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October 29, 2005
Shame on the New York Times
The NY Times just can't seem to stop spinning the news to meet it's adjenda. In their so-called tribute piece about the 2000th death in Iraq, they profile CPL Jeffrey B Starr who died in Ramadi on April 30.
Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. "I kind of predicted this," Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. "A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances."
"A third time" refers to his 3rd deployment to Iraq.
Well, the times, true to form, has taken this quote completely out of context and the meaning of what they protray is the exact opposite as that CPL Starr wished. Here is the full context:
"Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."
(Full story at Michelle Malkin)
If something happens to me over here, and anyone, anywhere takes something I said here and twists it to mean something other than I intended. I would hope that the people I knew, no matter their political leanings and feelings about this war, would not only publicly expose the fraud as did CPL Starr's uncle in this case, but also to take up legal action against the perpetrator unless they printed a retraction with as much zeal and equal or greater placement as they did the original. Which in this case would be a page 1 feature story above the fold; however, if there even is a correction, it will probably be buried in a footnote on the op-ed page. This is completely shameful and corrupt. I wonder if the people on the NY Times masthead really wonder why readership and advertising are down.
Posted by TJ at October 29, 2005 08:08 AM
Comments
Absolutely shameful! I'm so glad Corporal Starr's Uncle didn't let it go unanswered. Another reason why I take what the media "reports" with a large grain of salt.
Thanks for posting about this!
Posted by: yankeemom at October 29, 2005 05:09 PM
Here is an excellent post exposing two anti-Israel falsehoods in today's New York Times:
http://www.iris.org.il/blog/archives/508-IRIS-Exposes-2-Anti-Israel-New-York-Times-Falsehoods.html
Posted by: Rachel at October 30, 2005 09:25 AM
TJ - It is distressing to see what has become of contemporary journalism - keep up the good work bringing some perspective to the coverage -
I read your next posting and I can only echo the posting of Yankee Mom - Keep your head down!
I also want to say that you write very well - have a strong voice and articulate your thinking clearly (can you tell I graded college papers for the last 10 years?)
I was sick this weekend, so the goodies I promised won't go out until this Saturday.
Posted by: Aunt Linda at November 2, 2005 08:22 PM
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