This page seeks to place various news organizations, public officials, and pundits under a microscope by critically assessing what they say. To this end, The Independent Thinkers will do its best to correct misinformation that often gets taken as truth. As Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said: “people are entitled to their own opinions, but not their own facts.”
The Independent Thinkers
A page for thinking people who tirelessly challenge their own assumptions and let neither conventionality nor agenda nor political party obstruct the relentless pursuit of truth
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Google US. News- Secret Service Apologizes for Allowing Pair at State Dinner - New York Times
- Today at the White House: Leftovers and a Christmas tree - USA Today
- Wayward Pilots Were 'Distracted,' Transcripts Show - New York Times
- NYC mayor has spent record $102M to win a 3rd term - The Associated Press
- Devon Hollahan, American English Teacher Vanishes in Germany After Concert - CBS News
March 8, 2007 at 12:37 pm |
In late February 2007, Chris Matthews of MSNBC made the following statement regarding former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani’s popularity in the South: “They (southerners) may not be able to spell his name, but they love him down there.”
Was Matthews attempting to offend Italians or southerners or both?
March 9, 2007 at 6:06 pm |
A Justice Department audit concluded today, March 9, that the FBI improperly and in some cases illegally used the Patriot Act to obtain information about people in the United States.
March 28, 2007 at 1:42 pm |
General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joing Chiefs of Staff, gave an interview on March 12 to a Chicago radio station in which he called homosexuality immoral and that gays should not be allowed to serve in the armed forces if they admitted to being gay. His comments were part of a response to a question posed to him about Bill clinton’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Gay rights groups have been insisting that he apologize for his remarks.
March 29, 2007 at 12:14 am |
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17842304/
Moira Herbst of BuisnessWeek Online reports that some automobile companies are cutting corners by only making cars fuel-flexible rather than producing cars that meet fuel-economy standards. These cars, which are advertised as environment-friendly, only have the ability to run on both gasoline and ethanol (which is available in only 1% of America’s gas stations) and are not fuel-efficient by any means. With the popular belief that the Earth is in a environmental crisis, can Americans really trust a “green” car company?
April 10, 2007 at 1:21 am |
Don Imus radio personality and commentator on all things political, is under fire because he referred to the Rutgers University basketball team as “nappy headed hos.” Many including Julian Bond, leader of the NAACP, and Al Sharpton have called for his firing because of his racially insensitive remarks.
April 13, 2007 at 2:32 am |
Imus was fired today. I think his comment was beyond insensitive, it was just idiotic. He’s referring to young women who are the epitome of success, they’re thriving in a rigorous academic environment and are demonstrating incredible athletic prowess and very hard work, commitment and training. I think a lot of us would love to have been able to reach the level of success that they have or to even have that kind of work ethic. Weird choice of a group to disparage.
Actually I think his remark, although certainly racist, was primarily sexist. I think he has a hard time, as many do, watching young women be physically strong, tough and competitive. These aren’t traditionally feminine characteristics and probably that just don’t sit well especially with old guys like him. This feeling of mine was validated today when I watched an extended clip of his remarks where he and his sidekick continue commenting while watching clips of the Tennessee/Rutgers Championship game where Imus says something like, “Now look at the Tennessee girls, they’re mostly cute!” Apparently it’s easier to stomach watching “girls” being strong and competitive if they appear to be whatever his definition of attractive is. Unfortunately I think this is a feeling that a lot of people, of all ages and both genders are guilty of, one of the barriers that hasn’t quite come down yet for female athletes.
It is unfortunate that Imus and his wife have actually done a lot of good in the way of contributions, I think, for Autism research especially, and a few other causes as well, yet he blew all of this by acting like a complete moron, which he probably isn’t. Well, maybe he is.
I’m surprised more people haven’t commented on this.
April 13, 2007 at 3:18 am |
I agree with everything Lori said. Imus’s comments were way out of line. He has made disparaging remarks against virtually all groups of people for the better part of thirty years and I believe his firing was fair because both CBS and MS-NBC let him go when advertisers were abandoning them. In other words, the marketplace of ideas prevailed.
Let me also place this incident in a broader perspective if I can. I don’t think Don Imus has anything to do with the true cause of racial unrest or the plight of African Americans in this country. When the black illegtimacy rate stands at 68 percent (especially prevalent among teenage girls), African American women are portrayed as objects in hip hop music, and an overwhelmingly disproportionate number of black men are imprisoned, the Imus episode becomes incidental to some of the deep-rooted cultural problems that exist within the African American community. Yet here is part of the statement CBS Chief Executive Officer Les Moonves released after firing Imus: “There has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society.” Honestly, whose words have more of an impact on young women of color, Don Imus or a rap artist such as 50 Cent? There is an extreme level of cognitive dissonance in this country when it comes to race in that the reality of what is actually taking place is undermined by what we perceive to be true or what we want to be true.
Perhaps worst of all, virtually no public outcry or attention is given to these more problematic issues, except in a racial rather than cultural context. In fact there is a long line of African American commentators such as Shelby Steele, Thomas Sowell, and John McWhorter who have articulated this position precisely. Yet few Americans have heard about them. Instead an Al Sharpton or a Jesse Jackson are ubiquitous on television. Yet they Steele, Sowell, and McWhorter would be the first to tell you, have not done a thing for African Americans in more than a generation except to perpetuate the idea that we still live in a Jim Crow-like society.
Keith Olbermann proves the point. On his MS-NBC show the top story was of course the station’s firing of Don Imus, followed by the racist remarks of “the racist right” over the years, then coming in third place was how Sanjaya did on American Idol the night before. There was no mention of the fact that three Duke lacrosse players on the very same day had been exonerated of all charges that they had raped an African American woman. Now I certainly would not expect Olbermann to begin a conversation of black illegitimacy or the negative effects of hip hop music. But to ignore the damage caused by the racialization of American society by ignoring the Duke story is irresponsible.
This country is much too fixated on race as the Duke case suggests rather than culture as a determinant of the obstacles facing African Americans or any other group in our society. How many of you know that if you factored out of the equation the poverty among unwed teenage mothers in the black community, blacks and whites are virtually equal in terms of income, education, middle class status, home ownership and virtually every other economic and social indicator? Now this is a national conversation we should have, if only we could get Al Sharpton to stop talking about what Don Imus said and the media to stop covering the story.
April 13, 2007 at 9:48 pm |
I’m sick over this. Pissed off and literally steaming mad. Where is the protection of free speech?Where in the constitution does it say that you can’t offend people? You can not be obscene in public and that is it. If we all talked in a fashion that did not offend anyone, speech would NEVER have to be protected. He apologized and that should be the end of it.
The genre of the show is comedy. So does that mean that a comic can not get on stage and say what they want? said in jest or not, no man should have his lively hood taken away for that. In that case I want Chris Rocks head on a platter for talking about cracker ass crackers.
In addition, lets get to the real issues in the black community. Perhaps Sharpton and Jackson should take on Black on black crime, the fatherless children and the rap music that promotes pimping, selling/using drugs, and keeping your “bitch” in her place. Those two jackasses are TERRORISTS. They incite terror by using mob tactics. Had this not gotten such media attention, those two attention whores would have NEVER taken on this cause.
Also, lets get ahold of these girls’ ipods and see what they are not offended to listen to. Think we might find some Snoop or 50 cent? Bet your ass.
And by the way… these girls did not reach the epitome of success. They lost. Granted they did a great job and made an acheivement, but do you think they would have been on Oprah and the media’s darlings had this not gone on? how mant people even remember who lost the super bowl or World Series last year.
Lastly, Congratulations Al and Jesse. I hope this was worth it. You just traded your community’s ownwership of speech for one little thing 1 white man said in jest. Black People had the license to say ANYTHING they wanted. Young black comics, etc had the unspoken permission to make fun, criticize, or basically say anything they want. Hip hop was rarely criticized for its dipiction of the hip hop life. That means demeaning women, encouraging the youth to violently react to each other, and the quick way to fame and money. Good effing luck. See where the great reverends are when Whitey comes looking for you adn your use of language. And its coming. This stupid little thing has done nothing but divide the races. This will now become a divided tit for tat culture.
So why again is Sharpton not down at Duke apologizing to a group of young men whose lives were TRULY RUINED. Ohh, he must be two busy looking for the funds to pay his debts in the Tawana whatever her name was case. Or maybe he is in Hyme town having lunch with Jackson encouraging more peolpe to burn down stores and shoot people. Or maybe we can catch him next on some grainy black and white film in a seedy hotel room with god knows who.
Have a fun ride down the slippery slope, America
April 14, 2007 at 5:23 pm |
Perhaps surprisingly, I do agree with the decision made by CBS and MSNBC to fire Don Imus. Although the decision to fire him probably had to do more with economics than it had to do with principle: the comments turned Imus into an advertiser repellent. CBS and MSNBC had every right to fire him because this wasn’t just “free” speech; this was hate speech. However, we shouldn’t focus on racism in the country as a whole; it was just a stupid comment made by one person.
April 14, 2007 at 8:39 pm |
Al Sharpton has declared that “next”, he is taking on the rappers who are responsible for this type of speech and denigration against women. It will interesting to see if he follows through on this, because it certainly wasn’t his primary focus and seems to have come only after so many others have brought up the rap-culture issues. I haven’t heard anything from Jackson along these lines yet. If the two of them truly become commited and active to taking on this issue, they could do much for this negative aspect of black culture to make some positive changes.
I agree with much of what Crystal says and I also feel the Duke Lacrosse players deserve an apology from Sharpton. I’ve never been a big fan of Sharpton and agree that this is one of several hipocritical issues he’s been involved in. Jesse Jackson used to be a more reasonable and articulate guy and has been involved in some positive things in the civil rights movement. I’m encouraged by Sharpton’s above-mentioned pledge and truly hope the two of them will become involved in some of these issues that they’ve been silent about.
As for free speech, I’m not sure Imus’ remarks, to me, quantify. True, they could be considered a “joke”, I suppose, but they weren’t directed at nameless, faceless ethnic or racial identities, they were senselessly directed specifically to a team of college basketball players who did absolutely nothing to deserve them, therefore making the whole thing not only mean and unfair, but also very personal. Celebrities; actors, musicians, Britney Spears, one of the prices they pay for money, celebrity and fame, whether they and we like it or agree with it or not, is that they are fair game for the media and regular people to adore or abhore them as we wish. Even then, lines are crossed, celebs can be unfairly threatened, defamation lawsuits happen. But it’s part of the game in our culture.
The Rutgers basketball team doesn’t fall within these boundaries, the way I see it. Even criticizing whether they listen to rap or not, whether they should make a stand against rap or not, who they should meet with, what attention they get, we need to remember that they didn’t ask for any of this! I heard yesterday that some of them have been getting hate mail. How sick is that?
April 14, 2007 at 10:06 pm |
1. Hate speech is any type of speech intended to degrade somebody based on their race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc. Regardless of his intentions, Imus’ comments surely can be considered hate speech.
2. Among the advertisers that pulled their ads from Imus’ show: Sprint, General Motors, American Express, Staples, and Proctor & Gamble. Check out an article about it: http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660211127,00.html
3. Why is MSNBC covering this story non-stop? It’s interesting, Imus is a high-profile radio talk show host who happens to be in the Radio Hall of Fame, it’s relevant to MSNBC, and yes: it’s damn good for ratings. However, MSNBC is reporting it objectively.
4. If you’re going to take away your vote for a Presidential candidate for his feelings on a topic that is so broad that it cannot be clearly defined, then you’re probably not going to vote at all.
.
April 15, 2007 at 1:59 am |
Despite the seriousness of Imus’s words, you might want to consider the media-driven nature of this episode. The media has had a long history of building people up only to bring them down. Imus has made some egregious remarks in the past, yet there was no uproar. The Rutgers women’s basketball team had never paid much attention to him before the media made a spectacle of the whole thing.
April 25, 2007 at 1:53 pm |
The Supreme Court decided last week by a 5 to 4 margin that the 2003 act of Congress banning the practice of partial birth abortions is constitutional even though the law does not include a clause that would allow the procedure to protect the mother’s health.
April 29, 2007 at 1:04 am |
Indian courts have issued arrest warrants for Hollywood star Richard Gere and Bollywood screen siren Shilpa Shetty after they engaged in an embrace deemed insensitive and inappropriate to Indian culture.
The arrest warrant was issued after a lawyer filed a complaint.
I thought I’d post this news because it’s an interesting example of a clash of cultures.