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How many beheadings do the terrorists have to do before our media recognizes that they are evil?
When poor Paul Johnson was beheaded, the LA TIMES headline read “Radicals Kill American in Saudi Arabia.” Not “terrorists”, or “criminals”, or “Islamofascists”—just “radicals.” If you look up radical in the dictionary, you’ll note that it has favorable connatations:
radical n. One who advocates fundamental or revolutionary changes in current practices, conditions, or institutions: radicals seeking to overthrow the social order.
It has no connations of wrong-doing at all; in fact it sounds like it could be a good thing.
And what’s the TIMES headline today on the terrorists’ latest act of evil? “Iraqi Militants Kill S. Korean Hostage.”
According to the TIMES, they’re not “scum” or “international criminals”, they’re just “militants.” Want to know what the dictionary says a militant is? It’s just somebody who’s in a fight, that’s all:
militant n. A fighting, warring, or aggressive person or party.
What’s the NEW YORK TIMES headline today say? “South Korean Held by Militants in Iraq Is Executed.” What a coincidence—to the NY TIMES they are also just “militants.”
Conclusions:
Big media explicitly does not recognize the actions of the terrorists as being evil.
Big media approaches the line at which they will be seen as taking the side of the terrorists.
I feel certain that most Americans are horrified by the actions of these terrorists, and that most Americans are beginning to be horrified that their own media explicitly does not recognize the evil of these beheadings.
Update 6-28-04: Roger Simon expresses similar views:
By the way, I know I have written this before, but I think the use of the term “insurgents” by the media inaccurate and propagandistic in its essence. As far as I know… and correct me if I’m wrong… there has not been one single of these people being anything but fascists, either of the Baathist or Islamist variety. Calling them “insurgents” then cloaks them in the romantic veneer of “freedom fighters.”
