Turning Tragic Accidents Into Hate
On Friday afternoon a police car chase took place in Central Phoenix. Several local news helicopters followed the chase. Trying to get the best footage of this unimportant story, two helicopters got too close and crashed. All four people on board were killed. It was the headline story of national news all day Friday and Saturday. I was having lunch just a few blocks from the crash and was fortunately unaffected. More importantly, the crash happened over a park in Phoenix, instead of over many of the buildings in the concentrated area, so no one else was injured.
About 5 hours after in the incident I turned on the local radio to find out some more information about the accident. The one liberal AM station was not talking about it, so I had to turn to other stations. Instead of learning any facts, I was fed misinformation and hate by the local (conservative) media.....
First off, every reporter and every caller was fully blaming the criminal suspect and demanding murder charges. Supposedly, the guy stole a car and then did not pull over when police stopped him. It's not his fault 5 local news choppers decided to treat this like it was OJ's white Bronco. It's a sad situation, but to act like that guy could foresee this happening is insane. I just think the executives at those news channels should be thankful more people weren't killed when the two helicopters crashed to the ground in the middle of a major city.
But the worst was how freaking racist things turned. One reporter explained: "we have confirmed the suspect is hispanic.....but the police is being very close-lipped about his legal status." The radio host responds: "well, that is ridiculous.....why are these police trying to conceal this hispanic man's identity.....we need to find out where this guy is from" In sum, there were endless comments along the lines of: 'if it ends up he is illegal, there is going to be hell to pay.' Everyone just felt it was an open forum to bash undocumented Mexicans and brand them as heartless killers because of this hispanic leading the car chase.
So an interesting thing turned up with the "confirmed" hispanic: his name is Christopher Jones......umm, that would make him not hispanic. Yet, that actually confirmed fact did not stop the hate and rage of conservative radio all day on Friday. Instead of a forum of sympathy for the victims, or a discussion on the media's responsibility during a silly car chase, it turned into hate and racism.....against that infamous hispanic Christopher Jones. Pathetic.
About 5 hours after in the incident I turned on the local radio to find out some more information about the accident. The one liberal AM station was not talking about it, so I had to turn to other stations. Instead of learning any facts, I was fed misinformation and hate by the local (conservative) media.....
First off, every reporter and every caller was fully blaming the criminal suspect and demanding murder charges. Supposedly, the guy stole a car and then did not pull over when police stopped him. It's not his fault 5 local news choppers decided to treat this like it was OJ's white Bronco. It's a sad situation, but to act like that guy could foresee this happening is insane. I just think the executives at those news channels should be thankful more people weren't killed when the two helicopters crashed to the ground in the middle of a major city.
But the worst was how freaking racist things turned. One reporter explained: "we have confirmed the suspect is hispanic.....but the police is being very close-lipped about his legal status." The radio host responds: "well, that is ridiculous.....why are these police trying to conceal this hispanic man's identity.....we need to find out where this guy is from" In sum, there were endless comments along the lines of: 'if it ends up he is illegal, there is going to be hell to pay.' Everyone just felt it was an open forum to bash undocumented Mexicans and brand them as heartless killers because of this hispanic leading the car chase.
So an interesting thing turned up with the "confirmed" hispanic: his name is Christopher Jones......umm, that would make him not hispanic. Yet, that actually confirmed fact did not stop the hate and rage of conservative radio all day on Friday. Instead of a forum of sympathy for the victims, or a discussion on the media's responsibility during a silly car chase, it turned into hate and racism.....against that infamous hispanic Christopher Jones. Pathetic.
By Chuck - 7/30/2007
24 Comments:
It is moments like Friday that make you realize all this immigration stuff is just racist. It has to be. To turn a tragedy like this into a bash illegals thing is just insane. When I here people getting so mad about 'illegals' it makes myskin crawl. I mean, I honestly think there is a huge problem with our current immigration situation, but I cannot see sitting down and working something out with a huge chunk of the Republicans that are so dirty and hateful.
My theory is that most of those that get so mad about 'illegals' are the same people that hate blacks. However, it is no longer PC to bash black people, so they get out their rage on these 'illegals' - that all happen to be dark skin.
And back to charging the suspect with murder.....
I am sure someone has gotten so mad about things Bush has done that they have a heart attack, but not even I think we should charge Bush with murde (I mean, we can just do that for the killings in New Orleans).
The suspect will be charged with murder, because the law states that in the process of a felony and other innocent bystandards are killed as a cause of the felony, the criminal can be charged with murder. Although that really sucks for the guy, when the real crime was just grand theft auto, and the news reporters were obviously just neglegant.
-sammartano
Three choppers to cover a car chase?
I'm guessing the networks and the viewers were hoping for some kind of crash... well they got one.
I've spent a fair amount of time hanging out of choppers photographing a variety of things so I'm
sympathetic. But this was pilot error.
Sammy,
I don't think the innocent bystander thing applies here.
What if Winona Ryder gets caught stealing some clothes and there's a stampede of Paparazzi in which a photographer gets trampled by his own? What if a 99 year old witness to a purse snatching has a heart attack? What if a kid gets spotted by a cop spray painting a building and runs, and the cop pulls out his gun (against regulations) and shoots 45 shots off killing an innocent bystander?
Dumb examples, but point is: I imagine that they must qualify that innocent bystander rule, that the death must be a direct result of the criminal's actions (or that of the police following protocol) and I can't imagine it extends to ambulance-chasing media.
Chuck,
BTW Great piece!
OH...and Chuck, don't forget that you're picking our Random Staff Pick of the Month for August!
sammy, he's not going to be charged with murder. a similar things have happened, and like my Bush causing heart attacks parallel, courts will not find legal causation.
mencken, actually there were 5 helicopters.
Willie Horton in 1988. Gay marriage in 2004. Child molesting, drunk driving, disease infested, stolen car driving immigrants in 2008. Illegal immigrants are the new boogie man. I still predict some kind of ballot measures next year in key states to drive the conservative vote much like the gay marriage amendments have done in previous elections.
Yeah, the difference btwn gay marriage and the criminal immigritaion is that one has serious deleterious effects on this country and the other doesn't. I know with Chuck it is always the system's fault, but plenty of otherwise reasonable people feel that illegal immigration is a serious threat to this country and will vote accordingly. You can try to label that as racism, but in reality it is law abiding citizens resenting the disregard of the laws of this nation. If the democratic party chooses to take the tact that any opposition to illegal immigration is equal to hate-mongering they will alienate (no pun intended) many possible voters.
t-dawg, not everyone is racist on the issue. but a big segment of thos most angry is undeniably stemming from hate and racism.
just like the gay marriage anger is about intolerance and hatred.
I would be more inclined to say that the bigotted racists are the most vocal, but not the largest block. In my opinion the illegal immigration debate is one that neither side has really staked out except for the 2 extremes (amnesty vs mass deportation) The border remains a sieve and people are pissed. Castigating a differing view as having sinister motivations(henceforth known as the Terra tactic) is a bad place to start a discussion but se la vie
I feel for the families of the crash victims but the idea of charging the man with murder is crazy. It is actions and consequences. Local TV nws has become worse than th National Enquirer in the topics and means of covering the "stories". If you promote this type of journalism things happen.
As far as the racism is concerned yes it is unfortunately a factor in the debate. But to paint anyone that is angry about illegal immigration as racist is fucking wrong. It was a bad bill with negative consequences for the citizens of this country and any thinking person realizes the enforcment policies were not going to be enforced. I am not refering to things such as all people have to return to their home country at some point. That is not going to happen and makes no sense. First enforce the exisiting laws then creating new laws may have some validity.
Maybe if the mass media would include a persons backround when reporting a story the issue wouldnt become the main event(perhaps it would). I assume we are not told a persons backround because the media does not want to flame the fires of racism and the question the fact that all illegals are law abiding and only here to do the jobs we wont.
A Hispanic gentlemen in the Carolinas has for years has had an organization involved in lowering drunk driving among the Hispanic population and up untill recently had been attacked by immigration interests groups and Hispanic organizations. One group felt he was creating a negative image of Hispanics(check the stats folks) and the young "undocumented men" who been seperated from their familes and their traditional support system. They felt what was needed was to address that issue not driving while drunk.
Since it all about the children I will let one you explain to one of my employees friends two young daugthers(4&7) why their father died. He was killed by anillegal with no licsence,no insurance and was drunk. The driver had numerous traffic citations and a previous DUI. Perhaps you can explain to them that their fathers death was not a loss but a victory. He has become a glorious martyr in the battle against enforcing laws that perpetuate rascism and a lasting tribute to opportunity,dignity and tolerance.
Fred, I would tell them the same thing I would tell the families of the people killed in the Oklahoma City bombing: That sometimes a legal, Irish-American army vets go crazy and kill people, and not to hate all Irishmen or people whose last name happens to be
McVeigh.
Mencken,
it isnt about his ethnicity. It is
about this country enforcing our laws and the crys of racism if anyone questions the benefit of a country being "invaded" by ILLEGALs.
Sorry to revert back to the beginning of the conversation, but i just heard that the prosecutor is going to try to charge the man with the four deaths. Who knows if it will stick or that the news is even accurate, but I saw this on cnn earlier. Chuck you would know better than me. You live in the area, and I am sure are better informed on the subject. But lets say this news is accurate and they do charge him with it, would you object. Part of me says yes that is unfair to the criminal, but than part of me feels bad for the families and say charge him. Either way the end result is that 4 people are dead. Should this man be held accountable. I dont think so, but I wouldnt object.
-sammartano
OK Fred, what about the 14,000 or so deaths every year in this country as the result of DUI's, the majority of which were caused by American citizens ?
You're just cherry picking one DUI incident to justify your immigration rant.
No, I am asking you to explain to those children why an illegal with numerous priors was still here and driving drunk as he killed their father. I doubt statistics will answer that question.
sammy,
i do think it is unfair and unreasonable to charge him with felony murder.
i agree it sucks for the families, but they will still have channels to seek remedy for their loss, at least certainly in a civil case.
So if the DUI guy that killed their daddy was a local upstanding citizen, they'd feel sooooo much better about the whole tragedy ?
T-dawg, you have a problem because an immigrant may have crossed the border illegally?
Have you never broken a law???
Should I be kicked out of the US because I drank underage, because I've been caught speeding
LAME!
Oh for christs sakes two wrongs don't make a right. Your shoddy reasoning-LAME!!
wow gold cheap wow gold buy wow gold world of warcraft gold wow world of warcraft wow gold WoW Warrior WoW Hunter WoW Rogue WoW Paladin WoW Shaman WoW Priest WoW Mage WoW Druid WoW Warlock power leveling powerleveling wow power leveling wow powerleveling wow guides wow tips google排名 google左侧排名 google排名服务 百度推广 百度排名 网站推广 商业吧 机床 LED灯 电池 塑料 摄像机 移民 甲醇 染料 福州热线 体育博客 股票博客 游戏博客 魔兽博客 考试博客 汽车博客 房产博客 电脑博客 powerlin518 logo design website design web design 商标设计
Post a Comment
<< Home