Media bias on display
Sunday, December 14, 2008 1:13 AM PST
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E-mail this articleDec. 14 Letters to the Editor
Media bias on display
The mass media and The Daily News’ bias was on big display in the Tuesday and Wednesday editions of The Daily News.
On Tuesday, a short article on page 2 described the sentencing of New York Rep. Vito Fossella for a DUI. His picture and the first sentence of the article stated, “Rep. Vito Fossella, R-N.Y.”, clearly indicating his political party as Republican. On Wednesday, in a longer article about the outrageous actions of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, his party affiliation was not mentioned at all. This obviously means he’s a Democrat, as it has become common practice in most of the mass media to not mention the party of a scandal-plagued Democrat, yet shout out the party affiliation of any Republican who so much as jaywalks.
The integrity and honesty of the media continues to slide further into the abyss, and it needs to quickly start to fairly and evenly report the facts and not continue to skew their reporting.
Alan Barkman
Castle Rock
Something for nothing
Did I understand that laid-off automakers get five years pay if they are laid off? Isn’t that something for nothing? Who do they think they are, politicians?
Willie Bowen
Kelso
Answer is simple
To answer Shelley Burch’s question (Dec. 11 letter) as to why people can’t just say “Merry Christmas,” the answer is quite simple ... not everyone is Christian. Why would you wish a Jew or Muslim a Merry Christmas if they don’t celebrate it?
Many people who wish for people to have happy holidays are just trying to include everyone instead of just Christians. There are several holidays celebrated in December that aren’t Christmas. There’s Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, sometimes Ramadan, Yule, Dongzhi, St. Lucy’s Day, and the list goes on. I wish people happy holidays because there are several holidays that are celebrated in December and I don’t assume every one is Christian.
Crystal Pittenger
Vancouver
Editorial is ridiculous
The Daily News editorial on free trade (Dec. 9) was ridiculous. The writer tried to convince us that the North American Free Trade Agreement has been good for the United States. He stated that President-elect Barack Obama’s pick for U.S. trade representative, Xavier Becerra, was a poor choice.
Becerra voted for the so-called free trade agreement, but now knows it was a mistake and has been a complete failure. That shows good judgment and the ability to admit his mistakes. If NAFTA has been good for the economy, as the editor claims, why do we have a $195.5 billion trade deficit with communist China, a $71.5 billion deficit with the European Union, a $72 billion deficit with Mexico, a $65 billion deficit with Canada and 3 million jobs lost to outsourcing, all caused by NAFTA.
The original idea of the free trade agreement had good intentions, but it was poorly drafted. Instead of free trade, it should have been equal trade, and language should have been included to assure parity with participating countries. The combination of George W. Bush and NAFTA has set this country back many years.
Dean Messinger
Kelso
More data is needed
In regards to the (Dec. 10) editorial about red-light cameras, it states that in Lakewood, Wash., there was a 25 percent decline in accidents resulting from red-light violations and in Portland there was a sharp drop in red-light violations.
I’m wondering if the Longview City Council has gotten any data on if rear-end accidents have gone up at any of the intersections that have installed these cameras. What good will these do if it reduces one but increases another?
Ken Beisel
Longview
Merry Christmas
This time of the year is a little hard for me, losing both parents in the last few years and my little brother at a young age. I have many thing to be thankful for and many friends who in the years have helped me make it through the hard times.
With Christmas rapidly approaching and Thanksgiving just past, I’m finding it difficult to be thankful for what I have and find myself thinking about a movie that I recently watched again (third time). That movie is “Pay It Forward.”
This movie fits in more this year than in the past. We all need to stick together and help our neighbors through these hard times so their lives might be a little more enjoyable at the holiday, these families have children that are not going to enjoy the gifts that you and I did as children. This is not any fault of theirs and I know we can all pull together to make it better for them.
I would like to see a sponsor list of families in need in our community that we can invite for Christmas dinner and share gifts with the children. If the families that are fortunate enough to oblige these families with just one day of happiness, let it be Christmas. We can make a difference. Don’t forget about all the sons and fathers that will not be home or will never be home again because of the war they were so proud to fight for you and I.
Joe Bills
Kelso
Some clarification
Saturnalia was originally celebrated on Dec. 17 and later extended to last until Dec. 23. A far more reasonable explanation than that of the church “stealing” Saturnalia is that Dec. 25 was the date after the winter solstice with the first detectable lengthening of daylight hours. Christmas rightly represents a ray of hope during our darkest time.
Instead of “controlling and censoring” Western scholarship, the church was the source and the bastion of learning through some very difficult periods. What other learning institution in history has survived turmoil as severe as the plague?
The church calendar has almost every day assigned as a celebration of one or more saints. It stands to reason that these days coincide with other ancient traditions.
Finally, Easter is the first Sunday of the first full moon following the spring equinox. Easter is not a supplanting of Passover.
God, the creator of all things, gave us these wonderful timepieces in the sky we call the Sun and Moon. They were the primary influence on the church’s choice of dates for Christmas and Easter.
Carol Fiel
Clatskanie
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