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News Cut: June 10, 2009 Archive

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Five at 8 - 6/10/09

Posted at 7:51 AM on June 10, 2009 by Bob Collins (4 Comments)

5) Discussion point: The ethics of journalism. For some reason, names are usually in short supply in articles about prostitution rings and the Star Tribune continues the practice in its stories this week about prostitution rings in the Twin Cities. Today's story about a Web site run by a Woodbury woman -- in which the term "alleged" does not appear -- contains this line:
Among the johns officers identified on the database was a local Cub Scout leader and they notified the organization's national office.
 How'd you like to be a Cub Scout leader in the Woodbury area who didn't hire prostitutes?

In its Sunday story about the Nice Guys prostitution ring, the story ended with this:
"This should send a message that people who do this should no longer feel you can do it anonymously.'
 But the story didn't identify those people, other than one man, who has not yet been charged.

The question: When partially identifying someone (aka "A Cub Scout leader") makes all similar people suspect, should news organizations not "partially identify" suspects?

4) One small step for stigma. On the Star Tribune's op-ed page today, Lynda McDonnell, executive director of ThreeSixty Journalism summarizes what she learned by volunteering two hours a week in a charter school.
Special ed. Bipolar. The labels rise like fog, usually to explain away some lapse. In my school days, the labels were shorter and crueler -- "slow," "lazy," "bad," defining the limits of what was possible. Today's more clinical labels can be used as excuses by teachers and students alike. But a special-ed student was the first to complete an assignment, overcoming deep shyness to interview fellow students. A bipolar student dodged every deadline, then stayed up all night to finish work lest she fail. The special-ed student needs extra explanation for some assignments. The bipolar student needs help imposing steadiness on her life. Both need high expectations, a wide sense of what is possible and fewer excuses for failure.
 Oh dear. The danger of anecdotal expertise (one student turned in a homework assignment and the conclusion is that bipolar is a dodge?). So here's the National Institutes of Mental Health paper on the neurological illness.

3) Should there be a nationwide ban on texting while driving? I saw a guy in Woodbury the other night making a left-hand turn while texting. He wasn't a kid. Maybe the rising TWD demographic has something to do with smartphones rising from gadget to necessity. Or maybe, as the New York Times mentions today, it's just a "Skinner Box" and we're all just rats conditioned to press the button to get our food pellets.



2) Don't Ask, Don't Tell. AttackErman notes that when he was the director of the CIA, Defense Secretary Robert Gates tried to include more gays in the spy game.

All of this, of course, is another cheap excuse to embed a Stephen Colbert video:

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Formidable Opponent - Don't Ask, Don't Tell
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical HumorStephen Colbert in Iraq


1) "Don't tase me, whippersnapper." The taser debate is on again, thanks to a video of an elderly woman being tasered in -- you'll want to sit down for this -- Texas.



There's no video, however, of the man in Salt Lake City who died yesterday after being tasered because he was "agitated."

WHAT WE'RE DOING

Midmorning - Banks are paying the TARP money back. Is this a good thing? (See my post yesterday). Second hour: Why Americans have a nuanced view of class.

Midday - Mike Edgerly is hosting today. Former FDA Commissioner David Kessler is the first-hour guest, discussing his new book "The End of Overeating." In the second hour: Four foreign policy experts debate the effectiveness of diplomacy with Iran. Speakers are Kenneth Pollack, Dennis Ross, Dan Senor, and Liz Cheney. The debate is part of the "Intelligence Squared" series from National Public Radio.

Talk of the Nation - Wednesday is "Political Junkie Day" with NPR's Ken Rudin. Second hour: After accusations of racism fly at Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor, we'll look at accusations of bigotry. When is it okay to call someone racist?

All Things Considered - A tale of two downtowns. Brandt Williams notes we're a year from the opening of Target Field on Minneapolis' west side. What happens to the east side of downtown? MPR's Sea Stachura observes the 85th year for the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife Refuge by asking what's changed? KCUR's Frank Morris goes tornado chasing -- the lucky stiff. Melissa Block will speak with Joseph Sisto, who found thousands of historic artifacts in his dad's attic when he died two years ago. Many of them were stolen from Italy. Here's the Chicago Tribune story.

(4 Comments)

An apology

Posted at 12:14 PM on June 10, 2009 by Bob Collins (16 Comments)
Filed under: Life

I'm a baby boomer and, apparently, I'm supposed to apologize to this year's graduating college seniors, according to the Wall Street Journal (Boomers to This Year's Grads: We Are Really, Really Sorry), which is reviewing the commencement speeches of famous baby boomers.

Take Tom Friedman's address to Grinnell College kids in Iowa last month:

The kids weren't much buying it, the Journal article said.

But their apologies fell flat with some students, who wondered why the speakers weren't urging their fellow boomers to do more to clean up the mess they created.

"They have been pretty selfish, but they're still going to be around," said Ben Slaton, a Butler graduate. "They need to do their part."

That's a quote that makes me sad I won't be around in 40 years to hear Ben's apology.

(16 Comments)

The Holocaust Museum shooting: What's happening here?

Posted at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2009 by Bob Collins (10 Comments)
Filed under: Crime and Justice

holocaust_museum.jpg

Another shooting with potentially far-reaching effects.

At least three people have been shot at the Holocaust Museum in Washington. The Washington Post is providing compelling coverage. It's also set up a live blog here.

NPR's Two Way blog is also providing updates. Twitter, breaking a string of performance on major stories, is providing little insight., with the exception of an observation from James Lileks, the Star Tribune columnist:

The fact that the Holocaust Museum has several armed guards tells you why we need a Holocaust Museum.
It's far too early to know the motive for the shooting, but coming in the wake of two recent acts of domestic terrorism, the answer may spawn more introspection about what's happening here.

Last month, Dr. George Tiller was gunned down at his church in Kansas, apparently by a man who objected to legalized abortion. The AP reported this week that the suspect in that case claims it's just the beginning.

A day later, a Muslim man killed a military recruiter in Arkansas, apparently as a protest against the U.S. military.

Update 1:54 p.m. - MSNBC reports that the shooter has links to white supremacists (an archive of his Web site here). And here's a fine example of how this stuff spreads.

Update 3:12 p.m. Press release/statement from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota:

Minneapolis, MN - Steve Hunegs, Executive Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC) issued the following statement today in response to the attack at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington D.C.:

"This shooting is a stark and painful reminder that no place, not even a memorial of the Shoah, is a haven from violence and hatred. As long as such hatred exists, all people of good will must work to teach respect and to fight bias. We salute law enforcement for its swift response to this crime. Our thoughts and prayers are with the wounded security guard, his family, and those visiting the museum today. We call on all people of good will to unequivocally condemn this act of hate.

"As the local agency tasked with community security matters, in the wake of this attack, the JCRC has been in contact with relevant law enforcement agencies and with leaders of Jewish communal institutions and synagogues. We have high confidence in our law enforcement agencies and thank them for their attention to security concerns. We urge members of the Jewish community and our communal institutions to conduct business as usual while increasing vigilance and security."



(10 Comments)

Holocaust Museum shooting: Robbinsdale kids OK

Posted at 4:41 PM on June 10, 2009 by Bob Collins
Filed under: Crime and Justice

Thirty-nine kids and four chaperones from middle schools in Robbinsdale were in the Holocaust Museum in Washington when Wednesday's shooting took place, MPR's Tom Weber reports.

Here's his (unedited interview) with district spokesman Jeff Dehler .



Separately, CNN provided this interview with a man who described the reaction of other children in the museum.

Holocaust Memorial shooting: Why it's personal

Posted at 6:52 PM on June 10, 2009 by Bob Collins (1 Comments)
Filed under: Crime and Justice

Mark Blumenthal at pollster.com writes of his late father-in-law, who visited the Holocaust Museum at least once a year. He provides insight into the staff and guards who work there:


We wandered into the museum, through the same doors and into the same foyer where shots rang out this afternoon. My wife had given us visitor passes that she receives as a member of the Museum. The lines were long, and it was not obvious which line we needed to stand in.

Pop was having none of it. He walked away from me and wandered up to the museum staffer standing at the head of the long line leading to the elevators that takes all visitors to the museum exhibits. I thought for a moment that Pop was going to ask directions. I was wrong.

He thrust out his arm in the direction of the staffer, displaying the number the Nazis tattooed on his arm at Auschwitz just a few inches from her face. Without making eye-contact and barely breaking stride, Pop kept walking. Understandably, the staffer barely blinked. She didn't make a move to stop him.

Pop kept walking right into the elevator that had just filled with the visitors that had been waiting in that long line. And even though the elevator was already quite crowded, he walked right in. Jake and I had to run past the guard to catch up. "Pop, Pop," I said, feeling a little embarrassed, hoping to talk him into at least waiting for the next elevator.

Here's his post.

(1 Comments)
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