Defending people in news articles

I just posted my fourth article about journalistic integrity. All four of them have been in defense of conservatives. I don't particularly care to defend them, but I seem to get defensive about attacks on them in the press. I wonder why that is. I'll gladly attack them myself. I may have to chew on that one for a while.

Journalistic crap - yet again

I get riled up by articles that are presented as news, but are really just political attacks.

The current one in question is about a Southern Republican governor from Mississippi. I don't know Haley Barbour's reputation. Most likely, he claims to be an Evangelical Christian and a fiscal conservative. You can't seem to get elected as a Republican in the South without these credentials. I'm going to make that assumption and roll with it because it fits the agenda of this rant.

Those credentials don't mean that you're a racist, but there's no doubt that the power structure that historically ran the segregated South before the Civil Rights Movement will find its descendants in the Republican Party. That doesn't mean that if you're a Republican, you're a racist. It probably means that it's more likely, but the assumption is patently unfair.

Based on my experience in the South, I don't know anybody that believes segregation or racism is right. I do know a good number of prejudiced people. I also know a number of people that live in a bubble that have no idea what goes on outside their nice little community. There are people who pine for the 1950's, but not because of race issues. While I have met many racists in my life, I cannot recall having ever met a person who longs for segregation.

The article is entitled: Barbour doesn’t recall civil rights era being ‘that bad’.

The implication from the title alone implies that he's a racist segregationist. I don't know the guy or his reputation. Maybe he is a racist segregationist. From the title, we'll find out the proof, right?

If you actually read the article, he makes comments to the effect that he doesn't remember race relations being bad during that era. He's referring to violence and tension that history describes in many areas of Mississippi at that time. He doesn't remember his hometown having those kinds of problems. That's it. That's his recollection. He doesn't remember it being that bad. Of course, he's white, but that was his answer to a question. Maybe he could've qualified it to be clearer. Maybe he did and the author had an agenda?

The article is trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill because this guy apparently has aspirations of running for president in 2012. Just smear him as a racist and it's a job well done. It's done by a news blogger, but it was on Yahoo's front page and is part of Yahoo News. Blog or not, if it's presented as news, there should be some journalistic ethics behind it. This is pure political drivel meant to smear and I don't like it.

This is not support for Barbour because I don't know his politics. This is merely a rant about partisan journalism.

300 Sextillion Stars, But We're Special!

I'm blown away. I can't even comprehend the number.

Number of Stars in the Universe

However, it does help put some perspective around human arrogance:

God put his special people on a puny planet that is third from a medium-sized star (of which there are approximately 300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) in a medium-sized galaxy (of which there are anywhere from 100,000,000,000 to 1,000,000,000,000) ?

... and we're the only life in it?

Tea Party, Earmarks, and Journalism

What is this article saying?

Tea Party Caucus and Earmarks

It sounds like a cheap shot at the Tea Party. I've noted before about my feelings with regard to the Tea Party. However, this article is trying to make them look bad by showing all of the newly-formed caucus members extravagant earmarks to the tune of $1 billion. The Tea Party is patently against earmarks. It calls out many of the caucus members for their apparent hypocrisy.

However, at the end of the article, it seems to point out as an afterthought that when members joined the caucus, they stopped introducing earmarks and removed themselves from those attached to pending legislation. That seems consistent with the philosophy to me.

I certainly have no problem with watchdog groups looking for hypocrisy, but maybe there shouldn't be quite the attempt at the proverbial witch hunt?

Where jobs come from

There is a major anti-business, anti-wealth sentiment in this country. Supply-side economics is a dirty phrase. Limited government is laughable.

However, the question I have for all of these naysayers is, "Where does your job come from?" Is it created by the union? Does everybody have the right to one? How does a job come to be?"

Cutting cable update

Well, it is now September and we haven't had cable in at least 7 months (can't remember exactly when we cut it). College football season just started and, low and behold, ESPN3.com is broadcasting tons of live games. With PlayOn or just my PC/TV, I can watch non-broadcast college football games.

Netflix streaming and the Wii are really the key to our living room experience. Digital HD broadcast and it make everything worthwhile.

PlayOn allows Hulu and other Internet content to my TV, but is a little problematic with controls on my XBMC.

I'm not sure of the future of ESPN3.com's broadcast breadth and depth. It looks like it might be limited, but it's still pretty cool.

Roethlisberger finds Jesus?

Ben Roethlisberger has seen the error of his ways and found a path of redemption through the Lord.

Oh gimme a break.

One of the good traits of Christianity is forgiveness. Our country has generally had an impeccable history with regard to forgiving people, countries, etc. The only problem is that asses like Roethlisberger take advantage of it.

Is it possible that he got into a narcissistic tailspin and the "interception" knocked him out of it? It is possible that the Bible helped him find his way and that he's a changed person?

Sure, it's possible.

I think it's more likely that he saw his career in trouble and got some advice. The people of this country are quick to forgive. Therefore, if you can sell it (even halfway decently), the people will buy it.

Is praying actually a two-way dialogue?

I stole this from another blogger, but had to share.

Why is gay marriage a threat?

I was pointed to a blog posting about the importance of protecting marriage during a discussion on gay marriage.

Let me be clear. I, in no way, disagree with the positive nature of the traditional nuclear family. Let's be honest though, the straight people have been screwing this up royally for at least 50-60 years all on their own (don't blame me, I've been happily married for 17 years). If it is so imperative to protect traditional marriage, why aren't people all riled up about divorce? I know that many people are against it, but politicians haven't exactly based their campaign strategy on it. I would have to say that a divorce rate of 50% against 90-97% of the population (depending on which numbers you use) is much more critical to the institution of marriage than the simple recognition of marriage on a percentage of people that only make up 3-10% of the population.

I think the real problem for opponents is that they've been taught that homosexuality is a horrible, evil, awful sin. The gay rights movement was already on their radar over the last decade or two as yet another encroachment into their country by deviant, sinful people. Now, they want to partake in their sacred institution of marriage? Are you kidding me?

Maybe I'm exaggerating, but I'm doing that for effect. What goes on at an emotional level can often be suppressed or rationalized by our logic. I've read many arguments against gay marriage based on, at a minimum, an attempt to confront this topic in a logical way.

I just don't see how legalizing gay marriages has any effect on the importance of traditional marriages. Is the word so sacred that it must mean a man and a woman? For me, two gay men being married would have zero impact on my life or the lives of my children ... unless one of them happens to be gay. In which case, I hope they live a long, loving life with a partner that makes them happy and that this union is recognized by society as a legitimate one.

Why not just let them have civil unions?

Would you want your life committed relationship called a civil union or a partnership while other couples are called married? I wouldn't. I would feel it undermined my relationship or gave preference to others.

Gay couples generally want to be part of mainstream society. They don't want to tear it down. If they didn't want to be part of mainstream society, they would thumb their noses at traditional institutions like marriage.

America's tech industry and 9/11?

Interesting article about the U.S. high-tech industry:
Intel CEO - U.S. faces looming tech decline

The comments from various high-tech CEOs do not surprise me at all. You could see this coming, but how did it happen? It's certainly a factor of the general globalization that has been going on over the last couple of decades, but I assert that the September 11th attacks spawned a chain reaction that has led us to this state.

Soon after the attacks, the U.S. put a stop order on technology immigration ... well not completely, but definitely a major turn of the faucet. Prior to this, if you were a motivated high-tech worker/student, you either wanted to come to the United States to find your way to success or you at least thought about it. As a result of the local supply, business got the government to allow a significant high-tech immigration to the United States, which mainly came from India and China.

When the faucet was moved to the 'drip' position after 9/11, high-tech companies were in a bind. There was a recession (again, possibly another indirect 9/11 contribution) and now a lower supply of engineers. This led some companies to start outsourcing high-tech jobs to other countries, namely the ones that had previously had high-tech emigration to the U.S. This actually turned out to be even cheaper for them and resulted in some short-term success. Other companies quickly followed suit.

Ah, but here we find yet another example of myopic business decisions based on quarterly and annual performance. The tactic that led to short-term profits has now created a longer-term problem. Other countries are now keeping their high-tech talent at home. As these economies are maturing at starting and running high-tech businesses, they aren't needing American businesses or even American capital anymore. We have gone from a time of American tech dominance to a nation in trouble of losing this battle. Next step - emigration from the United States to follow these quality jobs?

I'm not against global competition, but it's frustrating that we've basically done this to ourselves. We didn't have to take this path, but it does make me wonder how calculated the 9/11 attacks were in terms of these kind of long-term effects. If there is a correlation, as I assert, was this an intentional or accidental consequence?

Regardless, America continues to lag behind in getting its citizens to go into high-tech degree programs in college. Countries like India and China seem to be maturing at capitalism at a rapid pace and they are able to keep their people at home more than ever.

We're in trouble in high-tech.