Another Media Black Eye: Second Cop -- Not Kimberly Munley -- Brought Down Fort Hood Killer
By Greg Mitchell
Published: November 13, 2009 2:25 PM ET
NEW YORK (Commentary) With the publication of an interview with Sgt. Mark Todd, the actual cop who gunned down the killer at Fort Hood -- following its account of an unnamed eyewitness last night--The New York Times this afternoon finally underlined what some of us noticed from nearly the start: the media fell hook, line and sinker once again for a military account of what happened during the tragedy.
First, it was the "death" of the apparent mass murderer, Major Hasan, not corrected for hours. Then, for days, the story of how a white female cop brought down the shooter, even as she was receiving serious wounds.
Yet I noticed--without great searching--just hours after the attack that scattered eyewitnesses, via the Web and Twitter, were saying that the killer re-loaded after Kimberly Munley went down.
How could he have done that if she had just plugged him four times, supposedly ending the rampage? Some of those witnesses said they yelled at the unnamed second cop to shoot Hasan--which he did, and then went up and kicked his gun away.
Yet for days, the media rarely questioned the military's "official" story of Munley as savior. The New York Times was one of many who put Munley on the front page and declared, on Nov. 7, that she was the person who nailed Hasan. Its headline: "She ran to gunfire, and ended it." It said flatly that she "brought down the gunman."
Later that day, The Associated Press interviewed Todd and he described some of his actions that day, which raised questions about Munley's prime role. Still, most news outlets for days continued to label Munley "the" (singular) Fort Hood hero. It wasn't until two days ago that Todd got feature billing, although usually in a secondary role. Now, in the past day, he is finally getting his due as the original account begins to fall away. The New York Times pushed the envelope with its reports last night and today by James C. McKinley, Jr.
Times executive editor Bill Keller has emailed E&P's Joe Strupp, "My first reaction is, it's a fine piece of reporting that throws a shaft of new light on this tragedy. I'm proud that Jim broke the story yesterday with an unnamed eyewitness, and that he then built on it with Sergeant Todd's confirmation....
"What we and other news organizations (at least the ones I saw) had to go on in the early days was the official account put out by the post commander and the director of emergency services. They said (accurately) that Munley rushed to the scene and that she was shot. They claimed (inaccurately, we now know) that she fired the shot or shots that brought Hasan down. We reported what they said, attributed to them. Our reporters didn't have witnesses questioning that account, though we did raise questions in that first story about whether Todd also shot. It took a while for us to track down a knowledgeable witness willing to contradict the official account -- and when we did, we put it on the front page."
But what else will turn out false about Fort Hood claims from military, e.g. the "Allahu Akbar" shouts?
Yes, Munley is a hero for facing the bullets. And, no, this isn't another Jessica Lynch case, but it does have some disturbing similarities.
Plus: Just coincidence that a white woman got the credit over a black male? We'll soon find out. Perhaps. But this time, put aside the military's official narrative. First time, shame on the source. Second time, shame on the media. Third time?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greg Mitchell (gmitchell@editorandpublisher.com) is editor. His latest book is "Why Obama Won."
Monday, November 16, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Too Much Power?
Mixed-race couple refused marriage license in Louisiana
A Louisiana justice of the peace refused to issue a marriage licence to a mixed-race couple, saying he was concerned that any children the couple might have would not be accepted by society.
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Published: 5:21PM BST 16 Oct 2009
Keith Bardwell, a white man who works in in Tangipahoa Parish, Hammond said it was his experience that most mixed-race marriages do not last long.
"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," he told the Associated Press. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."
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Why David Cameron should make it harder to get marriedBeth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay, 32, are now considering filing a discrimination complaint with the Justice Department.
She called Mr Bardwell on Oct 6 to inquire about getting a marriage licence signed, but was told by his wife that he did not sign them for mixed-race couples.
Mr Bardwell said that, after discussing the topic with blacks and whites, he concluded that most of society did not readily accept offspring of such relationships.
"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," he said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
Miss Humphrey, a white account manager for a marketing firm, was married by another justice of the peace to Mr McKay, a black welder.
"We are looking forward to having children," Miss Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."
He estimated that he had refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past three years.
"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said Katie Schwartzmann, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."
The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Mr Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice".
"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Ms Schwartzmann said.
A Louisiana justice of the peace refused to issue a marriage licence to a mixed-race couple, saying he was concerned that any children the couple might have would not be accepted by society.
By Alex Spillius in Washington
Published: 5:21PM BST 16 Oct 2009
Keith Bardwell, a white man who works in in Tangipahoa Parish, Hammond said it was his experience that most mixed-race marriages do not last long.
"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," he told the Associated Press. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."
Related Articles
Afghanistan election: Would you risk your life to cast a vote?
Don't marry in haste and divorce at leisure
Broken Britain ? can we fix it?
Adverts offering to 'buy your debts for £1' are scams, watchdog warns
Why David Cameron should make it harder to get marriedBeth Humphrey, 30, and Terence McKay, 32, are now considering filing a discrimination complaint with the Justice Department.
She called Mr Bardwell on Oct 6 to inquire about getting a marriage licence signed, but was told by his wife that he did not sign them for mixed-race couples.
Mr Bardwell said that, after discussing the topic with blacks and whites, he concluded that most of society did not readily accept offspring of such relationships.
"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," he said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."
Miss Humphrey, a white account manager for a marketing firm, was married by another justice of the peace to Mr McKay, a black welder.
"We are looking forward to having children," Miss Humphrey said. "And all our friends and co-workers have been very supportive. Except for this, we're typical happy newlyweds."
He estimated that he had refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past three years.
"It is really astonishing and disappointing to see this come up in 2009," said Katie Schwartzmann, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana. "The Supreme Court ruled as far back as 1963 that the government cannot tell people who they can and cannot marry."
The ACLU sent a letter to the Louisiana Judiciary Committee, which oversees the state justices of the peace, asking them to investigate Mr Bardwell and recommending "the most severe sanctions available, because such blatant bigotry poses a substantial threat of serious harm to the administration of justice".
"He knew he was breaking the law, but continued to do it," Ms Schwartzmann said.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009
Announcement
The Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oslo, October 9, 2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oslo, October 9, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Keli Goff's Viewpoint
By Keli Goff
I'm not sure when it first hit me, that the future of our country, particularly when it comes to race relations, is really looking up. Perhaps it was when a member of the Boston Police Department referred to Professor Henry Louis Gates as a "banana-eating jungle monkey." Perhaps it was when an angry town hall protester ripped up a poster of Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks -- while others in the crowd applauded. Or perhaps it was when Congressman David Scott was greeted with a swastika spray painted outside of his office and hate mail calling him the N-word all in the same week. Or perhaps it was when Congressman Joe Wilson demonstrated such a lack of respect for our president when he shouted "You Lie," at him during a presidential address.
You've probably assumed that I am being sarcastic in my premise that these incidents are proof that our country is on the verge of significant racial progress but I'm not. During a recent conversation with my mother she expressed fear that Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be right, that the current vitriol being exhibited at town halls and elsewhere is not only uncivil, but down right scary and could soon boil over into violence. We then began to reminisce about the Civil Rights Movement, which my mother lived through, a time when racist rhetoric turned deadly. That's when it hit me: People turn angry when they feel that they are losing ground.
Racist domestic terrorists did not bomb the church that killed four little Black girls in Birmingham, Alabama because they knew those little girls would never attend high school with their children, but because they knew that one day they would. The Ku Klux Klan murdered three civil rights workers, not because they were confident that Blacks would never get the right to vote, but because they were terrified that they would -- and were on the verge of doing so. (It is worth noting that this year the town in which the workers were murdered elected its first Black mayor.)
There are plenty of Americans -- good, fair-minded people -- who do not support the President's proposed health care reform, at least not yet. I consider myself among them. But there are others, who as former President Carter asserted, are simply unhappy that a Black man is president.
And that gives me hope.
Because the reason some people's racism has been brought to the fore is because the America they thought they knew and loved is becoming a different one before their very eyes; an America in which a Black man can get elected president and a Latina can become a Supreme Court Justice. But most of all an America in which their very own children applaud both. This is what really has racists in a tizzy. Every study shows that most of their children do not share and will not pass on, their legacy of intolerance and hate, but instead may end up dating or marrying an Obama or Sotomayor of their own one day.
You know what else gives me hope? The fact that even in a state like South Carolina where the Confederate battle flag still flies near the entrance to the capitol, citizens have seen fit to punish Congressman Wilson in the polls for the lack of respect he showed our president, who as we all know, is Black. If that's not proof of progress then I don't know what is. So let the racists wail. Let freedom ring and let progress come.
This story first ran on TheLoop21.com for which Goff is a political writer.
www.keligoff.com
Follow Keli Goff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/keligoff
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
I'm not sure when it first hit me, that the future of our country, particularly when it comes to race relations, is really looking up. Perhaps it was when a member of the Boston Police Department referred to Professor Henry Louis Gates as a "banana-eating jungle monkey." Perhaps it was when an angry town hall protester ripped up a poster of Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks -- while others in the crowd applauded. Or perhaps it was when Congressman David Scott was greeted with a swastika spray painted outside of his office and hate mail calling him the N-word all in the same week. Or perhaps it was when Congressman Joe Wilson demonstrated such a lack of respect for our president when he shouted "You Lie," at him during a presidential address.
You've probably assumed that I am being sarcastic in my premise that these incidents are proof that our country is on the verge of significant racial progress but I'm not. During a recent conversation with my mother she expressed fear that Speaker Nancy Pelosi may be right, that the current vitriol being exhibited at town halls and elsewhere is not only uncivil, but down right scary and could soon boil over into violence. We then began to reminisce about the Civil Rights Movement, which my mother lived through, a time when racist rhetoric turned deadly. That's when it hit me: People turn angry when they feel that they are losing ground.
Racist domestic terrorists did not bomb the church that killed four little Black girls in Birmingham, Alabama because they knew those little girls would never attend high school with their children, but because they knew that one day they would. The Ku Klux Klan murdered three civil rights workers, not because they were confident that Blacks would never get the right to vote, but because they were terrified that they would -- and were on the verge of doing so. (It is worth noting that this year the town in which the workers were murdered elected its first Black mayor.)
There are plenty of Americans -- good, fair-minded people -- who do not support the President's proposed health care reform, at least not yet. I consider myself among them. But there are others, who as former President Carter asserted, are simply unhappy that a Black man is president.
And that gives me hope.
Because the reason some people's racism has been brought to the fore is because the America they thought they knew and loved is becoming a different one before their very eyes; an America in which a Black man can get elected president and a Latina can become a Supreme Court Justice. But most of all an America in which their very own children applaud both. This is what really has racists in a tizzy. Every study shows that most of their children do not share and will not pass on, their legacy of intolerance and hate, but instead may end up dating or marrying an Obama or Sotomayor of their own one day.
You know what else gives me hope? The fact that even in a state like South Carolina where the Confederate battle flag still flies near the entrance to the capitol, citizens have seen fit to punish Congressman Wilson in the polls for the lack of respect he showed our president, who as we all know, is Black. If that's not proof of progress then I don't know what is. So let the racists wail. Let freedom ring and let progress come.
This story first ran on TheLoop21.com for which Goff is a political writer.
www.keligoff.com
Follow Keli Goff on Twitter: www.twitter.com/keligoff
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Was My Case Racial Profiling?
About seven years ago I was on my way to Florida to go on a cruise. Somewhere by the Georgia/Florida border I spotted a cop going north on I-75. I was going south no doubt. I saw the cop pull into one of those turn-arounds in the median. It was about thirty minutes before dark, so the use of headlights were being used. As I passed this cop, he pulled out into the lane behind me. Now he was headed I-75 south. Since I saw him from the time he was on the other side of the expressway, I know for a fact I was not speeding. He pulled up behind me so close that I could not see his headlights. We rode this way for about two miles. I was in the middle lane which meant that he could go around me using the fast lane. He chose to ride behind me and I made a decision. I let this tractor trailer pass me in the slow lane and I pulled behind the tractor trailer. The very moment I did this, the cop turned on his blue light and pulled me over.
He told me to get out of the car. I got out and asked him what is wrong and what does it have to do with me? At first he would not answer my question. He was just calling my tag into the station. He finally told me that I was following that tractor trailer too close. That was the moment I lost it. I told him that I wouldn't have been behind that truck if he was not on my ass. He told me to shut up and he called for back up. I kept telling him that this is some bullshit. He kept telling me to shut up. Finally, another cop showed up and my wife told me to be quiet. He started asking me questions like where was I going. I told the cop that we were going on a cruise. I had an old military ID and he saw it. He asked me what branch was I in. I told him that I was in the Air Force back in the 80's. That's when he decided that I was not a bad person. He motioned to the other officer to go and that I was OK. He wanted to discuss the places that I was stationed in the military, but I was still not happy. He decided to give me a warning and let me go. I read his name tag, but I did not let him see me read it. When I got home I wrote the ACLU about this incident, but I never heard anything else about it. What did I do wrong? Tell me!
He told me to get out of the car. I got out and asked him what is wrong and what does it have to do with me? At first he would not answer my question. He was just calling my tag into the station. He finally told me that I was following that tractor trailer too close. That was the moment I lost it. I told him that I wouldn't have been behind that truck if he was not on my ass. He told me to shut up and he called for back up. I kept telling him that this is some bullshit. He kept telling me to shut up. Finally, another cop showed up and my wife told me to be quiet. He started asking me questions like where was I going. I told the cop that we were going on a cruise. I had an old military ID and he saw it. He asked me what branch was I in. I told him that I was in the Air Force back in the 80's. That's when he decided that I was not a bad person. He motioned to the other officer to go and that I was OK. He wanted to discuss the places that I was stationed in the military, but I was still not happy. He decided to give me a warning and let me go. I read his name tag, but I did not let him see me read it. When I got home I wrote the ACLU about this incident, but I never heard anything else about it. What did I do wrong? Tell me!
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