Reading the daily newspaper has been standard operating procedure in my life. Beginning at age five, I would sit on my dad's lap as we went through the front page of the Chicago Tribune. We'd start with headlines, then look for words that I could recognize. In the evening, we repeated the procedure with the Daily News. Thus developed a lifelong habit that I always enjoyed.
Until now.
I've lived in Minnesota for thirty years now. Every one of those years, I have subscribed to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Though the paper never received ratings as one of the premier papers in the country, I nevertheless relished reading it.
Some time in the past several years, that enjoyment turned to frustration. Did I change? Or did the Strib? Perhaps the answer is some of both. All I know is that today, when I read much of the news and op/ed pages, my brain cringes.
The paper is exceptionally left-leaning. So much so, I can think of only a few papers located in major cities throughout the nation that are more so. While I never expect any paper to mirror my own views on all - or even most - topics, reading articles and editorials that parrot my own thoughts is not my goal.
I do, however, expect honesty. I do, however, expect diversity of thought. Unfortunately, these days, I find precious little of both.
For instance, check out today's lead editorial. http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4376267.html In the lead paragraph, we read:
President Bush and his political minder, Karl Rove, have a patented method for responding to adversity: Go on offense. Change the subject. Put out bold proposals. Smear the enemy. All of those tactics are on display right now. One example is the effort to throw slime at Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic frontrunner.
Nowhere has the paper mentioned one word about the allusion they make: that accusations have been appearing that John Kerry has had an affair with an intern. Personally, while I might have reported the rumor, I find no major fault with the paper for not mentioning this. I have seen no real evidence of any affair. Doing harm to an individual's reputation without serious evidence is a despicable act.
BUT. Could someone please let me know what evidence the Start Tribune editorial board has that GWB and/or Karl Rove have done anything to "smear the enemy?" To "throw slime at John Kerry?" I think that the answer is: "none." The hypocrisy here is breathtaking.
Try this one from a couple of days ago. http://www.startribune.com/stories/561/4369743.html Entitled "Pilot Bush/Be Careful with Accusations" we read:
On "Meet the Press," Bush warned against denigrating service in the National Guard. No one's doing that.
But in the same editorial, we read comments like this: A whole lot of issues are getting whirled together in this discussion. First, there's the issue of Bush not wanting to be an infantryman in Vietnam. Millions of young men felt likewise, and many of them used connections, loopholes, exemptions and whatever else was legal to avoid service. President Bill Clinton was one of them. One major difference between the two is that Clinton was a vocal opponent of the war; Bush supported it. But, then, so did a whole passel of others who also sought to avoid war service; in Washington, they're called the "chickenhawks," and they are many.
Bush avoided the war, so we are told. He went into the National Guard. Those who did are referred to as "chickenhawks."
This is a term of approbation??
These are but two examples. Plenty more where these came from.
Reading the morning paper used to be a relaxing, informative task. Now I worry that my dentist bills will rise, as I grind my teeth during the process. I've considered cancelling the paper and subscribing to our sister twin's paper, the Pioneer Press. But I am more a Minneapolitan, and the Strib is far more familiar to me. So, at present, I still read and still grind away.
More on this topic later. In some respects, this is but one symptom of a larger, national phenomenon throughout much of the media.
Good start.
It is a shame that political discussion often slips into name calling, which military service is better, or affairs of passion, and not on such topics as education for children or the war with the violent side of Islam or many other more relevant topics.
Posted by: David in Tampa | Sunday, February 15, 2004 at 01:27 AM