I never know whether the Amarillo Globe-News’ editorials are
the result of stupidity, ignorance or a calculated Limbaugh-like verbal spew
designed to misinform its readers. Knowing what I know about the company,
Morris Communications, and the people in Globe-News management, I usually come
down on the side of the most negative and cynical interpretation.
So, when today I stumbled on yesterday’s editorial,
another in a long line of brainless Obama-bashing, I couldn’t believe how
shallow the thinking was. The editorial increases the drumbeat of criticism of
the swap of five Taliban Guantanamo Bay prisoners for Bowe Bergdhal, an Army sergeant
now facing charges of desertion and “misbehavior before the enemy.” The Globe-News
predicts “… the Obama administration will put its best propaganda spin on it,
how else should the trade of five terrorists for a soldier now officially
charged with desertion be described?”
It’s funny how the Globe-News has a history of accusing
Obama and his administration of ignoring the United States Constitution, but in
making these assertions, this fifth-rate paper violates one of the basic precepts
in our laws — innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. You think
I am interpreting the Globe-News’ position too harshly — reading too much into
the editorial? Here is another sentence: “It doesn’t matter whether these five
Taliban members were high on the Taliban’s ranking of terror-mongers or if they
were merely radical lightweights, a 5-for-1 trade for a person who willfully
walked away from his post is a horrible policy decision.”
There it is. Straight up, an allegation posted as fact.
And in all the questions the Globe-News posed in the
little-minded screed, it never goes beyond the rhetorical technique so
well-used by Rush Limbaugh: reinforcing the preconceived notions but not giving
all the facts. Does the Globe-News have all the information — the facts? If the
editorialist had talked to some of those in the Army who had knowledge of the
facts, it would have an ethical obligation to report them. So, either the Globe-News
knows the facts and violated ethics by withholding them or, as I said, it doesn’t
have them.
No matter how much I object to the way the Obama administration
has handled the Patriot Act, stifled and attacked a free press and indulged in
political spin, I think it’s important to remember that the Obama
administration killed Osama bin Laden and to date we’ve had no terrorist
attacks on U.S. soil. We have no idea what is behind this swap, including whether
those five Taliban prisoners were turned or served an otherwise intelligence
purpose. Even more important, we leave no soldier behind and if, ultimately,
Bergdhal has acted dishonorably, I would rather he face our justice than stay with
the Taliban. And, until he is indicted, tried and convicted, he remains an
American soldier with all the rights and privileges thereto appertaining. If he
is guilty, then he should be treated according to our own code of justice.
