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Does the media owe the TEA party an apology?

Does the media owe the TEA Party an apology for their assumptions regarding Loughner?


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friday

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Jared Loughner was a pothead loner whose reading list included the communist manifesto and mein kampf. While critically injuring the Democrat congresswoman, he also killed a Republican appointed judge. Predictably, the media immediately associated him with the TEA party, asked if Palin was responsible for his violence, and ignored years of Democrat political statements that were just as violent if not more than anything any TEA party person has ever said. Remember Obama saying "if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun"? Remember Obama's pastor?

How about this, remember Obama saying we needed to not jump to conclusions when a muslim shot several people at Ft Hood?

Yet the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?
 
No. If you expect the majority of the media to act responsibly, and care about facts more than ratings, then you are fooling yourself. Just stop caring what the media talking heads say, and try to find real news. Not what Fox, and MSNBC put out on the air.
 
No. If you expect the majority of the media to act responsibly, and care about facts more than ratings, then you are fooling yourself. Just stop caring what the media talking heads say, and try to find real news. Not what Fox, and MSNBC put out on the air.

Not by a country mile. They are reaping what they have sown. Their chickens have come home to roost. They are getting what they deserve.
 
Not by a country mile. They are reaping what they have sown. Their chickens have come home to roost. They are getting what they deserve.

If you believe that the shooter was inspired by the Tea Party, Palin etc, then you are no better than Glenn Beck. He wasn't, he was just a crazy guy who wanted to kill a member of congress. It's really that simple.
 
Look - IF he was an active supporter or a member in some way - they'd have a slight bit of relevance to some of their accusations.
But as far as we know - absolutely nothing ties him to Republican/Conservative/Tea Part/Whatever.

He really just was a nut ready to crack.

I think what's becoming more commonplace is the very thought that PEOPLE can function in the craziest damned ways WITHOUT it being heavily political.
 
Yes they should apologize to the tea party and to Sarah Palin.
 
Jared Loughner was a pothead loner whose reading list included the communist manifesto and mein kampf. While critically injuring the Democrat congresswoman, he also killed a Republican appointed judge. Predictably, the media immediately associated him with the TEA party, asked if Palin was responsible for his violence, and ignored years of Democrat political statements that were just as violent if not more than anything any TEA party person has ever said. Remember Obama saying "if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun"? Remember Obama's pastor?

How about this, remember Obama saying we needed to not jump to conclusions when a muslim shot several people at Ft Hood?

Yet the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?

My reading list includes The Communist Manifesto. Haven't gotten around to Mein Kumpf yet, but I will eventually. Even if you disagree with the Communist Manifesto, you can't deny its political/historical significance. It was one of the most important works of the 19th century. Does this make me an evil terrorist Nazi?

I never jumped to any conclusions about the Tea Party or Sarah Palin. I might be personally opposed to rhetoric on both sides, but that doesn't influence my judgement in this case. She had nothing to do with it.

Should the "mainstream media" (I've always loved that phrase :D) be forced to apologize? Nope. They're allowed to say whatever they want, within reason. It's a free country. While I'm opposed to some in the media and elsewhere jumping the conclusions, I don't really... care. Idiots exist. Deal with it.

I am very angry at you now for putting down pot :D, go and think about what you've done.
 
Jared Loughner was a pothead loner whose reading list included the communist manifesto and mein kampf. While critically injuring the Democrat congresswoman, he also killed a Republican appointed judge. Predictably, the media immediately associated him with the TEA party, asked if Palin was responsible for his violence, and ignored years of Democrat political statements that were just as violent if not more than anything any TEA party person has ever said. Remember Obama saying "if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun"? Remember Obama's pastor?

How about this, remember Obama saying we needed to not jump to conclusions when a muslim shot several people at Ft Hood?

Yet the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?
Absolutely not! Does the Tea Party owe the POTUS an appology for the Nazi, Hitler signs they displayed?
 
The media owes the American people an apology for trying to use this tragedy and other similar tragedies to try to infringe of 1st and 2nd amendment rights.
 
The media owes the American people an apology for trying to use this tragedy and other similar tragedies to try to infringe of 1st and 2nd amendment rights.

Not the media, but the people who are proposing that bill that would make it illegal to basically say anything bad about members of Congress. They owe us an apology.
 
… the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?

Could you provide some examples of media accusations that you feel were unfair? This would be helpful in understanding the issue.
 
Absolutely not! Does the Tea Party owe the POTUS an appology for the Nazi, Hitler signs they displayed?

Do Libbos owe Bush an apology for burning him in effigy?
 
Absolutely not! Does the Tea Party owe the POTUS an appology for the Nazi, Hitler signs they displayed?


Yea right. As soon as Bush gets an apology for even worse Hitler Nazi and death threats on signs and pictures depicting a bullet through his head.
 
So, let me get this straight.

The whole time leading up to election day this time around, every time something someone attacked the Tea Party movement (or the movement embarrassed itself) we were told that it wasn't a party. We were told (paraphrasing of course) that it was a loosely confederated bunch of grassroots organizations whose chief goal was power to the people and smaller government, not a party.

Now, we're seriously asking ourselves if the media owes the Tea Party an apology? A strawman organization we were repeatedly told by members of the movement didn't exist?

Oh, okay.

**** off.
 
How about we stop being so offended by idiots that we demand apologies for everything.

That sounds like a good idea.

hah - remember when everyone was shipping themselves off to rehab? . . maybe that's the idea :D
 
Does Fox News owe an apology for the general misinformation they throw around every day?

Is him being a "pothead" relevant? Or are you trying to imply some liberal connection?

Also, Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto aren't exactly compatible ideologies. He listed Animal Farm as well (Orwell is pretty popular with conservatives and the book its self was an attack on communism). I'm not saying he was part of the Tea Party movement, there really isn't any reason to believe he is but no one owes anyone anything. In your attempt to show how "the media" is making it political you are yourself trying to politicize it.
 
So, let me get this straight.

The whole time leading up to election day this time around, every time something someone attacked the Tea Party movement (or the movement embarrassed itself) we were told that it wasn't a party. We were told (paraphrasing of course) that it was a loosely confederated bunch of grassroots organizations whose chief goal was power to the people and smaller government, not a party.

Now, we're seriously asking ourselves if the media owes the Tea Party an apology? A strawman organization we were repeatedly told by members of the movement didn't exist?

Oh, okay.

**** off.
Well, of course, you wouldn't think so. ;)
 
Jared Loughner was a pothead loner whose reading list included the communist manifesto and mein kampf. While critically injuring the Democrat congresswoman, he also killed a Republican appointed judge. Predictably, the media immediately associated him with the TEA party, asked if Palin was responsible for his violence, and ignored years of Democrat political statements that were just as violent if not more than anything any TEA party person has ever said. Remember Obama saying "if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun"? Remember Obama's pastor?

How about this, remember Obama saying we needed to not jump to conclusions when a muslim shot several people at Ft Hood?

Yet the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?

The Tea Party may or may not be getting a disproportionate share of blame, but they've hardly been scientific about how they've distributed blame.

In the flexible language of political symbolism, the risk of aggressive rhetoric is that when actual aggression occurs commentators will draw a connection between the two.

The only people who deserve to be treated with moderation and restraint are the people who comport themselves with moderation and restraint.

Granted, ideally even people who don't behave moderately should be treated politely (it is a value of spiritually enlightened religions), but you can't expect a business which relies on drama to increase it profitability (aka, the media) to live up to spiritually enlightened ideals.
 
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Ugh.. I misvoted. Is there any way to change it? HANGING CHAD! :)

But no.. the media doesn't owe the tea party an apology. In a way thats like saying the kitchen stove owes the dining room table an invitation to the big party.

I mean, who is the media? Or the Tea party?

The media is far too broad an institution. There have been many in the media who have acted irresponsibly during this tragedy and others have been objective. The media's own treatment of the issue is in itself news, and some in the media are reporting it.

I think Your Star said it best in post #2.
 
Jared Loughner was a pothead loner whose reading list included the communist manifesto and mein kampf. While critically injuring the Democrat congresswoman, he also killed a Republican appointed judge. Predictably, the media immediately associated him with the TEA party, asked if Palin was responsible for his violence, and ignored years of Democrat political statements that were just as violent if not more than anything any TEA party person has ever said. Remember Obama saying "if they bring a knife, we'll bring a gun"? Remember Obama's pastor?

How about this, remember Obama saying we needed to not jump to conclusions when a muslim shot several people at Ft Hood?

Yet the media jumped on the story and had made all the assumptions before the blood on the ground dried. They lumped Loughner in with me and every other constitutionalist TEA Party member.

So the question stands, does the mainstream media owe the TEA Party a national and public apology?

Absolutely not! Does the Tea Party owe the POTUS an appology for the Nazi, Hitler signs they displayed?

Do Libbos owe Bush an apology for burning him in effigy?

All 3 of you fall prey to the same faulty line of thought. Asptd might get a pass as he may have been making a point other than what his words said, but the problem with all these arguments is they assume that some group is a collective when in fact none of the groups are. The media is made up of many independent sources, as is the Tea Party and as are Libbos.

Going back to just the OP, I have seen "the media" report that Loughner was a liberal, a conservative, probably a libertarian type, and a complete wacko with no basis in politics. Some are talking about how politicians should tone down rhetoric, some are reporting on those talks(and it is in discussion, so it is news), some are attacking those who suggest that toning down the rhetoric is good. Some are suggesting possible connections with conservative rhetoric, some are suggesting there is no connection, and some are reporting on the conjecture of both.

So, with all that in mind, what do you think "the media" did wrong, and what should they do?
 
Also, Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto aren't exactly compatible ideologies. He listed Animal Farm as well (Orwell is pretty popular with conservatives and the book its self was an attack on communism). I'm not saying he was part of the Tea Party movement, there really isn't any reason to believe he is but no one owes anyone anything. In your attempt to show how "the media" is making it political you are yourself trying to politicize it.

I personally find it quite hilarious that some conservatives admire Orwell, an open Democratic Socialist.

Anyway, he was obviously a complete nutter, since he apparently endorsed a view that advocates a dismantling of social/economic classes, and one that advocates the supreme rule of the corporatists. The common denominator in everything I've seen of him is that he's a) insane, and b) authoritarian.
 
My reading list includes The Communist Manifesto. Haven't gotten around to Mein Kumpf yet, but I will eventually. Even if you disagree with the Communist Manifesto, you can't deny its political/historical significance. It was one of the most important works of the 19th century. Does this make me an evil terrorist Nazi?

I never jumped to any conclusions about the Tea Party or Sarah Palin. I might be personally opposed to rhetoric on both sides, but that doesn't influence my judgement in this case. She had nothing to do with it.

He didn't just read those books, he listed them among his favorites. And I never said you jumped to any conclusions. This is about the media.
 
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