Can you spot the rock star?
Poor Martin Kaste must have so overloaded on the Prince Superbowl halftime show that it clouded his thinking this morning - or perhaps he secretly wants to work as a reporter for E! or Entertainment Tonight. Here's how Kaste presents the court martial case of U.S. Army 1st Lieutenant Ehren K. Watada, the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to the Iraq War and occupation:
"Last year when the order to deploy to Iraq came down, he refused to go. This has given him rock star status among war protesters....he politely accepts the crowds adoration." Kaste describes Watada as being "in some ways...a hero straight out of central casting...besides being bright and well spoken, he dresses and looks like the cover of GQ, but there are those who are not so taken with him..."
Guess what Kaste? some people actually give a crap about the direction this country is going and sincerely admire the courage of someone like Lt. Watada. We don't care whether he dresses well or looks like he's "straight out of central casting." I realize that some people are so devoid of integrity and core values that they assume that others must be motivated by the same vapid, superficial qualities that inspire them. Watada is not a "rock star" to those who oppose the Iraq War, he is a man who has put his life and career on the line to stand up for what he believes. Perhaps this is what has earned him the respect of another "rock star," Desmond Tutu.
In fact, Watada's case raises crucial issues that cut right to the heart of whether our nation will survive as a democratic republic or will continue its decent into a militarism where laws, rights, and principles are regularly disregarded in the name of "security."
NPR could do us all a favor and assign the coverage of this story to someone who would give it the serious consideration it deserves - perhaps Nina Totenberg, who's been doing a decent job covering the Libby trial, could recommend someone.
3 comments:
As always, it's never about the issues. :(
Good post.
I hope you were being satirical about that giggly schoolgirl, Nina Totenberg. Only yesterday we were treated to the audio picture of the "giant gash" on Patrick Fitzgerald's upper lip. Giant, huh? Must have been clear across his face. It's a wonder he wasn't gushing arterial blood all over the jury. And of course, the fact Mr. Fitzgerald had cut himself shaving was crucial to the understanding and outcome of this case.`
Sorry anonymous, I wasn't being satirical. I respect your critique of Totenberg, but I think she's done a pretty good job of just covering the facts and details of the trial and trying to explain what's going on. I thought the detail on Saturday about the shaving cut was just an attempt to give a little color to some of the more boring machinations of the trial itself...hey, but I could be wrong...wouldn't be my first time!
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