Message #35282

[countrigal]

I love free speech and free press, but some of the confusion comes from the press itself.  They overhear things, or have secret sources who may or may not know something, and they're quick to put it out there.  Not saying that they knowingly publish lies or mistakes, but in the rush to be the one with the scoop, it's more possible to post things that weren't necessarily meant to be facts out for the world to see.  An example, though not in the public press but the military version of it...  A general, high up in the AF, made a comment to a contemporary about the Air Force shouldn't use the "Hoo-Rah" sound because it belonged to the Army.  This was overheard by someone else, who took it as a fact of what this general wanted done, so policies were written up and the word was passed around that no Air Force personnel could use "Hoo-Rah".  So now committees are working hard to come up with another sound, that doesn't belong to one of the other branches.  Then, 3-4 months later the General realises what has happened and is happening around him and publicly retracts his "statement".  But it never was... it was just him voicing an opinion which someone else took as otherwise.

A lot of what we get out of Washington, IMHO, is similiar.  Someone overheard something, so it must be truth.  In the example of the missing serum in Texas, it would have been simple for someone to have heard one person tell someone else "We've found it" when what they're really saying is that we know where they are, who has them and can expect to have them safe and secure soon.  I think that the press needs to take a little more time to check and verify stories before putting them out for the world to read... give a bit more time between hearing of something and publishing it, so some of this wishy-washiness can be cut out.  Then the politicians need to be forthright in what they do share.

I don't agree with facing Saddam right now myself, but I've heard a lot of information -- not from the press -- and can sort of understand the reasoning in targeting him.  But why now?  That still hasn't been answered to my satisfaction.  And my husband is preparing to deploy, even if we don't know when or where yet.  So I'm like all the rest of y'all -- sitting back wondering how many boiling pots we're gonna send our military to watch, and how thin are we planning on stretching our military.

CountriGal
Peer Moderator