Response's To "Ruxted On The Media's Handling Of Cpl. Boneca's Death"

[George Wallace]

Actually I would say that this comment is only double speak: ""peacekeeping" itself was often a poor description of what so-called "peacekeeping missions" actually entailed."

Still doesn't correct the misconception the Public (and Press) have about the term 'Peacekeeping', and still alludes to our doing Peacekeeping in Afghanistan.

 

[Signalman150]

George.

Agreed.  I'm finding it difficult to work through how hard it is for civs (particularly those who were in their teens and early adulthood in the 70s) to understand that peacekeeping is a role, not a mission.  It IS hard for them, but they've been indoctrinated.

The governments of the 70s--in their efforts to dismantle the CF, (and because of negative reaction from the Vietnam era US)--pushed the whole idea of the CF as being "just for peacekeeping".  Anyone who served in those years knows better, but it's hard to get the government inspired myth out of older, greying heads. 

 

[annon223]

George,

I don't think the media ignored the words of the family - they were simply the last to speak.  Don't blame them.

 

[MarkOttawa]

HollywoodHitman: Best single thing I've ever read on the web either as a post or comment.  You have my admiration--along with that of a lot of others.

Used your comment for this post at "The Torch":

"A Canadian soldier in Afghanistan speaks"
http://toyoufromfailinghands.blogspot.com/2006/07/canadian-soldier-in-afghanistan-speaks.html

And this is the best-written and most intelligent (with some exceptions) comment thread  I have ever come across anywhere.  Well done, if I may say so.

Mark
Ottawa

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

George,
I don't think the media ignored the words of the family - they were simply the last to speak.  Don't blame them.

Alright putz, now you are peeing me off.

STOP TROLLING!!!

Gee, we are sorry that in the grief of losing our son we didn't run right out to your waiting microphone and give you the jackalish type sound bite you required.

You are pathetic......out.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

annon223 why don't be courteous and fill out your profile so that we all know where your coming from.

 

[SigOpDraco]

George,

I don't think the media ignored the words of the family - they were simply the last to speak.  Don't blame them.

Are you going to do say anything else than these simple one lined 'zingers'? You don't seem to be contributing at all to this thread or discussion. Your purpose, by all evaluation, seems to be trying to provoke a negative response from the forum.

I'm not usually the paranoid type, but I have very high suspicions as to your purpose here and your intent.

(Edit to correct some of my grammar.)

 

[Kirkhill]

Mike,

I don't get it?  Why on earth continue to blame the media for comments made to them by family and friends?  These guys cover both sides of the story - positive and negative.

As commented by others it is obvious that you don't get it.  

Try this one on for size - I am going to assume that you are NOT a troll and are actually interested.  Why do newspapers use different sizes of type for headlines?  Why do they decide to run 1, 2 or no photographs above the fold?  Why do they decide what stories go on the front page and what goes on the back page?

If it were all about the reporting then all stories would be given an equal headline, equal photo coverage and equal ranking in the scheme of things (ie stories listed chronologically as they come off the wires for example).  You don't.  You consciously make decisions to play up certain stories. Why?

You might forgive some of us for thinking that there is some reason behind the behaviour.  Most folks are inclined to think that there is some combination of a commercial desire to sell papers and a desire to set the news agenda. The latter suggests itself as either to reap the rewards of the glory-hound or else to direct public opinion.  The first is about self-interest the second is about partisan pamphleteering.  Neither has anything to do with reporting in the public interest.

Hansard is about reporting in the public interest.  CBC, CTV, G&M, Sun, Star, Post...... none of these are Hansard.

 

[annon223]

Kirkhill,

I do get it.  The  headlines justify the story.  When friends and family members give statements like that to the press it makes for very large type indeed.  You'd have to be living in a cave to not  know that.

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

But you don't get it.  Instead of simply repeating the accusations, the press (initially) made no effort to investigate them whatsoever (see my other post).  If the media was living up to its responsibilities, it would have done so promptly and considering all aspects of the story, rather than leaping into the fray.

 

[Kirkhill]

Kirkhill,

I do get it.  The  headlines justify the story.  When friends and family members give statements like that to the press it makes for very large type indeed.  You'd have to be living in a cave to not  know that.

And here was me in my cave labouring under the delusion that the story may justify the story, or perhaps that the story may be required to justify the headlines.  Silly of me not to have realized all along that it is about the Headlines, and that they justify the story.

 

[annon223]

Funny,

Check this out and tell me who is to blame for the circus: 

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/HTMLTemplate?tf=/ctv/mar/video/new_player.html&cf=ctv/mar/ctv.cfg&hub=TopStories&video_link_high=mms://ctvbroadcast.ctv.ca/video/2006/07/11/ctvvideologger2_691kbps_2006_07_11_1152615805.wmv&video_link_low=mms://ctvbroadcast.ctv.ca/video/2006/07/11/ctvvideologger2_218kbps_2006_07_11_1152615269.wmv&clip_start=00:00:31.96&clip_end=00:05:47.34&clip_caption=Canada%20AM:%20Larry%20DeCorte,%20friend%20of%20Cpl.%20Boneca&clip_id=ctvnews.20060711.00153000-00153793-clip1&subhub=video&no_ads=&sortdate=20060710&slug=canada_soldier_boneca_060711&archive=CTVNews#ctvnews.20060711.00153000-00153793-clip1

Ya, the media - right?

 

[COBRA-6]

And here was me in my cave labouring under the delusion that the story may justify the story, or perhaps that the story may be required to justify the headlines.  Silly of me not to have realized all along that it is about the Headlines, and that they justify the story.

well said...

annon223, you need to get your head out of your ass!

 

[c1984ml]

tell me who is to blame for the circus

The media.

Grief manifests in many ways.  This is a young woman whose world has been thrust upside down.  It has been said to you over and over that no one here is denying the family has a right to speak.  However what has repeatedly been pointed out to you, that you choose not to see or respect, is that there are numerous sides to this story and members of Cpl Boneca's immediate family are telling quite another. 

The media seems to have decided, as "they" so often do, to pick the angle that has the best ability to sell more papers.

I think you are just a little disappointed that most of us know the rest of the story and aren't buying what you are selling.

 

[annon223]

COBRA-6,

You need to get your own head out of your own ass if you don't realize statements like these made by family members will make the nightly news ....

 

[Teddy Ruxpin]

And how, pray tell, was this "news"?  Particularly as the media was simply reporting unsubstantiated opinion offered up by sources who were less the credible.  Where were the media's questions?

 

[Kirkhill]

COBRA-6,

You need to get your own head out of your own *** if you don't realize statements like these made by family members will make the nightly news ....

I don't think any of us are unaware of that unfortunate truth.  The concern I have is that they shouldn't.

By the way they are not family members - they are, as Christie Blatchford nicely put it, "maybe in-laws".  The differentiation is not to denigrate their suffering but simply to keep matters factual.  

 

[COBRA-6]

as others have pointed out to you, again and again, the issue is not with the statements made by friends or relatives, but with the media sensationalizing these statements without bothering to verify them or show the other take on the issue... scavengers of human misery!

 

[Mike Bobbitt]

annon223,

You're trolling, but I'll rise to your bait if you rise to mine: Why was this given 48 seconds of coverage, vs. the several minutes given to the Larry DeCorte interview?

Surely the media understands that Cpl. Boneca's own family would understand his state of mind better than his next-door-neighbour/girlfriend's father? We're talking about his flesh and blood here, and they are clearly stating that DeCorte is wrong. So why isn't their story getting as much coverage? Actually, given that it's more reliable, why isn't it getting almost exclusive coverage?

I think you need to explain that instead of simply re-stating the same "it's not the media" line.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

annon223,

Your just spinning your wheels, nothing new, nothing substantive. Do us a favour, either come out with a good counter (something new) besides the drivel you've been spouting, or quit being a troll and leave us alone. It's amazing with the others that are online in your office you can't do better than you are. Of course it's common courtesy around here to fill in your profile also. Why not take a few minutes to do that?

                                                                                -------- or --------

                                                                               Quit wasting our time.