c. scott andreas

I just read an article that has me pretty upset with the folks in Washington [ read it here ]. Pardon the politicking.

From Donald Rumsfeld:

“I recount this history because once again we face the same kind of challenges in efforts to confront the rising threat of a new type of fascism” Rumsfeld’s text said.
“But it is apparent that many have still not learned history’s lessons,” his text said, adding that part of the problem is that the American news media have tended to emphasize the negative rather than the positive.

For example, Rumsfeld is to say that more media attention was given to U.S. soldiers’ abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib than to the fact that Sgt. 1st Class Paul Ray Smith received the Medal of Honor.

First, thanks to Ray Smith for his service. That said…

Rumsfeld is upset that the media is holding the Administration accountable to the value of justice that we’re supposed to be promoting in the Middle East? Though the coverage we see today is far from being “fair and balanced,” I’m horrified that our Secretary of War would suggest that political sleight of hand should deflect coverage of our failure to run Iraq better than Saddam did (at least according to Iraqis).

There’s little difference between an American soldier raping a young Iraqi woman and killing her family and an Iraqi royal doing the same.

When reporters shed light on these dark, dark places, there’s an opportunity for repentance and transformation. Abu Ghraib is an example of this. If we have any hope of righting our wrongs, we must begin to seek them out and set them straight.

Humbly.