Witness the new level of American discourse

[sigma7]

Comments

[norabombay.livejournal.com]

I cannot on any place or idea whatsoever, see how this was thought to be a good idea.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

That's not what freedom of assembly means.

[paradisacorbasi.livejournal.com]

What Lady Bombay said.

Knocking off of the other comments.

[iamstillthemoon.livejournal.com]

Okay, so at first I thought that it was calling them monkeys...like Tarzan or George of the Jungle living in the trees sort of thing. But now I'm thinking it's meant in like a sort of hanging/lynching way, hmm? But then I'm wondering if offense is taken to all the "Stupid people need to be shot" and "Ban stupid people. Not dogs." shirts that there are. Or the "Beware stupid people in large groups." Because, you know, there are actually stupid people, and lots of people who are stupid KNOW they are stupid and probably would rather not see those shirts. But hopefully they recognize it's just a JOKE. Now, if it said something like with "Trombonist" or "Writer" or "17 year old female in Niceville, Florida", I wouldn't take offense. It's just a joke. Everyone has a bias, conservative or non, and things ought to be taken with humour. Aren't journalists all about freedom of speech?

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Eh. I think I'd feel better if journalists hadn't been increasingly endangered on the job, and that the same people who're applauding and supporting these shirts would be in apoplectic shock if it said, say, "cop" instead. And that, in my eyes, would be equally tasteless.

But maybe you're right, maybe it's more on the silly side -- if it said, say, "trombonist," that would be ridiculous, apolitical, and less bothersome. Maybe I'm just oversensitive.

...But I dunno.

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[iamstillthemoon.livejournal.com]

I'm sure if we sent a bunch of any type of American worker over to the war area, they would be endangered. American Trombonists, American Cooks, American Fashion Designers, American Tourists American Painters, American Plumbers, etc. Most Americans are VERY unwelcome over there.

But one thing I don't understand is WHY are there so many journalists. I mean, 68 journalists in one unfriendly country doesn't seem very smart; sure, we need to know when our men are killed and what our troops are up to, but do we really need people to go into areas with an interpreter and ask what they think of America? Not only are they putting themselves at risk, but also the interpreter, the camera journalist, and the person they question as, over there, they practice fear of government with various techniques, such as ear-amputation. It just doesn't seem right OR smart to send a fleet of American writers to hostile areas and then act shocked and overwhelmed when, OMG, they are murdered.

I'm not underplaying the importance of news; I'm simply saying that there's an overload of it and that it seems a good idea to STOP sending so many American journalists over there. But I think that anyone who wears those types of shirt probably has a certain journalist in mind, you know; like with me, it would probably read, in my head, "Dave Barry" rather than "Journalist." Anyone who despises all journalism is a hypocrite and a nincompoop.

If anyone wore "Rope. Tree. Cop."...we wouldn't have a problem with crime, would we? We'd know who all the criminals were. You should submit that as an idea to jails around the country; who knows what kind of money you'd make?

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

I think the press has proven the need for its presence in Iraq, just on the basis of a picture slowly starting to come into focus of a country careening into civil war while the government is doing its best to put a good spin on it. And yet the press is still being taken to task for its lack of presence in Iraq. Couldn't pay me enough, personally. But there was a time I would've jumped at the chance....

But I think my main problem is the students I work with are all prospective or nascent journalists, and I can be very protective of them. I'd hate to see any most of them come to harm.

But I'm glad to see you breakin' in the new LJ. Why the new albeit pleasantly familiar name?

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[iamstillthemoon.livejournal.com]

I am personally one of those people who despises modern news. I don't need to know that it rained three inches more in Texas this month that it did last year, or that a herd of cattle in Montana fell down a mountain; I don't need amusing stories of a woman who knits with the hair of her cats. I need to know things of importance--the modern news despises importance; it downplays EVERYTHING and when something REALLY important comes along, they can't just say it, they have to act it all out. It's their job to report, not to act; and furthermore, to KNOW. Some of the stuff coming out of Iraq is totally pointless and unimportant, and that's what I mean about there being too many, it seems; they can't bomb the entire nation forty times a day and demand the presence of five hundred qualified journalists. BUT, if five hundred qualified journalists are working on important, informative stories, then by all means, keep them there.

Ah....the mom was harrassing the old one, and I'm not a friends-only kind of girl. I like my entries public, thank you. And the name? Well, I'm still in that moon-loving phase of my life. ♥

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm not impressed for what passes as journalism in so many quarters nowadays. There's genocide in Darfur, a systematic annihilation of a people, and yet we're spending all of our time obsessing over another missing white woman in Aruba.

There's some good and some bad, but you could very well argue that the bad's overtaking the good. Or at least getting more air time.

I figured that your old LJ was being motherly-haunted. Sorry. Can't even comfort you with "well, at least your parents don't" stories...mine were too good to me. Except for that whole sending-me-to-school bit. Grrr.

Re: Knocking off of the other comments.

[iamstillthemoon.livejournal.com]

Lucky child! Mine are pretty good, too. But then again, I'm a fantabulous child. ;)