Remember Political Pundits Praising Putin's Craziness In March? Words Have Consequences

I was in Atlanta interviewing Civil Rights Leader, Xernona Clayton, when I received a text message that a plane was blown up over the Ukrainian skyline. Turning on the news later that evening, I was in disbelief at the way innocent lives could be slaughtered to justify political power.  As I was viewing the carnage of Malaysia Airline flight MH17, I wanted to shut out the commentators and pundits but they were as much a part of the news coverage as the crash site itself. 

As I listened to the possible links between pro-Russian rebels and the downing of the plane, I scrambled through my purse looking for a small journal I had written in back in March for a possible story about Russian President Vladimir Putin being glorified by several media pundits and cable network talking heads. The oddity of American pundits doing lap dances over Russia’s Putin was beyond crazy to me. “Do they not know he is a bad guy with big guns?” I wrote in large letters next to quotes by the talk show pundits. Their words in March came rushing back as I sat in disbelief that another Malaysian Airline tragedy is in the news again.

With the MH17’s wreckage being held hostage by the very rebels that international intelligence agencies sighted with a surface to air missile that was capable of bringing down a plane above 10,000 feet, the words and actions of the cable news pundits should be scrutinized just like other contributing factors to this horrific organized crisis. 

When Vladimir Putin tested international peacekeeping by threatening to invade Ukraine, European leaders like Germany’s Angela Markel questioned Putin sanity and stated she believed for so time he was “living in another world.” Men who live in altered reality are notorious for wanting to be in the news cycle, for any reason. Contrast world leaders who have questioned Putin’s leadership and his determination to go to war with Ukraine with cable pundits and talking heads like half term Governor, Sarah Palin, and former New York Mayor, Ruby Giuliani, who actually praised Putin’s aggression in Europe calling him "a leader.” 

During late February and early March when Putin’s allowed pro-Russian militants to rein terror in Ukraine, several U.S. media outlets’ talk show hosts stroked this mad man’s ego with statements like: “Russian has a real leader;” “He makes a quick decision and everyone reacts;” “Putin wrestle bears and drills for oil while our president wears mom jeans;” and “Putin tells the west and us that if you mess with me I will kill you all.” These words touted with glee by pundits a few months ago; ring with evilness when we see the bodies and personal effects strewn over a field in the Ukraine.

The nonstop praise of a tyrannical leader made by political opportunists who are dogged determined to show the weakness of the U.S. President is no longer political; it is deadly. Words have consequences. This praise of Putin came at the expense of the rest of the world and possibly the lives of 298 individuals. Putin being praised by American media pundits, makes an inflated ego with a dangerous world view, even more uncontrollable. If pundits love Putin as much as they have idolized him, can you imagine the praise they would have heaped on Hitler? When world leaders are dealing with more and more rebels with agendas who are hell bent on getting anything they want and will stop at nothing to get it, we must stop to see how our country’s toxic political punditry adds more poison to the brew. 

Our country has moved from being a political divided country, to a country that pundits hold civility hostage while bedding politics to further fan the flames of any and every situation without being affected one way or the other by what comes out of their mouths. With our factless checking media, half of what the public is told are lies, and the other half are half truths. Pundits spin garbage without being challenged and are invited back night after night. When our pundits encourage our politicians to invade other countries, shut down the government or encourage the U.S. military to back the terrorists-of-the-day with weapons, the pundits' family or livelihood is not affected by their paid for rhetoric. They will get a check or a bonus because the very acts or actions they are commenting on feeds the propaganda they are getting paid to promote. The politicians who debates the weakness of the President, will never be president of any country, or county Mayor for that matter, so the decisions that are demanding or actions they are screaming to be taken comes with no accountability. Speaking of no accountability, remember Iraq's war hawks? They are back.

The war hawks who basically held our country’s hands right into Iraq, are now back on TV discussing Iraq. There is no record of any pundit who demanded war with Iraq having a child or grandchild on the battlefield. Iraq was one of the worst decisions made by our country and our children’s children will be repaying our debts, morally and financially, for the rest of their lives. Yet, recycled talking points that worked to get us into war then are back on TV. But this time, those irresponsible words that lead to deadly actions from previous years have consequences. The mess in Iraq today is the mess our government created when we invaded Iraq knowing there were no weapons of mass destruction. 

Like the rush to invade Iraq, the praise of the Russia’s Vladimir Putin should be met with skepticism. The public should give a colonic examination of why would any pundit admire an oppressive dictator who ideas of democracy is not in line with our constitution that many pundits wrap around themselves like a holy shawl. It is time for avid viewers of news, progressives, independents, and conservatives, examine what is said and push back on narratives that are leading our country down dark alleys without exits. It is time for media outlets to be held accountable for who they put on their programs. Whatever happened to fair and balance? Words really have consequences.

Photo credits: LA Times, Reuters, AP

 

SAFE's Don McCasland Addresses PTSD on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life as we celebrate our military heroes' journeys before and after their service to our country. Hear from men and women who are sons and daughters; husbands and wives; fathers and mothers; grandparents; siblings; and loyal friends. Hear members of the Marines, Army, Air Force, and Navy share personal stories and highlights from their military careers. All have roles that made them the "first" in many endeavors throughout their lives and in the military. We will hear about their rarely discussed acts of courage and sacrifice that embody servant leadership that will empower, inspire, and motivate listeners.

On Saturday, August 17, 2013, tune in hear from Iraqi Freedom Veteran turned Social Worker Don McCasland. Listen as Don share about his experience as a soldier who was deployed multiple times prior to his retirement. Hear him discuss the mental health issues they can plague active duty and the veteran community.

Don will also debunk the controversial article that appeared in the Leaf Chronicle on August 11 and discuss the message the article sent to the men and women at 101st Airborne. Don will share the focus of SAFE and how the Clarksville, TN based non-profit works with members of the military and their families who are fighting "for inner peace, their souls, and the desperate need to feel whole again." 

Tune into 760AM in the Middle Tennessee Region, on Tune In, streaming live online at UStream.TV, and on military bases on Saturdays from 9:00-10:00am CST. 

More About Don McCasland

Don McCasland retired from the US Army after 21+ years of service in August 2009 as a Sergeant First Class. He served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm as well as 3 Tours in Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division, twice with a Field Artillery unit, and once with an Infantry unit. During his deployments to Iraq, he lost over 20 friends, and during his final tour, following years of combat trauma it was his experiences as the NCO in Charge of his units' Remains Recovery Team that were the breaking point for him. 

Following six years of unresolved mental and emotional trauma, he began to lose control of his life. On the verge of losing his family and everything important to him, he finally sought out counseling. With hard work and the support of a loving family, he came to grips with his PTSD. Though he still suffers from PTSD, he has the tools and skills to manage it so it no longer interferes with his life. In June of 2010, Don helped found The Lazarus Project, a non-profit that provides free counseling services to active duty, veterans and their families.

In January 2012, The Lazarus Project merged with SAFE (Soldiers and Families Embraced). SAFE offers professional mental health training specific to military psychology, workshops for family members, as well as free counseling, client advocacy, and education regarding veterans issues to the community at large. 

Don has earned his Bachelors and Masters in Social Work at Austin Peay State University. He is the Program Director at SAFE, and also offers counseling to at-risk military children at a Clarksville Middle School. In addition, he started SAFE's justice system outreach program, which offers support and advocacy for clients who are navigating the court system or are incarcerated. He has been married for 17 years to Joanne, who is also a Social Worker and they have a daughter and a son. 

More About SAFE (Soldiers and Families Embrace)

Soldiers And Families Embraced (SAFE) offers individual and group counseling services, as well as peer support groups for active duty, veterans and their families. These services are provided at no cost, and no insurance is required. We are a non-profit organization funded through grants and private donations. We will not deny services to any person on the basis of age, sex, religion, disability, national origin, or sexual orientation.

SAFE’s mission is to serve as a resource for the community to ease the readjustment and reintegration of military members returning from our current wars and their families, as well as veterans from previous eras. We work towards peace and healing by providing the services required, advocating for clients, assisting the community at large in finding these services through other agencies, or facilitating the creation of programs by individual organizations. In addition, we strive to help develop future mental healthcare professionals who work with our demographic by offering internships and other professional development opportunities. In this way we are able to directly address the constantly growing need for well-trained providers to our community.

We offer individual and group counseling services, as well as peer support groups for veterans. All are conducted in a “safe place” where veterans can feel free to discuss any issues or problems without fear of judgment. Our peer support groups will allow veterans to speak with others who have “been there, done that” and understand what it’s like to have the same feelings and challenges. In addition, we offer individual counseling and support groups to the families and friends of veterans.  Our belief is that by strengthening and supporting those who struggle to live with and love those veterans, we can begin the healing and strengthen the community that will need to be able to unbind these veterans and let them live again. These services are provided at no cost, and no insurance is required.

SAFE will always respect the integrity and welfare of our clients. Each client is treated with respect, acceptance and dignity. The client’s right to self-determination is protected by SAFE. We recognize the client’s right to receive or refuse services. We also recognize and build on client strengths.

Client confidentiality is of the utmost importance to us at SAFE. Many, if not all of our clients are motivated to seek our services because they want privacy from University Staff and Faculty or unit Chain of Commands, Department of the Army, and Fort Campbell for fear of adverse actions, effects on Security Clearance status and/or promotions. Our staff will protect the client’s right to privacy and confidentiality except when such confidentiality would cause harm to the client or others, when agency guidelines state otherwise, or under other stated conditions (e.g., local, state, or federal laws). SAFE will inform clients of the limits of confidentiality prior to the onset of the helping relationship. If it is suspected that danger or harm may occur to the client or to others as a result of a client’s behavior, we will act in an appropriate and professional manner to protect the safety of those individuals.

We are exempt from Federal Income Tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. For more information about our nonprofit status, please visit our givingmatters.com profile here or our guidestar.org profile here.


Photo credits: SAFE and Don McCasland (used with permission) 


 

Since Loughner didn't have a prayer rug...the Media refuses to call him a Terrorist

The tragic shootings in Tuscon, Arizona have left our country shaken to the core. I sat glued to my television on Saturday afternoon, flipping channels as I soaked up the coverage. Representative Gabby Giffords was originally pronounced dead by several media outlets but she miraculously survived a gunshot to the head by gunman Jared Lee Loughner. Representative Giffords was holding her regular “Congress on your Corner “ with her constituents at a Safeway grocery store. Six were killed and 13 wounded on Saturday.

The dead identified by the Pima County sheriff's office are: U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63; Dorthy Murray, 76; Dorwin Stoddard, 76; Christina Greene, 9; Phyllis Scheck, 79; Gabe Zimmerman, 30. Ironically, 9 year old Christina Greene was born on September 11, 2001. She was excited about the political process since the election of President Obama. Christina was newly elected to her school’s student council. She went with her neighbor to meet Rep Giffords’ to learn more about the political process. Along with Rep. Giffords, 12 others are still hospitalized.


The attempted assignation of the Representative Giffords is very similar to the Fort Hood, Texas mass shooting that took place on November 5, 2009. A gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, killed 13 people and wounded 30 others. Both shooters were struggling with mental issues. Automatic weapons were used to shoot innocent individuals. Both men were loners and many stated they acted weird and express anti-government sentiments. Thankfully, Jared Lee Loughner was denied acceptance into the Army because of drug use and Major Nidal Malik Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, was becoming increasing agitated by an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan.


Both men committed unthinkable acts but one glaring difference between the two is the how the media has depicted both men. Major Nidal Malik Hasan was called a terrorist from day one. Terrorist experts and military talking heads saturated the networks discussing Hasan minutes after the shootings were reported at Fort Hood. Jared Lee Loughner has been painted as a “troubled youth” who did not get the mental health he needed. Every mental health care professional and parents of mental patients have discussed mental healthcare issues while the media has pondered what could have added to his “stressful” life. Not one cable talking head has called him what he is; a deranged terrorist.

According to the United States Law Code, terrorism is “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.” New evidence alleges that Loughner possibly planned for years to assassinate Gifford. But a whole host of major media outlets seem to disagree.

Cord Jefferson helps us take a look at what other media outlets are reporting and the language that is noticeable absent.

The Wall Street Journal stated Loughner “raged against the government” and “discussed terrorism,” which, when you actually think about it, is a vague, nearly meaningless sentence. (Since 9/11, everyone has talked about terrorism.) In The Atlanta Journal Constitution, the main story is that Loughner was denied entry into the military because he failed a drug test, while the only talk of terrorism comes in a confusing quote from a blog posting from Loughner himself: "If you call me a terrorist then the argument to call me a terrorist is ad hominem.” And, in The Los Angeles Times’ lead story on Loughner on Tuesday, the word “terror” doesn’t appear once.

Compare this nebulous coverage to that on Nidal malik Hasan in November 2009. Hasan is Muslim, a fact every news outlet would not let you forget while speculating about his terrorist ties.

Four days after the attack on Fort Hood, the Wall Street Journal published two stories suggesting that Hasan was a terrorist, one of which included the assertion that it was a terrorist act because Hasan spoke Arabic while he shot. The Los Angeles Times spoke to counter-terrorism experts for an article on Hasan. And, in The Atlanta Journal Constitution, blogger Kyle Wingfield actually gave credence to a Forbes argument claiming that Hasan “went Muslim.”

Some will argue that Hasan’s terrorist intentions were proved by communications he had with radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki, but, in fact, experts who reviewed the pair’s e-mail exchange deemed it totally innocuous.

It should be noted that the FBI Director Robert Mueller has said he's not ruling out terrorism charges against Loughner, but nothing's certain yet. In Dubai, Hillary Clinton called Loughner an "extremist," though, like the media, she stopped short of calling him a terrorist. From the sidelines, the message this sends is pretty obvious and very insidious: When a white man executes a political attack, he’s likely crazy. If he’s black, he’s a dropout from a single mom home with an incarcerated father. When it’s a Muslim doing the shooting, he’s a terrorist.

Folks must call the Arizona shootings exactly what they are; acts of terrorism. Whether the shooter is white, black, or brown equal scrutiny should be given to a person who commits crimes of this nature. A person’s religion and the length of his name should not determine how the crime is reported. A terrorist is a terrorist. Because many allow the media to shape their thoughts and drive the conversation, the media helps facilitate racial flames at its leisure. The political pundits are carefully picked for their skills at stroking the audiences depending on what outlet you watch. Dumb pundits are chosen to play down a point and hateful pundits are picked to create more intolerance. They play us like puppets. People of color must not allow the media to soft ball crimes contributed by white terrorists. White people must see that Jared Lee Loughner is what he is, a terrorist, and should be discussed just like Nidal Malik Hasan or Nene’s son who robbed the corner liquor store. As a country, we should take a serious look at the actions of the media and the political atmosphere that they profit from that may have fueled the actions of a crazed man’s terrorist acts.