“By Texas law, cops must keep their bodycams on while working. But it’s possible police will use the “dead suspect loophole” to keep anyone from seeing the footage.”
Sports culture is more open and honest. A bad call from the ref will be seen and reviewed instantly.
Small children killed at school and good people facing new restrictions on legal firearms – sorry folks, video and voice recordings from the crime scene are not available.
I am good with no conspiracy theories. The press could help if they were more about asking questions.
Do a proper investigation similar to those done after a plane crash. Release the findings months from now or whenever is appropriate.
Create credibility for the press and government agencies by keeping people fully informed.
Anytime there is a plane crash, a loss at sea, or an industrial accident, a thorough investigation takes place. Lessons learned are used to prevent future events.
Mass shootings seem to go straight from breaking news of the event to scenes of memorials near where the event happened, interviews of victim’s family members and statements from various politicians. The crime scene investigation seems not to be a priority for the press. If we wait for an entire year, will that be enough time to ask questions?
People who are interested in having questions asked and people who want clarification and better information seem to be scolded/shamed or accused of advancing conspiracy theories.
The press should be out asking questions all of the time.
Here are some questions we’d like to see newspeople ask:
13 pounds of ammo could be manageable. Seems like 58 magazines might be bulky.
Looks like we are told the Texas school shooter crashed his vehicle, regained his composure, and then moved this load across the road and into the school on foot?
I realized Saturday morning that it had been years since I watched TV news in the morning. 20 years ago, I would turn on the TV for news each morning. I started watching evening news on TV when I was at Camp Lejeune in the early 90s.
The crew shortage story has been in place since at least June 30, 2020.
Love to see newspeople ask:
Does the WSF HR Director get paid more to keep the system running smoothly?
Are crew member incentives in place for perfect attendance?
Months of poor play would be enough to get an NFL or college football coach fired.
Is there pressure on the WSF HR Director to do better?
Various industries such as FedEx, UPS, Costco, etc. may do holiday hiring to staff up for a busy time of year. Any similar creative thinking in place at WSF?
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Our local TV news today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
TV advertising has become especially strange. How about legal anti-depression meds that may bring on thoughts of suicide (0:34).
I’d be OK with the mainstream press taking over the task of keeping the public informed. When TV newspeople avoid asking public policy related questions, individual citizens go out to check on what is going on.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are more welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Still viewing lots of news via Twitter, and I would be more at peace if I moved away from it.
Much voting has gone on over the past 40 years or so. For sure, there is a chunk of public policy that has become worse, not better. Stopped watching TV news a long time ago because of the way newspeople (paid actors reading a script) have dealt with all this.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
The War on Terror has prompted law enforcement authorities to calm the public by looking into the future and announcing that no credible threat exists.
“There’s no “credible threat” to the upcoming Boston Marathon, authorities say as they nonetheless call up all available Boston cops and continue to talk to New York City authorities following the terrifying attack there.”
Zero questions from newspeople on how intelligence reports were used to any advantage in the April 12, 2022, NYC mass shooting event.
Love to see newspeople show some initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Our questions appear in bold type below. We require no federal grant money in order to ask these questions.
Basic public policy questions newspeople will not ask:
What role did a post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, Real ID, tracking of cell phones, etc.) play in preventing the April 12, 2022 NYC subway shooting?
What role did a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security play in preventing the April 12, 2022 NYC subway shooting?
No Credible Threat?
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it-surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, mass casualty shootings, etc.
Where was the threat forecast prior to the April 12, 2022 NYC subway shooting?
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
“…WSP Vessel and Terminal Security Troopers responded to the MV Kaleetan upon its arrival at Colman Dock. By that time, WSF crews had already secured the suspect, who had boarded the vessel by vehicle.”
Not my idea to promote the concept that riding safely on the ferry requires gun boat escorts, SWAT teams and K-9s on the job to detect explosives.
If a guy decides to fire a gun during a 60 minute ferry crossing and WSP waits to respond until the ferry arrives at Colman Dock, how is this security?
Will newspeople follow up and let us know if the guy who purposefully fired his handgun from the ferry had a concealed carry permit?
Did he pass any sort of background check?
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Has any state, ever in history, required proof of membership in a militia to purchase, transport, or carry, guns and ammo/participate in shooting sports, etc.
Remember grandpa? Yeah, he was the only one we ever knew growing up who had guns. He was the one that was in a militia.
SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men.”
What powers are granted to the federal government here?
The Washington State more than 10 round magazine ban is another of many examples where freedoms may come & go-completely unrelated to military operations/US Troops in distant lands, or the Sound of Freedom.
The US should maintain strong and ready military forces.
In some cases, the US Armed Forces provide for our security. That’s as good as it gets.
In terms of American rights and freedoms- The Dept. of Defense has no more say than the Dept. of Agriculture.
“Federal authorities have taken over the investigation into the early April discovery of 400 pounds of methamphetamine and cocaine worth $7 million on a Joyce-area beach after no local-area connection with the drugs was established, according to the Clallam County Sheriff’s Office.”
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
Love to see newspeople schedule an interview with the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:
Are passports/enhanced/Real IDs effective in keeping cartel-sourced meth out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Strict, Post 911/Global War on Terror Security Protocols Are No Match For Cartels
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
Strict Post 911/Global War on Terror Security Protocols No Match For Cartels
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
KOMO and some of the commenters make it more about personalities and less about what people think of ongoing information suppression.
Not too many years ago, American society was much less about information suppression.
Social media is big on it now.
Today, newspeople show a lack of initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Today, TV newspeople tend to report only one side of the story.
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
When is the last time all of Penn Cove was safe for recreational shellfish harvest?
Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
Coupeville
“Clams, mussels and oysters CLOSED year-round.”
“This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.”
Love to see the press get out and interview people on various sides of this issue.
My take: TV newspeople tend to report only one side of the story.
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
Today, voices of dissent, and their social media accounts, are suppressed.
I think people could reject alternative media and be totally good with mainstream media, but it would require the family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks to try harder.
“The order, which took effect Sept. 4, was challenged in action filed in Clallam County Superior Court by six eateries in Sequim, Port Angeles and Joyce.”
“A half-dozen local eateries have sought the injunction. They say it unconstitutionally targets a single industry and harms their freedom of commerce.”
I am interested in living in a free and honest society.
Political parties and personalities are not as interesting as what stays the same no matter who is elected to office.
Politics seems to be very much about political personalities and group identities and very little on news reporting and discussion about what the major parties stand for or believe in.
Both major parties seem to be OK with undeclared wars.
Love to see the press find out from elected officials how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
The Dept. of Defense has a truly poor track record with undeclared wars. This record goes back to 1949, the year DOD was established.
Wasteful and ineffective Homeland Security spending
A $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up in all 50 states.
This may trigger a Trump/Biden debate, but be honest, cartels remain in business no mater who is in the White House. The US Dept. of Homeland Security was created in the aftermath of 911. Is there any President since that time who was able to keep cartel product from arriving all over the US?
Pre-Biden:
Cartel Moves 180 Kilograms Of Meth From Mexico To Canada by Rail
The media seems to be run mostly by the D side of politics, certainly not by constitutional conservatives.
What are some constitutional conservative views on undeclared wars?
What are some constitutional conservative views on federal prohibition of marijuana?
What are some constitutional conservative views on treating 18-20 year old adults as second class citizens?
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Both major parties promote the idea that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Will there ever come a time when newspeople ask if there is any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war, linked to the movement of National Guard troops to an overseas location?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
“Minnesota and Croatia formed a partnership in 1996, five years after the Southeastern European country declared independence from the former Yugoslavia. Croatia joined NATO in 2009 and the European Union in 2013.”
Did the advantage of NATO allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
“However, it was unclear what mechanisms would allow DoD to track unvaccinated troops and withhold their pay. Personnel and pay systems are mostly handled at the state level. Also, troops flagged under other circumstances, such as failing a fitness test, are not typically denied pay.”
Love to see the press find out from elected officials how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Look for TV newspeople to play along by not asking questions.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
Love to see newspeople showing initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
People who take no public funds or private donations are free to ask questions at any time. Why not the press?
I think people could reject alternative media and be totally good with mainstream media, but it would require the family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks to try harder.
“The measure would allow newspapers, digital news outlets and radio and television stations to claim a tax credit of $25,000 the first year and $15,000 the next four years for up to 1,500 journalists.”
Reach for an honest understanding of US foreign policy.
Find out from elected officials how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Look for TV newspeople to play along by not asking questions.
Claims about freedoms that cry out for questioning:
Two major political parties continue to promote the idea that The Troops are sent to distant lands to fight for American rights and freedoms.
School teachers and newspeople are OK with promoting this urban legend.
Local press:
Hometown pride running high. High enough to stop asking questions?
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
Both parties seem to be OK with undeclared wars, wasteful Homeland Security spending, federal prohibition of marijuana, treating 18-20 year old adults as 2nd class citizens and newspeople who play along by not asking questions.
Both major parties are OK with a glorification of military service and this total nonsense:
If a right to vote has always been protected by the brave men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, how come women were not allowed full voting rights at the end of WWI?
Why the need for a 1965 Voting Rights Act if overseas military operations somehow secured voting rights?
If a right to vote is protected by the US Armed Forces, what becomes of that right when the US leaves Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc., without a victory?
A big election season is very much about political personalities and group identities. Watch for political experts to reach out to latino, black, Asian American, and women voters. Surely, members of a specific group would think, act & vote as one?
The big election season is not very much about discussing and asking questions about things that do not change no matter what political party or personality is in power.
Look for newspeople to avoid asking candidates and elected officials of any party:
Alternative media is good about keeping an active comment section up & running. There’s always something to learn or think about from the points others make in the comment section.
Local papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Got it.
My personal preference would be to let business people make business decisions.
Let customers support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing.
My take: TV newspeople tend to report only one side of the story.
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
I want to know what various people are thinking on various issues.
Today, voices of dissent, and their social media accounts, are suppressed.
People who work in and around the medical field who have been on the job over the past 18 months and reject the vaccine? Why not connect with a couple of these people and interview them?
“WSF said they are experiencing a severe staffing shortage due to an aging workforce, recruiting challenges, while feeling the impact of the global pandemic and now a vaccine mandate for state workers.”
The Puget Sound area includes several military bases. Has the US Navy delayed or canceled sailings because of crewing issues? Any chance that TV newspeople could go and do some interviews and ask these sorts of questions?
I do not speak out against vaccines or anyone who takes them. Ditto for mask wearing indoors or out.
I am OK with the Washington State Ferries workforce protesting COVID mandates.
TV News
Would TV newspeople be willing to interview people from various sides of an issue?
Much of what we get today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency is involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Love to see TV newspeople ask: How has the greater maritime industry dealt with COVID crewing challenges? How have various industries and public agencies handled this? Airlines? US Navy? FedEx? UPS? Costco? Local fire dept?
Out this past week to get some clams. First time in many years. Last outings were in the Oak Bay area, where I had a couple favorite spots that were healthy and had an abundant crop of clams.
The text “This beach is within the closure area for a sewage treatment plant outfall and is unsafe for recreational shellfish harvesting.” has been removed by WDFW for beaches at Coupeville, the north side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing and Oak Harbor.
In its place:
“Health status: Closed by Biotoxin and Pollution”
Sewage treatment plant outfall has been changed to pollution. Biotoxin is a seasonal status.
Several Island County beaches remain closed all year for recreational shellfish harvest.
A year-round closure seems significant, but the WA State Dept. of Health does not provide specific info on why each beach is closed. The word pollution is as close as we get to understanding what is going on.
The WA State Dept. of Health once made more of an effort to tell the story of why a beach was closed by posting red signs at the beach for all to see.
Earlier this year, a sign remained posted at Coupeville and Monroe Landing warning of a sewage drain pipe.
Image above:
Coupeville
Image above:
North side of Penn Cove at Monroe Landing
Are the two signs above still in place?
Why was the text changed on the WDFW pages?
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Newspeople didn’t show up to ask questions, so we will ask a few here. Our questions appear in bold type.
What role does a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security play in keeping fentanyl from entering the Puget Sound area?
The pills seized were cartel product or were they stolen from local pharmacies, hospitals, etc. Were the pills the same as what would come in a legal prescription or were they manufactured for the illegal drug trade?
We have been hearing of opioid lawsuits in recent years. How do cartels react to opioid lawsuits?
Would the DEA be out of work if a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was able to keep cartel product from showing up all over the US?
Has local CBP been able to reduce access to cartel product in the Puget Sound area?
Welcome Home Troops Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan-working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things. Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe, and newspeople will play along by not asking any questions:
Love to see more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is. A 5th grade book report would require more in the way of asking questions.
Newspeople show a lack of initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
Today, it seems as if the press promotes whatever message is handed down by elected officials and government agencies.
Voices of dissent, and their social media accounts, are suppressed.
This whole structure brings government messages into question.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Local papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Got it.
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
Elimination of reader comments works against the idea of paying for an online subscription.
Seems like the press was better at asking questions back then.
Today:
We are the very best at militarized pageantry for pro sports events.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
US fighter jet aircraft have been able to strike targets in what wars won by the US?
Alternative Media
We are big fans of Independent/alternative media here at Oak Bay Starfish.
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are more welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Instead of waiting for school teachers to teach about individual rights and limited government authority, waiting on the press to ask questions or courts to handle cases, these guys go out and update us with a quick reality check:
There needs to be more as Washington enters Pac-12 play.”
Regular newspeople don’t seem to have permission to ask hard questions.
Sports writers are OK with being critical of coaches, teams, players, the rule book, the league, referees, team owners, when the season starts and ends, etc.
Are people who work for newspapers and TV news folks given permission to go out and to do interviews related to public policy? If elected officials and people who run government agencies are not available to be interviewed, that should become the story.
Recommendation for newspeople:
Interview people from various sides of any given issue.
If you are a newspaper struggling for subscription and advertising dollars, figure out how to use the web to post videos of these interviews to bring more attention to your media outlet.
If the CIA (est 1947) serves as an advantage to the US, why does the Department of Defense have such a poor record of winning undeclared wars going back to 1949, the year DOD was established?
REAL ID
If REAL ID is critical to the safety of America, have travelers out at the airport been less safe since 911?
What keeps the terrorists of the GWOT from creating a disruption at the back end of the screening line?
Has anyone ever seen any member of the press ask questions on this?
REAL ID & Drug Cartels
Love to see newspeople interview the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
Welcome Home Troops
Strict Post 911/Global War on Terror Security Protocols No Match For Cartels
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
If the Oklahoma City bomber rolls onto the ferry- how does the SWAT team help out an hour later?
Maybe security personnel are present at some specific terminals each day. Over the past 20 years, dozens of round trip crossings from various terminals indicate that in many cases- no security screening takes place prior to boarding ferries.
Love to see the press, school teachers, sports announcers and politicians come clean on how any of this was linked to American rights and freedoms or defending the constitution.
Several federal holidays feature a theme related to the idea that the troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
There has been a lot going on in the news. I’d like to move away from it, but the big stories have pulled me in over the past few days.
A man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment.
Since that time, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation.
We were told we needed to send troops to Vietnam.
Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc.
Some may have become skeptical along the way.
Love to see the press, school teachers, sports announcers and politicians come clean on how any of this was linked to American rights and freedoms or defending the constitution.
Much of the TV news reporting we get today is sort of a press release style of reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Stopped by a WA bar on Friday. Masks must be worn to enter. Masks come off inside and people carry on as always. Even for people with a completely neutral mind, much of all this seems like just going through the motions.
My personal preference would be for business owners to make business decisions. Customers would support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing. If people want to sit at the bar and drink, let’s leave that option open.
A One Size Fits All Society?
TV newspeople tend to report one side of the story. Would TV newspeople (prior to the protest phase) be willing to interview people from various sides of an issue?
A large number of news stories Re: parents showing up at back to school protests tell us that different people believe different things.
Allowing people to voluntarily opt in or out may ease the tension-similar to the way people select the church they attend, or chose to attend no church at all.
People who wish to wear masks and get vaccinated may do so at any time.
None of these images belong to me. I did not create them. They were shared on the web.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
Discussion ended after I made the replies below, due to:
“You’re unable to view this Tweet because this account owner limits who can view their Tweets.”
I posted:
I’d be more interested in paying (again) for a local paper subscription if there was more in the way of newspeople asking questions.
Love to see newspeople asking questions.
What we get now is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Newspeople post this statement as is.
I was told something similar to: The press would be able to ask more questions if people paid for more newspaper subscriptions.
My response:
Has an agreement been made that the local press may not report on or ask questions on some stories?
I will provide a couple of examples below.
Not picking on local newspapers here. We are hearing they are the ones who need more funds from subscription and advertising sales, federal bailout cash, etc.
The stories below will not be covered by pubic radio, news radio, local TV news stations, etc. If I have this all wrong, please post in comments.
Living on an Island near Puget Sound, there seems to be great concern for salmon, orca, eagles, recreational shellfish and clean water.
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
Newspeople show a lack of initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
The press promotes messages handed down by elected officials & government agencies.
Voices of dissent, and their social media accounts, are suppressed.
This whole structure brings government messages into question.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Local papers have stripped away all comments from past articles, and removed the opportunity to post comments to new articles.
Various newspapers in the Puget Sound area have gone with this trend.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Earliest days of WA COVID concern: We were told that COVID-19 was a life and death concern requiring regular people to stay home from work and school while marijuana and booze sales were designated as essential. This policy may have made people wonder about the science here.
The state took money from some people, and gave it to some other people.
If your construction crew is working on a project based on any sort of voluntary exchange or honest demand for services, you might have to stay home for a while.
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
The Department of Defense track record for winning undeclared wars goes back to 1949.
Questions that go unasked by TV National Security Analysts:
Sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution?
What becomes of American rights and freedoms and the constitution when the US returns from distant lands without a victory?
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.
Since the end of WWII, information is now available on:
USS Calhoun County sailors dumped thousands of tons of radioactive waste, using GIs in mustard gas experiments, using GIs to test nuclear weapons, Agent Orange, MCAS El Toro and Camp Lejeune water contamination & Gulf War Syndrome.
“In secret chemical weapons experiments conducted during World War II, the U.S. military exposed thousands of American troops to mustard gas.”
“When those experiments were formally declassified in the 1990s, the Department of Veterans Affairs made two promises: to locate about 4,000 men who were used in the most extreme tests, and to compensate those who had permanent injuries.”
“But the VA didn’t uphold those promises, an NPR investigation has found.”
“…at least six GIs of 2,235 who participated in a 1957 test developed leukemia – a blood cancer associated with radiation – the congressional inquiry is expected to disclose, among other findings, sloppy procedures in the handling of film badges, the primary means used to measure individual radiation exposure.”
“Allan M. Harris, a California insurance man, was a Marine who observed a 1952 shot and thereafter was marched into the vicinity of ground zero. Harris said in a recent interview that no badges were given his unit.”
Changes based on Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019
“Blue Water Navy Veterans who served aboard ships in the open waters off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War are now presumed to be exposed to Agent Orange. If we denied your claim in the past, you can file a new claim based on Public Law 116-23.”
“Children of U.S. Veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War may now be eligible for benefits. If your child was diagnosed with spina bifida (except spina bifida occulta), learn more about eligibility for birth defects linked to Agent Orange.”
The effort to stamp out misinformation in social media does not apply to major TV networks promoting the idea that US troops are sent to distant lands to defend American rights and freedoms.
Love to see the press, school teachers, sports announcers and politicians come clean on how any of this was linked to American rights and freedoms or defending the constitution.
Americans were never meant to agree on matters of a personal nature. This is why we have so many different churches here and people who opt out on attending services.
Today, crisis requires a one size fits all, guilty until proven innocent approach.
The press tends to support this.
Today, people who offer up a voice of dissent, and their social media accounts, are suppressed.
If they accept whatever message is handed down by elected officials and government agencies, their voice is authorized.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
Look for scolding, shaming, guilt tripping, dividing people up into groups and pitting one group against another in dealing with the next crisis.
Maybe all of the US should function like one, giant military base.
Freedom of individual expression could be fully controlled. No distractions. No dissent.
WA voters approved enhanced background checks back in 2014.
The new requirements have had time to take hold.
Did the new requirements reduce gun crimes?
Has there been time for newspeople to ask questions?
I find zero reporting on how enhanced background checks have played any role in reducing Puget Sound are shootings.
Newspeople appear to show little initiative and curiosity in asking questions.
Would TV newspeople consider creating an interview setting where people from various sides of an issue are given a chance to speak?
The press release style of reporting does not allow for that. Is there any news here, that wouldn’t show up on a law enforcement facebook page?
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency just created a new policy or was involved in the latest drug bust/federal grant money award, etc. Newspeople post this statement as is.
