about 5-10 years and let us know how that worked out for ya.
@48. Yeah, that was cute. I especially liked that stuff about “girly hippie-sort who would seemingly rather hug trees, coddle terrorists and extol the virtues of communism…” Funny, I can’t find a single mention or allusion to one of those things in my comments. You remind me of another woman who comments here from time to time. She uses “Anonymous” too and, like you, actually types that into the screen nmae block, along with the rest of her tag. Whatever. With respect to your wishy-washiness, I’ll remind you of a saying. You know it but I’ll help you out with its start, “If you don’t stand….” __________________________________________________________