BackboneAmerica

“Are bloggers journalists?” asked media critic Jason Salzman on the Rocky’s opinion page, Mar. 29. Some are, some aren’t, he answered (more…)

On Fox News the other night, Oct. 19, there was a discussion between Greta Van Susteren and Laura Ingraham about “Girls Gone Wild,” (more…)

Old media and new or alternative media are one pair of names by which we feel our way toward a workable description of America’s info-saturation (more…)

The verdict on President Bush, his departing strategist Karl Rove, and Republican political hopes is hardly as settled or as negative (more…)

The First Amendment states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; (more…)

It’s said we Navy guys don’t get on well with the Marines, but the USMC stands high with me. Look at the example of men like General Peter Pace, or our own Major Mike Coffman. All the more disappointing when I took friendly (or maybe not) fire this week from two tough-guy Marines displaying more bark than brains. (more…)

A black American reflects on the Imus affair

By Joseph C. Phillips (joseph@josephcphillips.com)

When I was a boy, my father charged me with cleaning up a mess in the bathroom. Thoroughly disgusted, I tried every way I knew how to avoid touching anything. The delay angered my father until finally in exasperation, he hollered, “You are going to touch much worse than that in your life!” He was correct. I have in my life touched much worse. The lesson learned was in all things we must keep our perspective. (more…)

By Dave Petteys (dpetteys@comcast.net)

(April 20, Hitler’s Birthday, and the Columbine anniversary) I am appalled by commentators who ask silly rhetorical questions such as “Why do such things happen?” or “How can we understand these events?” or “What’s wrong with our society?” It’s not rocket science. All they have to do is look around! We have wall to wall violence on TV, in movies — and in video games. (more…)

April 18, 2007

By Dave Petteys (dpetteys@comcast.net)

It’s unseemly to be holding candle light vigils and to be squabbling over memorials even before the bodies are cold, to say nothing of the tedious 24 hour TV news coverage. But the most outrageous is the national airing of the demented killer’s diatribe! (more…)

By Krista Kafer (krista555@msn.com)

A big home improvement project monopolized my time for weeks. As I tiled, painted, sawed and plumbed, emails and phone messages piled up. Newspapers and magazines went unread. Today I’m catching up and regretting it.

Thanks to the Denver Post I’ve learned that teens have been charged in the brutal slaying of one teen’s mother, conflict has erupted over the use of water, Democrats in the state’s General Assembly are pushing for gay adoption and voter rights for convicts on parole, and Iraqi terrorists have killed more civilians.

Not to be outdone, the Rocky Mountain News, features on-line pictures of tornado-wrought destruction, an article about another school shooting, and a tale about a counterfeiter who bought Girl Scout cookies with bogus bills (not a bad use in my estimation). (more…)

The First Cold Warrior, Elizabeth Spalding’s new book on Harry Truman, quotes this little prayer that the Missourian used daily during his presidency:

Oh Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator of heaven and earth and the universe: Help me to be, to think, to act what is right, because it is right: Make me truthful, honest, and honorable in all things: Make me intellectually honest for sake of right and honor and without thought of reward to me. Give me the ability to be charitable, forgiving, and patient with my fellow men — Help me to understand their motives and shortcomings — even as thou understandest mine: Amen.

I used this to open and close today’s edition of Backbone Radio, remarking how different our political and media discourse would be if more us made this our standard of conduct and truly sought God’s aid in living up to it. If only–

Open letter from John Andrews
To John Temple, Editor & Publisher, Rocky Mountain News

Dear John: Twice this week your paper has shown glaring lapses from journalistic standards and gross disrespect of important public figures. I and other readers expect better from the Rocky.

Policeman Ken Jordan’s murder was ignored in the wording and dishonored in the tone of your Wednesday front page headline (print edition): “A cop’s last stop: DUI suspect, ‘tired of drama’ with police, opens fire on Springs officer.” A lawman who gives his life in the line of duty does not deserve such oblique, breezy treatment in a news story.

Congressman Bob Beauprez’s honorable service and unsuccessful run for governor, supported by the votes of over half a million Coloradans, were bashed by the editorial spread on page 4A, Tuesday. The main story, though written straight, was undercut by ridicule in the photo caption: “You’ve got Bobmail.” The mocking sidebar, “Extra! Were we at the same election?”, should have been signed and identified as opinion — if placed on the news pages at all.

Such juvenile attempts at irreverence are unworthy of a good high school newspaper, let alone a major metropolitan daily. Are you really so desperate to be in contrast with the Denver Post, to sell papers by appearing hip and cute?

You owe a published apology to the family and friends of the heroic Officer Jordan — and in lesser degree to Congressman Beauprez and his supporters. Shame on the Rocky Mountain News.

By Krista Kafer (krista555@msn.com)

If hypocrisy is “do as I say not as I do” then selective moral outrage is “do as I say not as I do and shame on you!” True moral outrage draws attention to what is wrong and exerts a powerful force for change. Selective moral outrage uses society’s moral expectations as a weapon against specific targets for political gain, while ignoring other comparable ones. Effective in the short run, the tactic’s success will surely wane as the public grows more cynical and apathetic toward moral outrage both real and counterfeit.

If you want to see selective moral outrage in action you have but to open the daily paper or magazine, visit the cinema or go to a political rally. This week the Denver Post is outraged by a government leak revealing that Bill Ritter’s plea bargain of illegal aliens put dangerous people back on the streets. (more…)

By Dave Petteys (dpetteys@comcast.net)

“82 Days in Captivity” will be the 11-part account by journalist Jill Carroll about her ordeal in Baghdad earlier this year, starting Monday in the Denver Post. Ahead of the upcoming series, one wonders:

Doesn’t it seem that Ms. Carroll did her “captors’” bidding with far too much enthusiasm? Whining vociferously in the videos from behind her headscarf and glasses, scripted and on cue, she hardly conveyed the impression of a person in fear for her life.

Her uneventful release and return, her probable book contract, and her prompt entry onto the speaking circuit all heighten my curiosity into the circumstances of the so-called “kidnapping”. I wouldn’t be surprised if her book and speeches stressed the “humanity and legitimate grievances” of her captors, with the ostensible purpose of promoting “tolerance and understanding” of the terrorists: in other words, aiding and abetting our enemies.

This has the strong odor of a setup. Now that the Marines have apparently apprehended some of Ms. Carroll’s captors, it would be interesting to see what really happened. In an era where Reuters doctors photographs of the war to paint Israel in a more unfavorable light, what’s a little staged kidnapping in the process — if the agenda of the left wing press can be furthered?

Zany stuff isn’t just in the comic strips any more. It can pop up on any page of the Denver Newspaper Agency’s liberal twin dailies. My favorite recently is Don Bain, business leader and tax advocate, complaining in the Post that the media relations tactics of C & D opponents are “like throwing candy at a bunch of monkeys.” Um, Don, did you really mean to say that about the local press corps?

Also laughable is another tax advocate likening me in the News to John Kerry — darn, I’ve searched my house for Teresa and my bankbook for her billions, can’t find either of them — a howler to which my reply appears below. (more…)