Many of the usual suspects in the media are fully invested in the accepted narrative of the "Fast and Furious" gun-sting mess that centered on an incident in which a Border Patrol agent was murdered in 2010 with a gun that had been part of the federal weapons-tracking operation that went very wrong. That accepted narrative is that the blame could be laid directly on the Obama administration (and specifically Janet Napolitano at Homeland Security and Eric Holder at Justice).
But for some time, it's been clear that the accepted narrative, and variations on same flogged by right-wing propagandists, is a little more complicated. Several previous reports, ignored or badly downplayed in the major media, have indicated that complicated gun-politics in Phoenix, where the investigation was centered, had a whole lot to do with what went so wrong.
A new, detailed report today from the Inspector General office at Homeland Security reiterates that more complicated view of 'Fast and Furious.' The basic errors began in and were mainly confined to operations in Phoenix, where a disinclination to upset the gun lobby was strong. Arizona-based agents from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, collaborating with a Homeland Security investigator working on the Arizona-Mexico border, and in touch with the federal prosecutor in Phoenix, are singled out again. Homeland
Security officials in Washington learned about 'Fast and Furious" only after the Border Patrol agent was killed.
Rather than depending on half-baked media accounts, including any spin from the likes of the right wing radicals' hysteric handmaiden Drudge, read the full report here.
Last September, the Justice Department's inspector general issued a report on the operation that had much more detail about the roles of the ATF Phoenix field office and the U.S. Attorney General's office in Phoenix.
Last June, a groundbreaking report in Fortune by Katherine Eban laid out facts on how this particular egg got scrambled. That article is definitely worth reading. Here.
###
Friday, March 22, 2013
'Sequester' Bites at FAA
As threatened, the F.A.A. plans to shut 149 small-scale air control towers beginning April 7 as part of the agency’s
sequestration implementation plan. These are airports at which air traffic control is managed by workers under contract to the F.A.A.
"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."
Flight operations will still be able to continue at these airports, but pilots will need to manage takeoffs and landings by radio among themselves. .
Here's a link to the list.
###
"We heard from communities across the country about the importance of their towers and these were very tough decisions,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Unfortunately we are faced with a series of difficult choices that we have to make to reach the required cuts under sequestration."
Flight operations will still be able to continue at these airports, but pilots will need to manage takeoffs and landings by radio among themselves. .
Here's a link to the list.
###
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
It's Always Somethin' ...
News item: Unexpected surge in demand in U.S. housing market. But there's a downside, I guess ...
###
Screening Hysterical Media
I've been AWOL from the post, so to speak, for about a month. Back on duty now.
Let's spend a little time, shall we, looking at the media and the T.S.A. -- particularly at nearly hysterical media accounts that portray the T.S.A. as a collection of ham-brained dopes.
Here and there, T.S.A. screeners do some dumb things, and some of them occasionally act like asshats, to use a term that really ought to be more easily employed in the common rhetoric these days. But by and large, it seems to me, the T.S.A. does a good job under tough circumstances, many of which (hello, Congress, where the asshats truly rein) are not of its own doing.
Specifically, have a look at the latest flap, the supposed humiliation of a disabled Marine who was supposedly ordered to remove his artificial legs by thuggish screeners. The Arizona Republic (another gem in the tinplate Gannett crown) flogged this one for a while. The video link to a report on KPNX-TV (a station also owned by Gannett and operated in close affiliation with the newspaper, which shares its Web site) shows one of those terribly earnest, wide-eyed TV anchor wonderwomen revealing that the fury over the alleged incident "is going all the way to Congress" (when, actually, it was a congressional office that started the ball rolling on this non-story). The Phoenix newspaper still seems to be equivocating and crouching into that famed "well, there are two sides to every story" media defense in its online update today, even though it and the other media outlets who jumped on this hype have been informed that the story is false. (As Chico Marx once said, in a line later reiterated by Pryor: "Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?")
From the wires: "...This time the agency faces allegations that it 'humiliated' a wounded 22-year-old Marine at a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.The controversy took hold after witnesses traveling with Cpl. Toran Gaal – the wounded Marine – contacted Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) to say TSA agents forced Gaal to remove his prosthetic legs and try to walk at the checkpoint."
From the Arizona Republic account, which is based on half-baked information from the office of a California Republican representative, Duncan Hunter:
Rep. Duncan is himself a former Marine who perhaps ought to be keeping closer inspection on the stuff his office puts out.
Actually, here's the T.S.A.'s account by its blogger, Bob Burns, which is even more notable because it states that the two screeners in question are themselves military veterans:
"There have been many reports about a U.S. Marine Wounded Warrior who was recently screened at Phoenix (PHX). Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misreporting.
Through our Wounded Warrior Screening program, we strive to make the overall experience for
wounded service members as simple and trouble-free as possible. In the coming days, we will expand the Wounded Warriors Screening program to offer TSA Pre✓™, or expedited screening, to this group of veterans.
TSA Officers at Phoenix (PHX) alone have screened and assisted 164 Wounded Warriors over the past year. We value the continued commitment of our veterans and active duty military employees to TSA’s mission, and to ensuring the safety of all Americans. See some of TSA’s proud servicemen and women here."
Let's spend a little time, shall we, looking at the media and the T.S.A. -- particularly at nearly hysterical media accounts that portray the T.S.A. as a collection of ham-brained dopes.
Here and there, T.S.A. screeners do some dumb things, and some of them occasionally act like asshats, to use a term that really ought to be more easily employed in the common rhetoric these days. But by and large, it seems to me, the T.S.A. does a good job under tough circumstances, many of which (hello, Congress, where the asshats truly rein) are not of its own doing.
Specifically, have a look at the latest flap, the supposed humiliation of a disabled Marine who was supposedly ordered to remove his artificial legs by thuggish screeners. The Arizona Republic (another gem in the tinplate Gannett crown) flogged this one for a while. The video link to a report on KPNX-TV (a station also owned by Gannett and operated in close affiliation with the newspaper, which shares its Web site) shows one of those terribly earnest, wide-eyed TV anchor wonderwomen revealing that the fury over the alleged incident "is going all the way to Congress" (when, actually, it was a congressional office that started the ball rolling on this non-story). The Phoenix newspaper still seems to be equivocating and crouching into that famed "well, there are two sides to every story" media defense in its online update today, even though it and the other media outlets who jumped on this hype have been informed that the story is false. (As Chico Marx once said, in a line later reiterated by Pryor: "Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?")
From the wires: "...This time the agency faces allegations that it 'humiliated' a wounded 22-year-old Marine at a security checkpoint at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.The controversy took hold after witnesses traveling with Cpl. Toran Gaal – the wounded Marine – contacted Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) to say TSA agents forced Gaal to remove his prosthetic legs and try to walk at the checkpoint."
From the Arizona Republic account, which is based on half-baked information from the office of a California Republican representative, Duncan Hunter:
"Gaal was in a wheelchair carrying his military identification. Witnesses told Hunter's office the ordeal dragged on for at least 10 minutes.
"Gaal was directed to two screening stations, ordered to remove his prosthetic legs and at one point stand up for a second inspection. Other TSA agents sat and watched as he tried to stand painfully and as his wheelchair was checked for explosives, Hunter wrote Monday."The Republic and other torch-carriers now at least are making note of the T.S.A.'s response to these charges, which is that they are not true. Says the newspaper: "Those accounts came from a man accompanying five San Diego-area Marines to a spring-training game as part of a volunteer effort to help wounded veterans with their recovery, Hunter spokesman Joe Kasper said."
Rep. Duncan is himself a former Marine who perhaps ought to be keeping closer inspection on the stuff his office puts out.
Actually, here's the T.S.A.'s account by its blogger, Bob Burns, which is even more notable because it states that the two screeners in question are themselves military veterans:
"There have been many reports about a U.S. Marine Wounded Warrior who was recently screened at Phoenix (PHX). Unfortunately, there has been a lot of misreporting.
After
reviewing TSA video (CCTV), interviewing and receiving written statements from
all officers involved, we found that the soldier was not asked and did not
remove his prosthetic legs. The screening was done by the book and lasted a
total of 8 minutes from beginning to end. By chance, the screening was
conducted by two TSA Officers who were prior military. One was in the U.S. Air
Force for 18 years, and the other was in the U.S. Marine Corps for 13 years.
Nevertheless,
we strive to ensure that all veterans and individuals with medical concerns are
treated with dignity and respect. 25 percent of TSA employees are prior
military. Some are even still serving in the reserves and guard. I’m a veteran
as well. We have the greatest respect for our men and women serving in the
military and strive to screen them with the dignity
they deserve.
Through our Wounded Warrior Screening program, we strive to make the overall experience for
wounded service members as simple and trouble-free as possible. In the coming days, we will expand the Wounded Warriors Screening program to offer TSA Pre✓™, or expedited screening, to this group of veterans.
TSA Officers at Phoenix (PHX) alone have screened and assisted 164 Wounded Warriors over the past year. We value the continued commitment of our veterans and active duty military employees to TSA’s mission, and to ensuring the safety of all Americans. See some of TSA’s proud servicemen and women here."
###\
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Merged AA-US Air Will Be in oneworld Alliance
It was widely anticipated, but US Airways CEO Doug Parker says in a letter to employees today that the newly merged American Airlines-US Airways will maintain American's membership in the oneworld global alliance.
Oneworld, while having a number of highly regarded airlines among its 11 members, is smaller than the 27-member Star Alliance, which US Airways belongs to. Both alliances have a significant presence in Asia, rapidly emerging as the world's most important international market.
But American is the only oneworld member in North America, and leaving that alliance for Star could raise regulatory questions.
Parker is obviously optimistic that the merger will proceed quickly. He said today that he expected it to close in the third quarter of this year.
Oneworld's members besides American are Air Berlin, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 (a Russian carrier). Mexicana is in line to become a new member.
Star Alliance members are Adriatic, Aegean, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels, Cops, Croatia, Egyptair, Ethopian, LOT, Lufthansa, Scandanavian, Shenzen, Singapore, South African, Swiss, TAM, TAP, Thai and United.
###
Oneworld, while having a number of highly regarded airlines among its 11 members, is smaller than the 27-member Star Alliance, which US Airways belongs to. Both alliances have a significant presence in Asia, rapidly emerging as the world's most important international market.
But American is the only oneworld member in North America, and leaving that alliance for Star could raise regulatory questions.
Parker is obviously optimistic that the merger will proceed quickly. He said today that he expected it to close in the third quarter of this year.
Oneworld's members besides American are Air Berlin, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia, Qantas, Royal Jordanian and S7 (a Russian carrier). Mexicana is in line to become a new member.
Star Alliance members are Adriatic, Aegean, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Austrian, Avianca, Brussels, Cops, Croatia, Egyptair, Ethopian, LOT, Lufthansa, Scandanavian, Shenzen, Singapore, South African, Swiss, TAM, TAP, Thai and United.
###
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Shitwrecked At Sea on a Carnival Cruise
Updating the post here from the other day on the behemoth Carnival cruise ship Triumph, which lost power after an engine fire in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, went adrift without electricity, and is now being slowly towed to a port assisted by two tugboats. Without power, the ship had drifted 90 miles north of the position where the fire occurred about 125 miles off the Yucatan Peninsula. It is being towed to port in Mobile, Ala., with arrival not expected till Thursday.
There are about 3,200 passengers and 1,000 crew on board in appalling conditions.
[UPDATED Feb. 14 -- In a splendid example of "Who you gonna believe, me or your lyin' eyes?" some of the media that are finally paying attention to this mess are faithfully transcribing PR responses from Carnival, the gist of which are: "Reports of appalling conditions on board greatly exaggerated."
Hence we have reports quoting Gerry Cahill, CEO of Carnival (italics mine): "No one here from Carnival is happy about the conditions aboard the ship ... there is no question that conditions aboard are very challenging. Most of the public bathrooms -- there are 23 public bathrooms -- most of them are working," he said. There is also a "good section" of passenger cabins, in the forward and midship sections of the ship, that have working toilets.
I'm not real good at math, but 4,000-plus people divided into "most of" 23 plus "a good section" equals ... well, equals a misery shitstorm. Just wait till these people get into port tonight and start sounding off!]
With the fire and power loss, basic services on the ship, like toilets, became inoperable, and many remain out, with sewage all around. The slow boat to Mobile was expected to dock late Thursday night, after another delay caused when a tug boat line broke.
Let's just update by posting some of the entries directly from passengers on this cruise from hell, via the excellent Web site devoted to cruise news, Cruisecritic.com:
***
(Updated, 1:46 p.m. EST Tuesday) -- In its latest update, Carnival Cruise Line reported some basic services and hotel functionality have been restored to Carnival Triumph, which remains adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. The freshwater system, part of the sewage system, limited elevator service and some power in the Lido dining area are operational. But some family members of passengers on the ship are reporting the situation is still very uncomfortable.
Here's a sampling of what Cruise Critic members have heard from their friends and family on Carnival Triumph:
NTFF (February 12, 1:09 p.m.) – [Feces] and [urine] rolling across floor with every wave. People sick and throwing up every where. NTFF
(February 12, 1:47 a.m.) – My wife is aboard for her very first cruise.
She and her best friend have a cabin just forward of the centerline of
the ship. She has reported to me through texts, and 2 phone calls she
managed to get out while the other ships were moving supplies aboard.
She tells me she has not heard of or seen any functioning restrooms/etc.
She said she not not seen anyone fighting for food, but she had seen
that people waiting in very long lines were pileing up the food and
(hoarding) taking it to their cabins as if there would be no more. She
said the crew was assuring all that there was plenty of food, but many
pax were ignoring this advice. At 16:29 CST she said that 1 of the tug
boats was in site. And they they had been advised that they may not be
into port until friday. Wmiller86 (February 11, 10:14 p.m.) – I just rec'd a text from my wife. - NO POTTIES ARE WORKING! That was all it said. LynnA (February 11, 4:28 p.m.) – We just got a text from daughter-in-law. She said she was miserable but no worries. Dbogusch
(February 11, 2:36 p.m.) – Another update from coworker. People are
slowly being let into their cabins but its stifling hot below decks. The
"hamburgers" being served are meatless. Very limited hot food. Only
water to drink. okiecruzer
(February 11, 2:22 p.m.) – They [parents] said there is no power still,
no toilets… , no meat. They slept on the deck last night (no tent, just
open air) and will probably do so for the next two nights. They said
they are doing this by choice – they booked an inner room without a
window. They said there is no coffee or juice, only water. My dad said
they were serving "hamburgers." He had one made just of cheese slices
and another with only coleslaw, no meat on either. All alcohol service
has been cut off. Wmiller86
(February 11, 2:11 p.m.) – My wife and 3 of her girlfriends are on the
Triumph… My wife was able to call me Sunday night for a few minutes
while Elation was alongside. My wife told me that it was pretty scary
during the fire evacuation… She said that they were allowed back down
into the cabins after awhile, but it is so hot that you cannot sleep
down there. So they had set up a makeshift tent over deck loungers to
sleep in. At the time I spoke to here, there was no toilets. They were
using little red bags. And no running water, no lights, except emergency
lighting. She said it was already pretty miserable. No hot food and no alcohol being served. There was still ice being served in soft drinks. None of the shops were open.
Dbogusch
(February 11, 2:02 p.m.) – Just found out a coworker is on that ship.
She texted her boss this afternoon. She said there are very long lines
for food and bathrooms. Some rooms running out of toilet paper. She said
the ship is hot and people are cranky. She expects to be home Thursday
or Friday. okiecruzer
(February 11, 1:36 p.m.) – Just got word from my mom who is on Triumph.
She said they would be back to Galveston Thursday or Friday. Morehouse14
(February 11, 1:28 p.m.) – Just received a text message from my wife.
They are being served hamburgers and salad from another ship that is
alongside. Lines are taking 2 plus hours to get through to get food and
drink. Morehouse14
(February 11, 8:47 a.m.) – I know four people on this cruise, one of
which is my wife. I have been in contact with her and the others. The
cruise line says they are running on emergency generators… there are no
lights or running water on the ship. Cabins have no power. They have to
use bags and/or the shower to go to the bathroom. It is hot with no air
moving below deck. They want everyone to stay in the public or open
areas of the ship. jgomila198101
(February 10, 7:07 p.m.) – My sis just called. They have plenty of
food; they are all fine but doesn't look like they will be back until
Wednesday night. Said they are still having fun. Clinty76
(February 10, 6:56 p.m.) – Here is the absolute most current update
directly from my wife aboard the ship. "We are about to get supplies
from another cruise ship and apparently the tug boats should be here
tomorrow around noon. Who knows how long it will take to get back to
Galveston. We have no power AT ALL, which means we can't use the
toilets, wash our hands or take a shower."###
Monday, February 11, 2013
Habemus Papam! Er ... Duo Papum?
 |
| Whacking the old one on the noggin to prove he's dead before getting a new one |
 |
| Sealing the dead one's bedroom |
 |
| "Take this job and ..." |
Dang, I wish now that I'd paid attention in Latin class. They told me I'd be glad to have it some day, and it turns out they were right.
[My wife, who grew up Episcopalian and is a lot smarter than I, informs me that the correct Latin to say that we have more than one pope is "Habemus Papas!" that being the accusative plural of the familiarly sounded cry, the accusative singular "Habemus Papam!" Heck, the only accusative I knew from high school Latin was the one in which the Latin teacher priest accused me of not studying and then punched me in the face. Oh well, at least he didn't invite me on camping trip.]
But I digress. The point is, dang, I am sorry to see the gnarly old German Pope retiring. As a long-ago Catholic, I always liked the rituals, and none were grander than getting a new pope when the old one died and joined the Choir Invisible.
In 1978, as a reporter for the old Philadelphia Bulletin, I once even went to Rome to cover the death of a pope (the sour old Paul VI) and the election of a new one, the smiley-faced one who everybody forgets about that lasted about a month till he suddenly died and was succeeded by that jovial Polish fellow. I still dine out on stories from that ancient adventure, including the way the cranky old cardinals beefed about not being able to find all the parts to the creaky Sistine Chapel stove that was supposed to send up the black or white smoke signals. (It kept puffing out gray). Not to mention the way the cardinals, men who are accustomed to living in princely splendor, griped about the dormitory-like accommodations that then prevailed in the Sistine Chapel during the secret conclave (where one cardinal, the guy from Washington D.C., annoyed the others by always playing his harmonica, on which he only knew one song, "Do Not Forsake Me O My Darling," from High Noon).
But mostly I miss it when the Vatican carmerlengo cardinal has to use a silver hammer to whack the old pope on the noggin to prove that he is really dead before they can get a new one.
Tradition! Ritual! Sic transit gloria mundi!
###.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
More Cruise News: 5 in Crew Killed in Cruise Ship Safety Drill, While Off Mexico, a Carnival Cruise Ship Is Adrift and Without Power After Engine-Room Fire
 |
| Thomson Majestic |
The accident happened during a routine safety drill at about 12:00 GMT. Three others were also hurt as the lifeboat fell, says the BBC.
[UPDATE] Meanwhile, in other "I'd-sooner-take-a-brick-upside-the-head-than-get-on-a-cruise-ship" news, the Carnival behemoth Triumph was operating on emergency power after an engine-room fire off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Conditions on board were described as horrendous, says USA Today.
Other reports, including many from passengers on board, describe hideous conditions, such as toilets overflowing all over the ship. What fun cruising (or crossing, as the Cunard transAtlantic douches call it) must be!
 |
| Carnival Triumph |
Cruisecritic.com, a very useful cruise Web site updating the situation today, reports: "Update, February 11, 9:35 a.m. EST: According to an e-mail from Petty Officer 3rd Class Richard Brahm of the U.S. Coast Guard, the Coast Guard Cutter Vigorous arrived on the scene last night at 12:45 a.m. EST. As of 6 a.m. this morning, Carnival Triumph's freshwater system is back up and operational. Additionally, the sewage system has been restored to the forward section of the ship but is still down in the aft portion. Onboard engineers are continuing to work on the aft sewage system."
###
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Free Baja Arizona!
I was on volunteer ranger duty this morning at the Broadway trailhead of Saguaro National Park when I spotted a parked car with a "Free Baja Arizona" bumper sticker. Had almost forgotten about the (half serious, but no one really believes it's feasible) movement in the sensible environs of Arizona -- that is, in the southern part of the state that is far removed politically and culturally from the land of the delusional in Phoenix and the rest of Maricopa County -- to declare statehood, free and clear at last of the nut cases and racists who give Arizona such a bad name nationally.
And the official state animal of Baja Arizona would be ... Wile E. Coyote.
Excerpt from the Free Baja Arizona page on Bandersnatch.com:
"...In Baja Arizona a major issue is environmental quality. In Maricopa the major concerns are how to harass Mexicans, and how to gut the budgets of the state university system so we don't have too many smart people to disagree with the dunderheads in the State Legislature.
Flight Cancellations Today
Flightstats.com has this breakdown of flight cancelations today caused by what the terrific flight-delay site unfortunatelty refers to as "winter storm Nemo," adopting the marketing stunt created by the Weather Channel to market snowstorms.
Alas, much of the media, especially the television ones, took the bait.
Anyway, flight schedules today are disrupted in the Northeast and, per usual, it will take many days for ther air travel system -- which is operating at virtual capacity routinely -- to sort itself out.
From Flightstats.com: "As of 4:00 AM EST, the storm has caused 2,074 flights to be cancelled for Saturday, February 9th at North American airports. Yesterday there were, 4,136 flights cancelled in North America.
Airports with the most combined arrival and departure cancellations on Saturday, February 9th are:
479 (BOS) Logan International Airport324 (JFK) John F. Kennedy International Airport318 (EWR) Newark Liberty International Airport298 (LGA) LaGuardia Airport160 (YYZ) Pearson International Airport157 (PHL) Philadelphia International Airport109 (ORD) O'Hare International Airport"
Here's the link to the Flightstats delay updates: FlightStats Global Delay Tracker (lists delays and cancellations by airline, airport, and region).
###
Monday, February 04, 2013
'CBS' Used to Be Followed by 'News'
[UPDATED]
When the lights unaccountably went out at the preposterously named Mercedes-Benz Superdome last night during the biggest sports event of the year, you might have thought that CBS, broadcasting the game, would have made at least a minimal effort to address for viewers what had just happened.
You would have been wrong. Instead, in a shocking example of journalistic malfeasance, the CBS Sports flunkies on site (and the CBS News people on site or in New York) at first punted in panic and went to commercial, and then took the position that, well, we'll wait till the NFL suits tell us what to say before we explain anything. What had happened? What was happening in the stands, where tens of thousands of spectators were in the dark in more ways than one?
Broadcast sports journalism has long been mostly a bad joke, with print sports journalism not far behind. Witness the weak response to this remarkable event this morning among our vaunted sportswriters, a breed that I once respected in general but now associate with one phrase: "When're they going to bring out more free shrimp?"
There were some exceptions, like Bob Raissman in today's New York Daily News:
"At a time when they should have been aggressively gathering news, CBS’ crew was satisfied with the crumbs the NFL dropped on them. And they swallowed the scraps gladly. Not once during the 34-minute delay did a representative of the National Football League appear on camera to attempt to explain what caused half the Superdome to lose power.
Why should they? No one from CBS put any pressure on them.
Instead of having anyone with a microphone express a hint of outrage, they accepted what was going down. ..."
Yes they did, like the house stooges they actually are.
But where was CBS News, which presumably had at least one news reporter there among the 5,000 media hacks sent to New Orleans, many by news organizations that otherwise wouldn't cover the Second Coming if it required paying for a flight and a hotel room?
As the blackout stretched on, what were they doing at CBS News headquarters in New York? Did it not occur to those descendants of Walter Cronkite to perhaps elbow their way onto the air, you know, like in the old days, with a brief news report that at least indicated that something very unusual had happened, and questions were being asked?
If it did, there was no sign of it last night. No, the attitude was clearly: We'll wait till we're told what to say.
This, from Will Leitch at Sportsdonearth.com, is worth reading on the subject.
Also, while we're on the subject of lackey reporting, when might it occur to the media that the real advertising story last night wasn't who had the best or worst ad (the perennial narrative), but rather, why couldn't CBS sell advertising time? I wasn't counting, but it seemed to me that most of the ads aired last night during the Super Bowl (with the exception of the cheap local ads slotted in during the regular segments where the local TV stations get their allotted time) were non-revenue CBS house-ads -- promos for CBS shows -- and barter-deal promos for the NFL.
That might be a story, it seems to me. That is, if any actual journalists were covering this, rather than just swooning over the content of the relatively few beer, car and junk-food ads that did actually air.
Meanwhile, it went unnoted by the NFL handmaidens who CBS trots out to broadcast the game, but hey, how about that murder suspect down there on the field?
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was described by a CBS stooge last night as "an extraordinary individual who has impacted sports and community."
Why yes, how true, how true.
That would underscore the recent incident after the Ravens beat the Broncos in postseason, when Ravens players jeered a USA Today reporter who had the temerity to ask the glowering Mr. Lewis about an unfortunate incident in which he, Lewis, was accused in a still-unsolved double murder. Inconveniences for Lewis in that 2000 murder case were that a victim's blood was found in his limo, where Lewis had instructed fellow passengers to keep their mouths shut about the incident.
"... Lewis pleaded guilty in relation to the case: for obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. He originally was charged with two counts of murder but struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against two of his companions that night..."
That's from Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, who has some journalistic guts, and who had this to say about Mr. Lewis and his misadventure.
I'll provide a little more background on the Lewis case in a bit. But gotta go now! I see they're bringing out more free shrimp and king crab claws to the buffet table, and you know how the line forms, up in the press box.
[UPDATE: An angry anonymous commenter who claims to have some knowledge of CBS (shooting from ambush, the way all anonymous flamers do, of course) scoffs that I didn't do my homework, that CBS "sold" all of its ad slots for the Super Bowl. Right, just like USA Today "sells" 1.7 million copies a day, when in fact more than half are given away, with the numbers cooked through in-house barter deals. That fact is, most of the Super Bowl commercial air time -- a total of 47 minutes -- was devoted to house ads promoting CBS or affiliated shows ("sold" and accounted for in-house) or barter-deal promos for the NFL and affiliates. Media reporters noted weeks before the game ago that CBS said it had "sold" all of its ad slots for the Super Bowl-- but they didn't ask questions about to whom and under what circumstances. They didn't ask how many of those ads sold for the the real-cash price of $3.8 million for 30 seconds, which is what CBS was said to be charging. I guarantee you, financial analysts are asking the right questions, and they're not depending on CBS flacks for the answers.]
###
###
When the lights unaccountably went out at the preposterously named Mercedes-Benz Superdome last night during the biggest sports event of the year, you might have thought that CBS, broadcasting the game, would have made at least a minimal effort to address for viewers what had just happened.
You would have been wrong. Instead, in a shocking example of journalistic malfeasance, the CBS Sports flunkies on site (and the CBS News people on site or in New York) at first punted in panic and went to commercial, and then took the position that, well, we'll wait till the NFL suits tell us what to say before we explain anything. What had happened? What was happening in the stands, where tens of thousands of spectators were in the dark in more ways than one?
Broadcast sports journalism has long been mostly a bad joke, with print sports journalism not far behind. Witness the weak response to this remarkable event this morning among our vaunted sportswriters, a breed that I once respected in general but now associate with one phrase: "When're they going to bring out more free shrimp?"
There were some exceptions, like Bob Raissman in today's New York Daily News:
"At a time when they should have been aggressively gathering news, CBS’ crew was satisfied with the crumbs the NFL dropped on them. And they swallowed the scraps gladly. Not once during the 34-minute delay did a representative of the National Football League appear on camera to attempt to explain what caused half the Superdome to lose power.
Why should they? No one from CBS put any pressure on them.
Instead of having anyone with a microphone express a hint of outrage, they accepted what was going down. ..."
Yes they did, like the house stooges they actually are.
But where was CBS News, which presumably had at least one news reporter there among the 5,000 media hacks sent to New Orleans, many by news organizations that otherwise wouldn't cover the Second Coming if it required paying for a flight and a hotel room?
As the blackout stretched on, what were they doing at CBS News headquarters in New York? Did it not occur to those descendants of Walter Cronkite to perhaps elbow their way onto the air, you know, like in the old days, with a brief news report that at least indicated that something very unusual had happened, and questions were being asked?
If it did, there was no sign of it last night. No, the attitude was clearly: We'll wait till we're told what to say.
This, from Will Leitch at Sportsdonearth.com, is worth reading on the subject.
Also, while we're on the subject of lackey reporting, when might it occur to the media that the real advertising story last night wasn't who had the best or worst ad (the perennial narrative), but rather, why couldn't CBS sell advertising time? I wasn't counting, but it seemed to me that most of the ads aired last night during the Super Bowl (with the exception of the cheap local ads slotted in during the regular segments where the local TV stations get their allotted time) were non-revenue CBS house-ads -- promos for CBS shows -- and barter-deal promos for the NFL.
That might be a story, it seems to me. That is, if any actual journalists were covering this, rather than just swooning over the content of the relatively few beer, car and junk-food ads that did actually air.
Meanwhile, it went unnoted by the NFL handmaidens who CBS trots out to broadcast the game, but hey, how about that murder suspect down there on the field?
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was described by a CBS stooge last night as "an extraordinary individual who has impacted sports and community."
Why yes, how true, how true.
That would underscore the recent incident after the Ravens beat the Broncos in postseason, when Ravens players jeered a USA Today reporter who had the temerity to ask the glowering Mr. Lewis about an unfortunate incident in which he, Lewis, was accused in a still-unsolved double murder. Inconveniences for Lewis in that 2000 murder case were that a victim's blood was found in his limo, where Lewis had instructed fellow passengers to keep their mouths shut about the incident.
"... Lewis pleaded guilty in relation to the case: for obstruction of justice, a misdemeanor. He originally was charged with two counts of murder but struck a deal with prosecutors in exchange for his testimony against two of his companions that night..."
That's from Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, who has some journalistic guts, and who had this to say about Mr. Lewis and his misadventure.
I'll provide a little more background on the Lewis case in a bit. But gotta go now! I see they're bringing out more free shrimp and king crab claws to the buffet table, and you know how the line forms, up in the press box.
[UPDATE: An angry anonymous commenter who claims to have some knowledge of CBS (shooting from ambush, the way all anonymous flamers do, of course) scoffs that I didn't do my homework, that CBS "sold" all of its ad slots for the Super Bowl. Right, just like USA Today "sells" 1.7 million copies a day, when in fact more than half are given away, with the numbers cooked through in-house barter deals. That fact is, most of the Super Bowl commercial air time -- a total of 47 minutes -- was devoted to house ads promoting CBS or affiliated shows ("sold" and accounted for in-house) or barter-deal promos for the NFL and affiliates. Media reporters noted weeks before the game ago that CBS said it had "sold" all of its ad slots for the Super Bowl-- but they didn't ask questions about to whom and under what circumstances. They didn't ask how many of those ads sold for the the real-cash price of $3.8 million for 30 seconds, which is what CBS was said to be charging. I guarantee you, financial analysts are asking the right questions, and they're not depending on CBS flacks for the answers.]
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Sunday, February 03, 2013
A Long Way From Katrina ...
Not sure what it says about a place that spent nearly a half-billion dollars to refurbish a football stadium after a catastrophic hurricane that nearly destroyed a city and whose effects are still not fully socially or physically alleviated.
But just as a reminder, here's what the New Orleans Superdome, now bearing the amusingly preposterous name Mercedes-Benz Superdome, looked like in that awful time in 2005.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Airlines' Revenues Soar
| ||||
For full year 2012, AirlineFinancials.com
LLC projects these seven airlines will collectively report $3.7 billion
in profits from a record $140 billion in revenues. For the first time
since the 1990’s, excluding American, every airline will have annual
profits for at least three consecutive years. American has not reported
an annual profit since 2007.
For
the year, every airline will report record revenues with four of the
seven also reporting record annual profits. Unfortunately for the
industry, these records come with a paltry 2.6% profit margin which is
50% less than industry margins were in the later 1990’s.
Since
2001 –year of the tragic 911 attacks-- in spite of the last three years
of record revenues and profits, the industry has accumulated a
staggering $23 billion in net losses! This compares to $23 billion in
accumulated net profits for the six years prior to 2001.
***
***
Individual airline projections for fourth quarter 2012-
Projections exclude special items and one-time charges
- United (UAL) - $146 million loss from $8.8 billion revenue
- Delta (DAL) - $239 million profit from $8.7 billion revenue**
- American (AAMRQ) - $ 88 million loss from $5.9 billion revenue*
- Southwest LUV) - $ 46 million profit from $4.2 billion revenue**
- US Airways (LCC) - $ 38 million profit from $3.3 billion revenue**
- JetBlue (JBLU) - $ 5 million profit from $1.2 billion revenue**
- Alaska (ALK) - $ 58 million profit from $1.2 billion revenue**
* Reported last week
** Record revenue for fourth quarter
Individual airline projections for full year 2012-
Projections exclude special items and one-time charges
- United (UAL) - $647 million profit from $37.2 billion revenue
- Delta (DAL) - $ 1.7 billion profit from $36.8 billion revenue**
- American (AAMRQ) - $130 million loss from $24.9 billion revenue*
- Southwest LUV) - $400 million profit from $17.1 billion revenue
- US Airways (LCC) - $528 million profit from $13.8 billion revenue**
- JetBlue (JBLU) - $137 million profit from $5.0 billion revenue**
- Alaska (ALK) - $352 million profit from $4.7 billion revenue**
* Reported last week
** Record profit for year
###
Another Mass Shooting: Gunman Kills 5, Including 3 Children, in Albuquerque
[UPDATED JAN. 21]
As the gun crowd jammed gun shows and celebrated Guns Across America rallies around the country, and assault rifles were hot sellers while supplies lasted, still another homicidal lunatic with an assault rifle shot five people to death Saturday night in Albuquerque, N.M. The murdered children were ages 9, 5 and 2. The boy charged in the murders is 15.
[UPDATED JAN. 21) -- The victims were identified today as Greg Griego, 51, his wife Sara Griego, 40, and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2. The shooter was identified as Nehemiah Griego, 15, who has been charged in the murders.]
[The church Web site has removed recent information on the Griego family, but past church bulletins described Greg Griego as a member of the "pastoral staff," not as the pastor. He is also described as the head of the church's prison outreach ministry.]
[According to the Albuquerque Journal on Monday, "Griego had converted his backyard barn into a halfway house for released prisoners, according to neighbors. He also held services at the county jail’s “God Pod,” where he gave inmates spiritual advice."]
A local TV station, KRQE, had this initial report on Sunday:
"ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) -- Police are investigating multiple murders after they say a teen fatally shot two adults and three young children in southwest Albuquerque.
Deputies responded to a home on 2806 Long Lane in southwest Albuquerque after reports of a
possible homicide a little after 9 o'clock Saturday night. When they arrived, deputies say the found several victims and weapons inside the home. [Including an assault rifle that was used in the shooting]
An adult man, an adult woman and three children around elementary age were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds."
[Greg Griego, identified as the dead clergyman, appeared in a 2003 news report as the chaplain at the county Detention Center. He was at the center of a neighborhood controversy over his plan to open a halfway house on Long Lane. It is not clear if that is the same Long Lane address as the site of last night's shooting. As chaplain at the detention center, Griego was described in a 2003 news account as the overseer of the prison ministry for Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque.]
Meanwhile, the NBC affiliate, KOB, reports today that "Police believe the teenager used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in the shooting."
###
As the gun crowd jammed gun shows and celebrated Guns Across America rallies around the country, and assault rifles were hot sellers while supplies lasted, still another homicidal lunatic with an assault rifle shot five people to death Saturday night in Albuquerque, N.M. The murdered children were ages 9, 5 and 2. The boy charged in the murders is 15.
[UPDATED JAN. 21) -- The victims were identified today as Greg Griego, 51, his wife Sara Griego, 40, and three of their children: a 9-year-old boy, Zephania Griego, and daughters Jael Griego, 5, and Angelina Griego, 2. The shooter was identified as Nehemiah Griego, 15, who has been charged in the murders.]
[The church Web site has removed recent information on the Griego family, but past church bulletins described Greg Griego as a member of the "pastoral staff," not as the pastor. He is also described as the head of the church's prison outreach ministry.]
[According to the Albuquerque Journal on Monday, "Griego had converted his backyard barn into a halfway house for released prisoners, according to neighbors. He also held services at the county jail’s “God Pod,” where he gave inmates spiritual advice."]
A local TV station, KRQE, had this initial report on Sunday:
"ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) -- Police are investigating multiple murders after they say a teen fatally shot two adults and three young children in southwest Albuquerque.
Deputies responded to a home on 2806 Long Lane in southwest Albuquerque after reports of a
possible homicide a little after 9 o'clock Saturday night. When they arrived, deputies say the found several victims and weapons inside the home. [Including an assault rifle that was used in the shooting]
An adult man, an adult woman and three children around elementary age were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds."
[Greg Griego, identified as the dead clergyman, appeared in a 2003 news report as the chaplain at the county Detention Center. He was at the center of a neighborhood controversy over his plan to open a halfway house on Long Lane. It is not clear if that is the same Long Lane address as the site of last night's shooting. As chaplain at the detention center, Griego was described in a 2003 news account as the overseer of the prison ministry for Calvary Chapel of Albuquerque.]
Meanwhile, the NBC affiliate, KOB, reports today that "Police believe the teenager used an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in the shooting."
###
Saturday, January 19, 2013
A Day at the Gun Show
Speaking of gun shows, here are some snapshots I took earlier this month at a gun show on a weekend day at the Pima County Fairgrounds just outside Tucson.
As at gun shows across the country, crowds were bigger than usual, ammunition and magazines were selling out, and the hottest items on many lips were the Bushmaster AR 15 rifle. You know, the same kind of semiautomatic assault weapon that that homicidal maniac borrowed from his gun-nut mother to massacre 20 little children and six teachers a month ago at that grade-school in Connecticut, after he murdered his mother at home.
The rifle is so popular that the boys from the NRA, manning their usual booth near the entrance to the gun show to drum up membership (which is flagging), were promoting one as first prize in a raffle, $10 a ticket. Gun owners told me that the AR 15s are almost impossible to find now. All sold out. A used one that used to go for $800 is now in the $1,800 range, one said.
By the way, gun dealers I talked to said they love those well-intentioned "gun buy-back" programs that are increasingly popular as a reaction against gun violence. "You can get at least $50 for any old piece of crap in Grandpa's closet," one said.
I occasionally go to the local gun shows to check out the doings. Most noticeable to me on this one was the unusual number of people who brought the kiddies along, including some in strollers in which a rifle was also being carried. Alas, no photos allowed inside the sacred hall. So these from outside will have to do.
 |
| Sign in an SUV parked in Tucson gun-show lot |
Gun Control Evidently Needed At Gun Shows
People attending gun shows around the country on Saturday were wounded by accidentally discharged firearms in three separate incidents.
In Raleigh, N.C., three people were wounded by gunshots at a crowded gun show when a gun was fired accidentally after a security guard asked the owner to open his bag for inspection.
The shotgun’s owner brought the weapon to the quarterly Dixie Gun & Knife Show at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds to sell it privately. The show closed early because of the shooting but will resume tomorrow.
According to the Raleigh News & Observer newspaper: "The shooting took place the same day as gun-rights supporters held a Gun Appreciation Day event in downtown Raleigh."
Also, in Indianapolis today, there was another gun-show gunshot wounding. A man loading a gun outside the Indy 1500 Gun and Knife Show at the State Fairgrounds was accidentally shot when his .45 caliber semi-automatic discharged Saturday afternoon around 4.15 p.m., according to WISH-TV, a local station. The man, Emory L. Cozee, 54, was walking back to his car and loading his .45 when he accidentally shot himself in the hand.
Meanwhile, in Medina, Ohio, a man was wounded in an accidental shooting Saturday afternoon at a gun show at the Medina Fair Grounds. Police said a gun dealer was checking out a semi-automatic handgun he had just bought when he accidentally pulled the trigger. The gun was loaded, it seems. The round hit the floor and struck a man standing nearby in the leg and arm.
Quazy, huh?
###
Friday, January 18, 2013
In Retreat, TSA Pulling 'Backscatter' Naked-Image Scanners from Airports
The roughly 200 of the 800 or so whole-body images being used at 200 U.S. airports -- the backscatter ones made by a company called Rapiscan -- will be removed by the TSA, which lost a battle with Congress over the issue of the naked images the machines record.
This today from the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), which has led the fight against the machines on the ground of privacy intrusion:
***
Latest News - January 18, 2013
Latest News - January 18, 2013
TSA to Pull Naked Body Scanners Out of US Airports
The US Transportation Security Administration will end the contract for backscatter x-ray devices. As a consequence, all devices that produce a detailed naked image of air travelers will be removed from US airports. Beginning in 2005, EPIC and then a coalition of privacy advocates, scientists, legal experts and lawmakers urged the TSA not to deploy the devices. The groups petitioned DHS Secretary Napolitano to suspend the program pending a thorough review. The agency went forward and EPIC sued. In EPIC v. DHS, the DC Circuit held that the devices could be used as long as passengers were able to opt-out. The federal appeals court also ordered the agency to "promptly" begin a public rulemaking. That process will likely begin in March 2013. For more information, see EPIC: EPIC v. DHS and EPIC: Body Scanners.***
###
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Much-Hyped Boeing 787 Dreamliners Grounded by FAA
All that hype written by breathless reporters who got taken for a ride on the initial flights of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes was fascinating, but ...
The FAA has temporarily grounded the planes in the U.S. after a series of mishaps and malfunctions.
The FAA action applies effectively only to United Airlines, which is the sole domestic carrier currently flying the new airplanes. But other aviation authorities around the world may take similiar actions, per a recommendation by the FAA. There are a total of 50 Dreamliners, Boeing's newest airplane, in active fleets globally.
Here's Boeing's statement on the FAA action:
"The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.
"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.
"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.
"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers."
###
The FAA has temporarily grounded the planes in the U.S. after a series of mishaps and malfunctions.
The FAA action applies effectively only to United Airlines, which is the sole domestic carrier currently flying the new airplanes. But other aviation authorities around the world may take similiar actions, per a recommendation by the FAA. There are a total of 50 Dreamliners, Boeing's newest airplane, in active fleets globally.
Here's Boeing's statement on the FAA action:
Boeing Statement on Federal Aviation Administration 787 Action
CHICAGO, Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing Chairman,
President and CEO Jim McNerney issued the following statement today
after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an emergency
airworthiness directive that requires U.S. 787 operators to temporarily
cease operations and recommends other regulatory agencies to follow
suit: "The safety of passengers and crew members who fly aboard Boeing airplanes is our highest priority.
"Boeing is committed to supporting the FAA and finding answers as quickly as possible. The company is working around the clock with its customers and the various regulatory and investigative authorities. We will make available the entire resources of The Boeing Company to assist.
"We are confident the 787 is safe and we stand behind its overall integrity. We will be taking every necessary step in the coming days to assure our customers and the traveling public of the 787's safety and to return the airplanes to service.
"Boeing deeply regrets the impact that recent events have had on the operating schedules of our customers and the inconvenience to them and their passengers."
###
Wednesday, January 09, 2013
Packing For the Airport (Continued)
 |
| Gun concealed in a book |
 |
| Gun concealed in a stuffed animal |
The TSA keeps a weekly tally. For all of 2012, 1,542 firearms were found by TSA screeners in carry-on bags at checkpoints -- 1,215 of them (78.7 percent) loaded. In 2011, by comparison, fewer than 1,200 firearms were found in carry-on bags, so the number is definitely rising.
Some people caught with guns at airport checkpoints are clearly planning to take them onto airplanes, and have made a deliberate effort to try to conceal the weapon from screeners. By and large, these appear to be stone idiots who have no terrorist or criminal intent but think they have a god-given right to carry a concealed weapon anywhere they go.
But most people caught packing guns at the checkpoints claim that they simply forgot they had them, which is by any estimation (including that of responsible gun owners) a definition of knucklehead. Gunsmanship 101: You should always know where your weapon is. Duh.
And of course, the fact that 1,500-plus guns are found, some of them carefully concealed, at checkpoints indicates that an unknown number of guns slip through and are carried onto planes routinely.
Here's a link to the TSA's year-end report on guns and other weapons found at checkpoints in 2012.
###
Monday, January 07, 2013
Shame in Westchester (Cont'd)
The media love a familiar Narrative, and are developing one in the plight of the employees at the Gannett-owned Journal News newspaper in Westchester County, N.Y. You know, the newspaper that decided it needed to "shame" its neighbors who happened to hold legal handgun permits and so published a story with an online searchable database showing the names and home addresses of about 40,000 handgun-permit owners in Westchester and Rockland counties.
That Narrative seems to be: Brave Newspaper Under Siege. And yes, the Journal News is kind of under siege now for publishing public information.
But as I have argued, publishing it was a cheap stunt -- cheap in every sense of the word. To me, it was clearly motivated by a misguided (misguided in every sense of the word) impulse to gain marketing points by shaming legal handgun-permit owners, and directly pandering to the waves of revulsion about guns that followed the horrific massacre of schoolchildren and teachers in Connecticut on Dec. 14.
The newspaper has exhibited no sign that it is truly interested in reporting on genuine gun issues, such as the proliferation of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, or the disturbing gun culture, like the gun culture that included the Connecticut homicidal maniac's gun-nut mother (whom he also killed), who encouraged his interest in guns and from whom the murderer obtained the assault rifle that he used in the massacre. Actual reporting takes effort and costs money, you see.
Instead, in its timing, the newspaper sanctimoniously sought to implicitly tie legal handgun-permit holders to the Connecticut horror and to all too many similar horrors. The newspaper's pious position was that providing the searchable database was a matter of serving public safety. It clearly was no such thing. It was an impulse to shame.
To me, the immediate ramification caused by this stunt was that it helped to change the public conversation -- from welcome outrage over the gun culture and the voracious marketing of assault weapons, to the affront to the rights of legal handgun-permit holders and the concurrent gross invasion of their privacy. As a few sensible critics in the media pointed out, just because you can publish something doesn't mean you should.
But sure enough, the media narrative now seems to have settled comfortably on the sharp and sometimes ugly negative reaction to the newspaper's stunt. That reaction -- with threats being made to the newspaper's employees -- came from the usual suspects in the gun-nut culture. But let's not overlook the fact that there was also sharply negative reaction from progressive-minded citizens who thought, as I do, that the newspaper had engaged in a spectacle of grossly bad journalism, for the worst of reasons: marketing and scolding (as misguided as that turned out to be for the publisher and editors).
So because the gun-nut culture now has the newspaper in its rhetorical sights (while the newspaper has hired ... um... armed guards in reaction), we now are encouraged to shift our sympathies to a perhaps beleaguered Journal News, bastion of journalistic courage?
Well yes, I do sympathize, but not with the courage part. Stirring up the gun nuts can be a very clarifying learning experience, and let's hope the Journal News does what any responsible news organization should do now -- which is, reporting out the story honestly and thoroughly. And yes, alas, they need to be careful, because the gun nuts are armed and dangerous when roused to action.
This cheap stunt had unfortunate consequences, but among them was a derailing of the gun-control issue and a reinvigorating of the gun-nut lobby, which always traffics in the politics of grievance and paranoia -- right at the time when we had the bastards on the run.
Here via New York Magazine is a sensible editorial on the damage that publishing the permit-holder database arguably did to the growing gun-control movement -- here.
###
That Narrative seems to be: Brave Newspaper Under Siege. And yes, the Journal News is kind of under siege now for publishing public information.
But as I have argued, publishing it was a cheap stunt -- cheap in every sense of the word. To me, it was clearly motivated by a misguided (misguided in every sense of the word) impulse to gain marketing points by shaming legal handgun-permit owners, and directly pandering to the waves of revulsion about guns that followed the horrific massacre of schoolchildren and teachers in Connecticut on Dec. 14.
The newspaper has exhibited no sign that it is truly interested in reporting on genuine gun issues, such as the proliferation of assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, or the disturbing gun culture, like the gun culture that included the Connecticut homicidal maniac's gun-nut mother (whom he also killed), who encouraged his interest in guns and from whom the murderer obtained the assault rifle that he used in the massacre. Actual reporting takes effort and costs money, you see.
Instead, in its timing, the newspaper sanctimoniously sought to implicitly tie legal handgun-permit holders to the Connecticut horror and to all too many similar horrors. The newspaper's pious position was that providing the searchable database was a matter of serving public safety. It clearly was no such thing. It was an impulse to shame.
To me, the immediate ramification caused by this stunt was that it helped to change the public conversation -- from welcome outrage over the gun culture and the voracious marketing of assault weapons, to the affront to the rights of legal handgun-permit holders and the concurrent gross invasion of their privacy. As a few sensible critics in the media pointed out, just because you can publish something doesn't mean you should.
But sure enough, the media narrative now seems to have settled comfortably on the sharp and sometimes ugly negative reaction to the newspaper's stunt. That reaction -- with threats being made to the newspaper's employees -- came from the usual suspects in the gun-nut culture. But let's not overlook the fact that there was also sharply negative reaction from progressive-minded citizens who thought, as I do, that the newspaper had engaged in a spectacle of grossly bad journalism, for the worst of reasons: marketing and scolding (as misguided as that turned out to be for the publisher and editors).
So because the gun-nut culture now has the newspaper in its rhetorical sights (while the newspaper has hired ... um... armed guards in reaction), we now are encouraged to shift our sympathies to a perhaps beleaguered Journal News, bastion of journalistic courage?
Well yes, I do sympathize, but not with the courage part. Stirring up the gun nuts can be a very clarifying learning experience, and let's hope the Journal News does what any responsible news organization should do now -- which is, reporting out the story honestly and thoroughly. And yes, alas, they need to be careful, because the gun nuts are armed and dangerous when roused to action.
This cheap stunt had unfortunate consequences, but among them was a derailing of the gun-control issue and a reinvigorating of the gun-nut lobby, which always traffics in the politics of grievance and paranoia -- right at the time when we had the bastards on the run.
Here via New York Magazine is a sensible editorial on the damage that publishing the permit-holder database arguably did to the growing gun-control movement -- here.
###
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