Tag Archives: Brian Terry

Doing the Job of the Media — Part I — Fast and Furious

This will undoubtedly be a multi-part post since thinking of the questions the media should ask Obama and his representatives takes a bit of thought.   That being said, if I, an average non journalist, a completely untrained individual can come up with the questions that should be asked of the administration, its department heads and their associated spokespeople, then how much more effective should questions asked by the media be.  Unfortunately, over the past 5 years most of their questions are impotent and ineffective. Therefore, I am  producing a list of questions the media can ask.    

I hope that everyone reading this will send this list to as many reporters, newrooms, newspapers and television stations as they can until our media outlets start asking the questions that matter.  We will start with fast and furious but each day we will add to the list.

President Obama, Eric Holder was held in contempt for not providing documents related to our giving guns to the Mexican drug cartels.  American agents have died as a result of that policy, Why does he continue to serve and not produce the documents?

Since Mr. Holder and your administration have failed to assist Congress in getting to the details of what happened can you explain why you supported giving guns to Mexican drug lords?

Since Mr. Holder was held in contempt why is he not in jail rather than serving as attorney general?

How can an attorney general have such contempt for the law and continue to stonewall Congress?

Mr. President do you support having the attorney general break the law and not comply with Congressional requests?

If you don’t support giving guns to Mexican drug lords what specific steps have you taken to recover the guns our government gave to the drug lords?

By what specific date will Congress have the documents requested?

What specific people have been terminated from government service as a result of their giving guns to criminals?

What criminal charges have been filed as a result of giving these guns to Mexican drug cartels?

Why is no one serving time for the distribution of guns to drug lords?  

Did the drug lords pass a background check as is required by the law?

How did the justice department get around that requirement in order to deliver these guns?

Did the administration plan to use this program to make gun ownership in the United States more difficult?

If the administration did not plan to use this program to make gun ownership in the United States more difficult what was its intended objective?  How was that objective to be achieved?  If the guns were to be tracked what steps were taken to allow for them to be tracked before they were sold?  What documents support those contentions?

 

 

Government Lies – An Impotent Press

Ever since there was a government, governments have lied to their people.   I am sure that Vespasian told his people that the Roman Coliseum would be built it one year and only cost 200,000 Denarii’s.  (just a guess).   The fact that he knew it would most likely take 10 years and 1 million Denarii’s was never challenged by the Roman Press.  With an emperor, should the press dare challenge his word, it only happened one time.  We can find comfort in two places; that we will not be executed for exposing a government lie (most likely), and that our government almost 2000 years later, is still lying. 

The question is not whether government lies, but whether the press and the populace will hold that government accountable.  In the past few years the American press has not held government accountable.  The constitution guarantees a freedom of the press.  If the press never challenges the party line then it both is not free and does not need constitutional protection.  Every time the press fails to uphold the constitution and their responsibility they tacitly approve of the government’s behavior and they lose credibility.  That loss of credibility becomes impotence.  In time they will have no power, and no influence and those that dare to speak up will be persecuted.  Below are some examples.

When the President said, “If you like your like your insurance you can keep it.” 

            Where was the press?

  When border agents are killed with guns provide to the drug dealers by our federal government:

            Where was the press?

When IRS agents are caught persecuting the political enemies of the democrats:

            Where is the press?

These three scandals are still going on yet the press does not step up and investigate nor do they shout from the rooftops that our government can’t be trusted.  All three of the above issues violate the protections provided by the constitution for an individual to have a right to their life, liberty or pursuit of happiness.   A dead border agent loses his life because the federal government wants to make owning guns look bad. (Not to mention what a warped idea that was.)  His rights are violated and the press just lets that fact slip by. When it becomes one of their lives it will be too late for them to stand up. 

The destructions of people’s health insurance plans could have been predicted and prevented had the press done its job.  Some of these folks have lost their coverage after believing the lies told.  Nevertheless, the plan that stole their health security is still in place.  If the press did their job then that wrong would have been made right.   Next are death panels.  By then the press will be completely powerless to stop the wrongs.

The IRS pursued non-profits with conservative political views. The press continues to let the IRS do this as no one has been held accountable for this.  Of course, that is just a start, OSHA, and the ATF have also been used to threaten and investigate those with conservative views.  Perhaps the press thinks its ok when it is the Tea Party, but in 6 months when investigations are turned on those who don’t like NSA spying, what will they do.  In time anyone who disagrees with the government will be subject to unjustified investigation and persecution.  By not standing up for the principles of truth and by not holding up parts of the constitution the press is sewing its own destruction.

An impotent press, a cowardly press does not need freedom of the press.  The more the press sides unquestioningly with the government the less freedom we all have.  In the long run, there won’t be any press, only propaganda.  We are largely there now.  It is a shame.  Perhaps reporters should register with the government and we can use the constitution as a fish wrapper.  Our government already does that.