In a message dated 9/16/01 9:05:48 AM Pacific Daylight Time,
imagopus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
> I hope that the news media in the USA is providing an objective
> view of the rest of the world rather than a populist or jingoistic
> one.
I'm surprised in a way, Chris, but also not, that the media is doing a heck
of a good job in being objective, and letting the images, both here and from
around the world, speak for themselves. Everyone... media, politicians, and
MOST, but not all citizens, know we have to be careful now in what we think
and say. The media is probing, asking questions, in an effort to understand
and to put things in perspective.
As you know, we have citizens of ALL faiths living here, in harmony. Just
yesterday afternoon, one of the little African muslim kids in my
neighborhood, Mosee (at least that's how it sounds), about 8 years old, rode
his brother's bike, with flat tire, over to where I was working on my truck,
and asked if I had a bike he could have. I wanted to hug him. I told him
no, but that I knew of an old man in town that fixed up old bikes to give
kids for Christmas. I'm going to see if I can find this kid a bike. I
almost went right down to the neighborhood pawn shop and bought him one. As
he rode away on flat tire, he said, "Thanks" and "Nice to meet you". He's
already as American as I am, in one generation.
Our nation is still reeling in shock as we begin to grasp the magnitude of
this tragedy. Along with all those people, and the blow to our national
psyche that we are no longer immune to this kind of terrorism, there is the
knowledge that the nerve center of the WORLD'S financial business has been
destroyed.
At the moment, I'm very proud of our media, and our leaders. I usually
listen to National Pubic Radio and the BBC to find out what is going on
around the world, as most U.S. media is very U.S.-centered, and for the last
decade or more, too entertainment-oriented. And usually, foreign stories are
given very brief, if any, mention. You can be sure that as a result of what
has happened, that will change, and Americans will learn MUCH more about our
world, starting in grade school, than we ever have in our history.
For the moment, finding a bicycle for a little muslim boy named Mosee is so
much more important to me than finding my next piece of camera equipment.
Rich
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