By Rev. Lainie Dowell
THIS IS A TRIBUTE TO HELEN THOMAS' SERVICE OF 60 YEARS ON THE ENEMY FRONT LINE ONLY TO BE UNCEREMONIOUSLY KNOCKED OFF NEAR HER FINISH LINE BY "NOT- SO-FRIENDLY FIRE."
When you shut the mouth of the so-called, journalism "troublemakers," you'll succeed in putting the fear of the government in all those who might want to say something which is contrary to the government position (read, "President"). And, so, the paid media sat mum with their eyes straight ahead. Perhaps somebody may have come to her defense as a journalist and commentator and I must have missed it? But our "free speech" gatekeepers had better beware, because the Obama administration is inching America closer to the tact of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, which is total takeover by government. Right now, our Congress has been afraid to speak up and tell Obama that the Executive Office does not have constitutional authority to shut the press out or shut the people up and create his own syndicated conglomeration of press, internet, telephone, radio, and television with himself and his self-devised "coalition parliamentarian form of government" as the arbiter of who will use them as he illegally authorizes their content. And here we are!
During the 2008 Presidential Election Campaign shenanigans, particularly surrounding the candidacy of then Senator Barack Hussein Obama, it was Sean Hannity, Fox TV Host of the show by that name, who announced "the death of journalism," as we knew it. While Americans watched, albeit not so silently, our many lines of communication of local, national, and international news reports have been crushed and cut off by a few men and women gathered in editorial boardrooms around large and small tables who decide which of the daily events (if any) they could expect to generate a wad of cash for their coffers. The bottom line for most media executives is all about the money coming into their bank accounts and not about the news stories going out of their buildings which they have deemed to be worthy of their time. Forget about the people who spend their hard-earned money to purchase what they dispense as news. As for TV, every station breaks and puts on a commercial so we can't even flip channels any more. Now the FCC wants to take complete control over every communication facet of life?
Moreover, what does the Obama Administration have to do with the ungracious exit of long-time White House Correspondent Helen Thomas, when she announced her resignation today? After all, as Obama continues to say, "I am the President!" And, since he uses that affirmation to insert himself into every aspect of our American life and livelihood (without an invitation to do so), then why wouldn't we expect him to intervene in this matter and call a halt or at least a time out? Obama thinks he is so big and bad that he can call up the TV cameras to shut everything and everybody out to put his face and message on instead. And the media complies. Therefore, he holds "press conferences," when he shows up, speaks what his teleprompter has prepared for him, and says, "Thank you guys," waves his hand, and disappears. Not one question is answered. How can our newsmen and women keep putting up with that? They know Obama has arranged with Google, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Internet around the clock including his own domain, and phonebanks manned from the White House to bypass the media and get out his message. Usually it is to blame somebody or to speak hopeless messages to the American people.
Helen Thomas is and was a news journalist far longer than most folk have been on earth. She has covered a whole lot of historical events. She has seen a lot of changes take place; but, I daresay none as hopeless as having her own distinguished record contain the footnote that she was forced to resign or else be fired, because she dared to continue to speak her mind in response to a question put to her outside the White House Press Room. But she was asked with a microphone in her face and she responded with what was on her mind.
What gets me is how quickly Americans forget -- especially when a woman is on the other end of the whipping post! But men are practically forgiven everything, if they just show crocodile tears and say, "I made a mistake. I am sorry." Ms. Thomas had expressed regret about the statement she made about Israel and Palestine but the voices calling for her to be fired became even shriller. What I don't understand is how former Bush press secretary, Arie Fleisher, led the call for her to be fired, and others took up the chant which led to the final blow --- her resignation within a few days of the incident.
This nation went through eight long years and longer, if you want to also count when daddy Bush was in office, when the democrats struck time after time with outright lies about their leadership and their role as President. Republicans said not one mumbling word --- and they had the press passes and microphones. They left us to fend for ourselves in the battleground of ideas and ideals. I don't even recognize Republicans any more.
Instead of the GOP and our representatives smoothing out the hard, rocky road which was strewn in front of us with Alinskyite tactics, as taught and led by Barack Hussein Obama even before, during, and since the administration of former President William Jefferson Clinton (i.e., "just plain Bill"), political men and women on both sides of the aisle acted as though they did not even know what was going on. However, they knew all of those people feigning to be enemies actually knew one another and had even travelled the same circles. As a matter of fact, we are on the losing end, as long as editors continue to print only what is politically correct and won't ruffle the feathers of men and women who hold the keys to the White House and the combination to the vaults.
The Republican Party, Democrats of good will, Independents of every stripe -- THINK! We do not need to be misled by the propaganda machine of the Obama-Clinton-Rahm-Chicago thugs. Their game is just that, a game. But we have to be concerned about life and death matters now and in years to come. We have no time for games. Their ploy is to make things so bad that when they lift their tongues and feet and allow a little air, those under their "boot" will be so relieved they will accept that light pressure as being the best they have received from the Obama administration. So, if you'll notice, the Republican Party seems to want to emulate the Obama methodology of generating coalitions and letting the United States Constitution of "innocent til proven guilty (in a court of law)," slip into oblivion. We are not approaching a slippery slope. We have begun the ride down it. And all the voices of devastation are led by Obama who, when confronted, blames the one who confronts him. In reality, Obama is the one who has to be FIRED - Impeached - tried as the Traitor he is! Why?
Obama took an oath of office "to protect, preserve, and defend our constitution." What part of any of that doesn't he understand? He knew coming in that he was not going to do any of those things but he had the plan in hand from decades before he was even born in which the groundwork was laid to "change" America and to remake the entire world with American taxpayer dollars while breaking Americans. Who is keeping track of where our money is going? Obama's thieving cronies are now in charge of every aspect of our lives and they reject Congressional oversight.
Citizens are running over one another to comment on the events of today, including me. But my resolve is, has been, and will remain to never knowingly or unknowingly take anybody else's work as my own. Such is the loosening of journalistic ethics in America. Furthermore, may we allow this "Thomas Affair" to refresh our commonsense minds that when commentators have to purposely adjust their "copy" around how it will be perceived by readers then they are not worth the ink it takes to print their copy out. And America is the loser, if Americans refuse to let the United States Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches know that none of them is above the law and all of them can and will be held accountable for breaking the law no matter how long it may take. "Oops!" "Sorry!" "Mistake!" can no longer suffice for men or women in positions of authority who abuse their sacred trust. Pass it on or allow America to pass off the scene, too!
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UPDATE: Tuesday, June 8, 2010
On Thursday, May 27, 2010, during a rare televised "press conference" by Barack Obama, I was watching it on TV realtime and I was also online when I tweeted that, "Helen #Thomas finally got #Obama to admit why Bush Admin went to Afghanistan. Did you hear? He'll change it tonight. -me #gop #tcot #dems
I felt that was important at the time, because that was the first time Obama had ever articulated very clearly former President George W. Bush's position, whereas Obama had lambasted Bush without letup unmercifully for many years. If for nothing else, the White House should have not cancelled her planned 90th birthday party. They are a miserable lot all!! Obama Is Impeached!
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