Curtis Dahlgren
ABORTING ACORN (and corn) and other headlines of the week
By Curtis Dahlgren
"Just report the news; don't encourage it." — 1960s complaint about the media
"Don't encourage the news, but at least report it, PLEASE!" — 2009 complaint
SOME STORIES ARE JUST TOO BIG TO "FIT" ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES (I guess) — or to even get a mention in other media outlets. Some stories just disappear into thin air, never to be seen again except on cyberspace.
Last Monday I paid a whole American dollar for the USA TODAY, hoping to see some mention of the Freedom rally my brother attended on 9/12 (along with a few hundred thousand other "concerned citizens") in the nation's capital, but it was hopeless. The front page of the 9/14 [usa today] included mention of such names as Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Serena Williams, Federer and Nadal, H1N1, and Bret Favre — but not Dick Armey or any other speakers at the rally!
IN FACT, there was no coverage of the event itself in the entire newspaper, except for an indirect photo in a story on page 4A. The headline was "Wilson rejects calls for apology on House floor; his 'You lie!' remark may bring rebuke"!
Like DUH, eh? Two words by one Representative from South Carolina are a big deal, but the words of hundreds of thousands of Americans from all over the country aren't even worthy of mention? RU KIDDINGME?
Another story "lost in space" was the vote in the Senate that passed an amendment at least partially defunding ACORN (the President's favorite community "organizers"). Talk about a "rebuke" — the vote was something like 83 to 7. Even Al Franken voted to defund, for God's sake! But Charlie Gibson told WLS Chicago that he hadn't even heard about any ACORN stories!
It's called "Selective Cognizance." That's why Tom Brokaw says that "we must examine the instruments of polarization" — there's just too much "informin'" goin' on out dere on de AM radio dial. And polarization isn't a "good thing" if you be da party in power (I mean the media and the Administration, joined at the hip).
Speaking of incest, the only really big (I mean BIG big) story of the week was Jimmie Carter's claim that dissenters are "overwhelmingly" racist. That story got lots and lots of ink and "air time," overshadowing such headlines as the one in a newspaper in Poland:
"We have been sold to the Russians"!
Never mind. Yahoo news says this morning that "Russia won't deploy missiles near Poland." And I guess we have peace in our time. Anyway:
News about Michelle's vegetable garden far outweighs far-away events such as missile defenses, unemployment approaching 10 percent, or a bunch of hooligans from flyover country who didn't even leave any litter behind to photograph (really, how could the crowd have been that big if there was no litter — like after the Inauguration I mean)?
It was a bad week for Chicago. Besides the DC rally and the ACORN videos (see www.BigGovernment.com), da Packers beat da Bears.
OH BY THE WAY, on Wednesday 9/16, the Milwaukee "Journal-Sentinel" had a front-page story about global warming and all its ramifications. But in the Business section on the same day, there was a story on the condition of Wisconsin crops: They are not good on account of the cold summer. Only 12 percent of the corn is mature and there's fear of a frost in the upcoming week (so much for ethanol and "green jobs," eh?).
BTW, I went to a fair in Escanaba this summer and a cold front came in from Lake Superior way, and even though I had a long-sleeved shirt on, my bad shoulder started aching. I stopped by a commercial display that had a wood stove operating inside a trailer. I leaned inside the door to warm up, and the lady there said, why don't I sit inside their sauna for awhile, which I did. It felt good, but can you imagine how silly I felt sitting inside a sauna at a state fair in the middle of August? Where is global warming when we need it?
Well, enough "rambling." This is my third attempt to write this column. Some weeks, a commentator could simply string together a sample of the week's headlines and tell a story without saying a word. The third time's the charm, but I can see already that conciseness is going to be a problem. But I guess I could organize the headlines into "the good, the bad, the ugly, and the missing."
One of the best stories is that the House of Reps as well as the Senate voted to "rebuke" ACORN, the organization offering to spend your "stimulus" dollars on brothels and sex-slave importing businesses (but whatever you do, "don't let Chinese tires into this country")! This week was enough to give a news junkie an overdose.
The good news is that only 13 percent of the people tell pollsters that they support "bigger government," but the bad news is that Reid, Pelosi, and the Prez don't CARE what we think. "Health" care could become the final nail in America's coffin if we let Uncle Sam get his hooks into it. Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts.
The Max Baucus version of Care-from-Hell included a fine of $3,800 for any citizen refusing to buy health insurance. Non-citizens without legitimate social security numbers would be exempt from this scheme to impose back-door Castroism on us though. Uncle Sam wants YOU (and he has your number).
THE "UGLY" NEWS:
"The shrieking lunacy of the summer." That's what the Lefties now call "free speech to seek redress for grievances by the government." In the 1960s, one could bomb buildings and be a hero, but these days (since the 60s radicals are now the Establishment), one cannot even ask a dumb question without being called a "fascist" or worse.
Home schoolers, fundamentalist pastors, and Christian public schoolers are persecuted, and protesters at Notre Dame are facing possible jail time.
A columnist in our local paper says that her spell-checker doesn't recognize the word "homeschool," and suggests "homocide." She says that word occurs to her sometimes when she hears the word "socialization" from the Establishment geeks (but we pray for our enemies, of course).
As I wrote in a letter to the editor recently, "Unless your own logic is on 'Shaky ground,' there is no need to misrepresent your opponent in an argument." The Left's desperation is obvious in their painting protesters with the "racist" or "poorly informed" labels.
AS FOR THE "MISSING" HEADLINES OF THE WEEK -
The MSM tried to paint the picture of a positive bump for the President's "reform plan," but they have cognitive dissonance when it comes to digesting news such as:
- Only 15 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with their health care.
- 56 percent of likely voters are opposed to the proposed health "reforms."
- About 50 percent of people say that someone in their household has lost a job, or hours, this year.
- Confidence in the President's handling of "economic" matters has fallen from 62 percent in February to 45% now.
- 88 percent approve the slogan "Live free or die."
- 72 percent relate to "I'm mad as hell . . "
CONCLUSIONS?
Both the RINOs and DINOs (lefty Democrats-in-name-only) are suffering a crisis of identity and self-esteem these days. One committee in the House of Reps has proposed a list of "forbidden words" for the floor of the House. If you can't beat 'em, silence 'em! Have none of these people ever read any of the works of George Orwell? Nancy Pelosi cries, but she helps freedom die.
The South isn't about to rise again, but the Silent Majority is — "all over this land," as the song goes. And what appeared to start out as a political reaction may turn out to really be a spiritual revival.
This is a spiritual day, the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashana, so this column needs a spiritual conclusion. Mark Steyn says, "It's not over yet!" The attacks on religion by the powers-that-be may be a blessing in disguise.
Satan always tends to go too far, too fast, and the Freedom rally in Washington last Saturday was proof that people are waking up. The grass roots are going "green side up" and it's not Astroturf, either.
Let's cut the President some slack. After all, he was just a college professor. Worse yet, he was a law professor. Worst of all, he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. And it was a bad week for Chicago.
PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT.
P.S. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to ANY people."
© Curtis Dahlgren
September 19, 2009
"Just report the news; don't encourage it." — 1960s complaint about the media
"Don't encourage the news, but at least report it, PLEASE!" — 2009 complaint
SOME STORIES ARE JUST TOO BIG TO "FIT" ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES (I guess) — or to even get a mention in other media outlets. Some stories just disappear into thin air, never to be seen again except on cyberspace.
Last Monday I paid a whole American dollar for the USA TODAY, hoping to see some mention of the Freedom rally my brother attended on 9/12 (along with a few hundred thousand other "concerned citizens") in the nation's capital, but it was hopeless. The front page of the 9/14 [usa today] included mention of such names as Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Serena Williams, Federer and Nadal, H1N1, and Bret Favre — but not Dick Armey or any other speakers at the rally!
IN FACT, there was no coverage of the event itself in the entire newspaper, except for an indirect photo in a story on page 4A. The headline was "Wilson rejects calls for apology on House floor; his 'You lie!' remark may bring rebuke"!
Like DUH, eh? Two words by one Representative from South Carolina are a big deal, but the words of hundreds of thousands of Americans from all over the country aren't even worthy of mention? RU KIDDINGME?
Another story "lost in space" was the vote in the Senate that passed an amendment at least partially defunding ACORN (the President's favorite community "organizers"). Talk about a "rebuke" — the vote was something like 83 to 7. Even Al Franken voted to defund, for God's sake! But Charlie Gibson told WLS Chicago that he hadn't even heard about any ACORN stories!
It's called "Selective Cognizance." That's why Tom Brokaw says that "we must examine the instruments of polarization" — there's just too much "informin'" goin' on out dere on de AM radio dial. And polarization isn't a "good thing" if you be da party in power (I mean the media and the Administration, joined at the hip).
Speaking of incest, the only really big (I mean BIG big) story of the week was Jimmie Carter's claim that dissenters are "overwhelmingly" racist. That story got lots and lots of ink and "air time," overshadowing such headlines as the one in a newspaper in Poland:
"We have been sold to the Russians"!
Never mind. Yahoo news says this morning that "Russia won't deploy missiles near Poland." And I guess we have peace in our time. Anyway:
News about Michelle's vegetable garden far outweighs far-away events such as missile defenses, unemployment approaching 10 percent, or a bunch of hooligans from flyover country who didn't even leave any litter behind to photograph (really, how could the crowd have been that big if there was no litter — like after the Inauguration I mean)?
It was a bad week for Chicago. Besides the DC rally and the ACORN videos (see www.BigGovernment.com), da Packers beat da Bears.
OH BY THE WAY, on Wednesday 9/16, the Milwaukee "Journal-Sentinel" had a front-page story about global warming and all its ramifications. But in the Business section on the same day, there was a story on the condition of Wisconsin crops: They are not good on account of the cold summer. Only 12 percent of the corn is mature and there's fear of a frost in the upcoming week (so much for ethanol and "green jobs," eh?).
BTW, I went to a fair in Escanaba this summer and a cold front came in from Lake Superior way, and even though I had a long-sleeved shirt on, my bad shoulder started aching. I stopped by a commercial display that had a wood stove operating inside a trailer. I leaned inside the door to warm up, and the lady there said, why don't I sit inside their sauna for awhile, which I did. It felt good, but can you imagine how silly I felt sitting inside a sauna at a state fair in the middle of August? Where is global warming when we need it?
Well, enough "rambling." This is my third attempt to write this column. Some weeks, a commentator could simply string together a sample of the week's headlines and tell a story without saying a word. The third time's the charm, but I can see already that conciseness is going to be a problem. But I guess I could organize the headlines into "the good, the bad, the ugly, and the missing."
One of the best stories is that the House of Reps as well as the Senate voted to "rebuke" ACORN, the organization offering to spend your "stimulus" dollars on brothels and sex-slave importing businesses (but whatever you do, "don't let Chinese tires into this country")! This week was enough to give a news junkie an overdose.
The good news is that only 13 percent of the people tell pollsters that they support "bigger government," but the bad news is that Reid, Pelosi, and the Prez don't CARE what we think. "Health" care could become the final nail in America's coffin if we let Uncle Sam get his hooks into it. Beware of Geeks Bearing Gifts.
The Max Baucus version of Care-from-Hell included a fine of $3,800 for any citizen refusing to buy health insurance. Non-citizens without legitimate social security numbers would be exempt from this scheme to impose back-door Castroism on us though. Uncle Sam wants YOU (and he has your number).
THE "UGLY" NEWS:
"The shrieking lunacy of the summer." That's what the Lefties now call "free speech to seek redress for grievances by the government." In the 1960s, one could bomb buildings and be a hero, but these days (since the 60s radicals are now the Establishment), one cannot even ask a dumb question without being called a "fascist" or worse.
Home schoolers, fundamentalist pastors, and Christian public schoolers are persecuted, and protesters at Notre Dame are facing possible jail time.
A columnist in our local paper says that her spell-checker doesn't recognize the word "homeschool," and suggests "homocide." She says that word occurs to her sometimes when she hears the word "socialization" from the Establishment geeks (but we pray for our enemies, of course).
As I wrote in a letter to the editor recently, "Unless your own logic is on 'Shaky ground,' there is no need to misrepresent your opponent in an argument." The Left's desperation is obvious in their painting protesters with the "racist" or "poorly informed" labels.
AS FOR THE "MISSING" HEADLINES OF THE WEEK -
The MSM tried to paint the picture of a positive bump for the President's "reform plan," but they have cognitive dissonance when it comes to digesting news such as:
- Only 15 percent of Americans are dissatisfied with their health care.
- 56 percent of likely voters are opposed to the proposed health "reforms."
- About 50 percent of people say that someone in their household has lost a job, or hours, this year.
- Confidence in the President's handling of "economic" matters has fallen from 62 percent in February to 45% now.
- 88 percent approve the slogan "Live free or die."
- 72 percent relate to "I'm mad as hell . . "
CONCLUSIONS?
Both the RINOs and DINOs (lefty Democrats-in-name-only) are suffering a crisis of identity and self-esteem these days. One committee in the House of Reps has proposed a list of "forbidden words" for the floor of the House. If you can't beat 'em, silence 'em! Have none of these people ever read any of the works of George Orwell? Nancy Pelosi cries, but she helps freedom die.
The South isn't about to rise again, but the Silent Majority is — "all over this land," as the song goes. And what appeared to start out as a political reaction may turn out to really be a spiritual revival.
This is a spiritual day, the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashana, so this column needs a spiritual conclusion. Mark Steyn says, "It's not over yet!" The attacks on religion by the powers-that-be may be a blessing in disguise.
Satan always tends to go too far, too fast, and the Freedom rally in Washington last Saturday was proof that people are waking up. The grass roots are going "green side up" and it's not Astroturf, either.
Let's cut the President some slack. After all, he was just a college professor. Worse yet, he was a law professor. Worst of all, he was a law professor at the University of Chicago. And it was a bad week for Chicago.
PRAY FOR THE PRESIDENT.
P.S. "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to ANY people."
© Curtis Dahlgren
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