DOCSLIB.ORG

Congressional Record—Senate S4920

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Congressional Record—Senate S4920 S4920 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE April 8, 2003 HONORING OUR ARMED FORCES in our hearts. She will not be forgot- as ‘‘a mild-mannered, quiet child’’ who Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, ten. It gives us comfort to know that attended Bible study every Wednesday today I am going to continue what the she is at peace right now.’’ night before joining the Army. Senate has been doing since our troops Behind me are the pictures of some The 507th Maintenance Company still started the invasion of Iraq, and that is who have died in action, and I am has five soldiers who are prisoners of to take the first period before we go on going to speak about each of them. war. They are SP Shoshana Johnson, In Texas, there is a town called Com- to the business of the day to salute the SP Edgar Hernandez, SP Joseph Hud- fort that lived up to its name by em- son, PFC Patrick Miller, and SGT troops who are in the field protecting bracing and comforting the parents of James Riley. I have talked with Claude our freedom. Today, I want to salute the members SP James Kiehl. In Comfort, TX, the Johnson, Shoshana’s father, several times. He and his wife Eunice are car- of the 507th Maintenance Company. parents of SP James M. Kiehl are being ing for Shoshana’s 2-year-old daughter. This is the company out of Fort Bliss comforted by their friends and neigh- bors. The 6-foot 8-inch soldier was a These five have not been seen pub- in El Paso, TX, who really were the licly since several hours after they first to be captured, the first prisoners high school basketball player and a member of the band. The people of were taken prisoner March 23, and the of war shown on Iraqi television. Some International Committee of the Red of them have now been recovered, but Comfort, moved by James’ death, cre- ated an impromptu memorial where Cross has not yet been able to visit there are still five missing. them in captivity. We join all Ameri- The rescue of PFC Jessica Lynch was basketballs, flower arrangements, per- sonal notes, and even baseball bats cans in urging the Iraqi Government to a moment of triumph but also sadness, treat those prisoners in accordance as the celebration was tempered by the have been left as tributes to James. His father summed up the family’s feelings with the Geneva Convention, just as we recovery of the remains of fallen sol- have treated the thousands of Iraqi diers who were later identified as her this way: We just want everyone to know we support prisoners we hold. comrades in arms. General Renuart at We pray those prisoners of war from CENTCOM described the rescue this the President and the troops, and we believe in what James went over there for. the 507th Maintenance Company will be way: A special ops soldier called to Pri- returned safely to their families. We vate Lynch saying: James Kiehl’s wife, Jill, is staying with her parents in Des Moines, IA, and pay tribute to them today for the sac- Jessica Lynch, we’re United States soldiers is expecting their first child next rifices they have made. and we’re here to protect you and take you I thank the Chair. I yield the floor. home. month. In Mobile, AL, Rev. Howard Johnson, The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- As he walked over to her bed, took ator from Arkansas. Sr., buried his son, Army PFC Howard his helmet off, she looked up to him Mr. PRYOR. Mr. President, I come to Johnson, Jr., from the same pulpit of and said: the floor today to pay tribute to our the Truevine Baptist Church where he I’m an American soldier, too. men and women in uniform serving at had stood so many times offering words home and abroad and honor their serv- General Renuart also described the of comfort to his congregation. Rev- recovery of the remains of the soldiers ice to this Nation. Our service men and erend Johnson said of his son: women have risen to the call in the who had been killed because they were Howard, you out ran me, but I’ll see you in told by the same sources that there fight against terrorism. They have the morning. risen to the call to ensure peace and were remains of other soldiers on the SGT Donald Walters of Kansas City, ground outside the hospital where Jes- stability in the world. And they have MO, fought in Operation Desert Storm risen to the call to provide humani- sica lay. He said: and had followed in his father’s foot- tarian aid to those in need. At the same time, the team was led to a steps by joining the military. His fa- One of the great aspects about Amer- burial site, where, in fact, they did find a ther, Norman Walters, is an Air Force ica is our military. We have a history number of bodies that they believed could be veteran and said this about his son: Americans missing in action. They did not in our armed services, a rich and deep have shovels in order to dig those graves up, He was a patriotic guy. He felt it was his history of honor and integrity, and we so they dug them up with their hands. And duty to serve his country. see that firsthand in Operation Iraqi they wanted to do that very rapidly so they Sergeant Walters leaves behind a Freedom. could race the sun and be off the site before wife and three daughters. I wish to acknowledge the ultimate the sun came up; a great testament to the MSG Robert Dowdy and PVT Bran- sacrifice of two of our servicemen who will and desire of coalition forces to bring don Sloan were both from Cleveland, fell in the line of duty: Hospital Corps- their own home. OH. Master Sergeant Dowdy’s brother- man Michael Vann Johnson, Jr., a 25- That one line says all you will ever in-law had this to say about the career year-old Navy medic serving in the 3rd need to know about the character of soldier: Battalion of the 5th Marine Expedi- the young men and women in the mili- He was ready to accept the challenge. tionary Force. Michael was born in Lit- tary today, who refuse to leave their That’s the type of person he was. He knew tle Rock where his mother still lives. I fallen comrades behind: They dug them going in what he was in store for and who he talked with her by phone the other up with their hands, and raced the sun. was and what he was about. day. She is a soldier in her own right. On Friday evening, the families of Private Sloan’s father, the Rev. LCpl Thomas Blair was a 24-year-old those whose remains were recovered Tandy Sloan, proudly said his son ‘‘was marine whose father, Al Blair, resides were officially notified that their loved very committed to the cause of coun- in Gravette, AR. ones had been killed in action. We try.’’ They died very bravely, both serving mourn their loss. PVT Ruben Estrella-Soto was from their country and both trying to make They were PFC Lori Ann Piestewa, El Paso, TX. This is his graduation pic- life better for mankind. I pray for their the first American woman soldier ture. His father said his son families, and I honor them as brave and killed in the Iraq war. This is a picture had a lot of desire to do something with his selfless men who put their lives on the showing the two friends, PFC Jessica life, and wanted to go into the military so he line to make the world safer for others. Lynch and PFC Lori Piestewa. They could get education. I also pray for Iraq and the Iraqi peo- were at Fort Bliss the day of their de- CWO Johnny Villareal Mata was ple. I pray that after Saddam Hussein ployment. They were roommates and from Amarillo, TX. He played football leaves power and that regime ends, the friends. on the Pecos High School Eagles foot- next government in Iraq will be peace- Private First Class Piestewa was a ball team and graduated in 1986. Soon ful; that it will not be oppressive of its Hopi Indian, one of the few American thereafter he joined the Army. The own people; that it will not be aggres- Indian women serving in the military. family remembered him this way: sive toward its neighbors; that Iraq She was PFC Jessica Lynch’s good Our hearts are saddened, and we share the will become a solid rock in the Middle friend and roommate. pain with the other families. He will be deep- East and in that part of the world and ‘‘Our family is proud of her; she is ly missed and will never be forgotten. a model of stability. our hero,’’ her brother Wayland said SP Jamaal Addison of Roswell, GA, I also honor the service of LCpl Saturday. ‘‘We are going to hold that is remembered by his step-grandmother James, or as we know him, ‘‘Jason,’’ April 8, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4921 Smedley of the U.S. Marine Corps. time with their families every day to there today guarding a vital airstrip. Jason was wounded in combat and, by keep us safe from those who would try Thank you, Joshua, for your service, the grace of God, he is returning to us to do us harm.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • THE BASIC SOCIAL PROCESSES of WOMEN in the MILITARY Manda V. Hicks a Dissertation Submitted T
    NEGOTIATING GENDERED EXPECTATIONS: THE BASIC SOCIAL PROCESSES OF WOMEN IN THE MILITARY Manda V. Hicks A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2011 Committee: Sandra Faulkner, Advisor Melissa K. Miller, Graduate Faculty Representative Ellen Gorsevski Linda Dixon Vikki Krane ii ABSTRACT Sandra L. Faulkner, Advisor This research identifies the basic social processes for women in the military. Using grounded theory and feminist standpoint theories, I interviewed 38 active-duty and veteran service women. Feminist standpoint theories argue that within an institution, people who are the minority, oppressed, or disenfranchised will have a greater understanding of the institution than those who are privileged by it. Based on this understanding of feminist standpoint theories, this research argues that female service members will have a more expansive and diverse understanding of gender and military culture than male service members. I encouraged women to tell the story of their military experience and used analysis of narrative to identify the core categories of joining, learning, progressing, enduring, and ending. For women service members, the core variable of negotiating gendered expectations occurred throughout the basic social processes and primarily involved life choices, abilities, and sexual agency. This research serves as a forum for the lived experience of women in the military; through these articulations a set of particular standpoints regarding gender, war, and military culture emerge. Additionally, these data offer useful approaches to operating within male- dominated institutions and provide productive strategies for avoiding and challenging discrimination, harassment, and assault.
    [Show full text]
  • Finding Aid to the Historymakers ® Video Oral History with Soledad O'brien
    Finding Aid to The HistoryMakers ® Video Oral History with Soledad O'Brien Overview of the Collection Repository: The HistoryMakers®1900 S. Michigan Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60616 [email protected] www.thehistorymakers.com Creator: O’Brien, Soledad, 1966- Title: The HistoryMakers® Video Oral History Interview with Soledad O'Brien, Dates: February 21, 2014 Bulk Dates: 2014 Physical 6 uncompressed MOV digital video files (2:42:12). Description: Abstract: Broadcast journalist Soledad O'Brien (1966 - ) founded the Starfish Media Group, and anchored national television news programs like NBC’s The Site and American Morning, and CNN’s In America. O'Brien was interviewed by The HistoryMakers® on February 21, 2014, in New York, New York. This collection is comprised of the original video footage of the interview. Identification: A2014_055 Language: The interview and records are in English. Biographical Note by The HistoryMakers® Broadcast journalist Soledad O’Brien was born on September 19, 1966 in Saint James, New York. Her father, Edward, was a mechanical engineering professor; her mother, Estela, a French and English teacher. O’Brien graduated from Smithtown High School East in 1984, and went on to attend Harvard University from 1984 to 1988, but did not graduate until 2000, when she received her B.A. degree in English and American literature. In 1989, O’Brien began her career at KISS-FM in Boston, Massachusetts as a reporter for the medical talk show Second Opinion and of Health Week in Review. In 1990, she was hired as an associate producer and news writer for Boston’s WBZ-TV station. O’Brien then worked at NBC News in New York City in 1991, as a field producer for Nightly News and Today, before being hired at San Francisco’s NBC affiliate KRON in 1993, where she worked as a reporter and bureau chief and co-hosted the Discovery Channel’s The Know Zone.
    [Show full text]
  • Intimate Perspectives from the Battlefields of Iraq
    'The Best Covered War in History': Intimate Perspectives from the Battlefields of Iraq by Andrew J. McLaughlin A thesis presented to the University Of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2017 © Andrew J. McLaughlin 2017 Examining Committee Membership The following served on the Examining Committee for this thesis. The decision of the Examining Committee is by majority vote. External Examiner Marco Rimanelli Professor, St. Leo University Supervisor(s) Andrew Hunt Professor, University of Waterloo Internal Member Jasmin Habib Associate Professor, University of Waterloo Internal Member Roger Sarty Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University Internal-external Member Brian Orend Professor, University of Waterloo ii Author's Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. iii Abstract This study examines combat operations from the 2003 invasion of Iraq War from the “ground up.” It utilizes unique first-person accounts that offer insights into the realities of modern warfare which include effects on soldiers, the local population, and journalists who were tasked with reporting on the action. It affirms the value of media embedding to the historian, as hundreds of journalists witnessed major combat operations firsthand. This line of argument stands in stark contrast to other academic assessments of the embedding program, which have criticized it by claiming media bias and military censorship. Here, an examination of the cultural and social dynamics of an army at war provides agency to soldiers, combat reporters, and innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.
    [Show full text]
  • October 2014 2014 Western Regional Baseball Tournament
    VOLUME 2014 • OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE AMERICAN LEGION , DEPARTMENT OF ARIZONA • ISSUE 5 National Convention Very Informative Hello Legionnaires! It has been a fun and busy two and a half phone, my surprise and disbelief. He was at an airport in Missouri months; I am looking forward to more of the same. and decided to call Department Commanders; I was first on the list. The trip to Charlotte, NC for the National Convention was very informative as far as the number of businesses National Commander Helm’s agenda for this and corporations that have partnered with year is “4x4”; to raise $4,000,000.00, one The American Legion in support of our for each of the Pillars and raise membership returning Veterans. United Parcel Service to 4,000,000 members. A very doable goal (UPS); Home Depot and United Way are if each member recruits one new member just a few. There were also 223 resolutions or more. Please pass this on to all your that were voted on and passed ranging members. We need the help and drinking from Children and Youth, Veterans Affairs, is not a requirement to be a member; that’s Commander’s National Defense and Illegal Immigration. not who we are. Message The Legacy Scholarship Funds raised this Our partnership with the VA is continuing year capped $1,000,000.00 as well as the National Emergency with the command centers at American Legion Posts. Most Fund. Thank you to all of the Arizona Legion Family that donated recently, we were at Post 26 in Mesa and Post 62 in Peoria with to these much used and needed funds.
    [Show full text]
  • Embedded Reporters: What Are Americans Getting?
    Embedded Reporters: What Are Americans Getting? For More Information Contact: Tom Rosenstiel, Director, Project for Excellence in Journalism Amy Mitchell, Associate Director Matt Carlson, Wally Dean, Dante Chinni, Atiba Pertilla, Research Nancy Anderson, Tom Avila, Staff Embedded Reporters: What Are Americans Getting? Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has suggested we are getting only “slices” of the war. Other observers have likened the media coverage to seeing the battlefield through “a soda straw.” The battle for Iraq is war as we’ve never it seen before. It is the first full-scale American military engagement in the age of the Internet, multiple cable channels and a mixed media culture that has stretched the definition of journalism. The most noted characteristic of the media coverage so far, however, is the new system of “embedding” some 600 journalists with American and British troops. What are Americans getting on television from this “embedded” reporting? How close to the action are the “embeds” getting? Who are they talking to? What are they talking about? To provide some framework for the discussion, the Project for Excellence in Journalism conducted a content analysis of the embedded reports on television during three of the first six days of the war. The Project is affiliated with Columbia University and funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The embedded coverage, the research found, is largely anecdotal. It’s both exciting and dull, combat focused, and mostly live and unedited. Much of it lacks context but it is usually rich in detail. It has all the virtues and vices of reporting only what you can see.
    [Show full text]
  • ORDER of EXERCISES at E X H IB ITI O N Fbr PHILLIPS ACADEMY
    ORDER OF EXERCISES AT EXH I B ITI O N fbr PHILLIPS ACADEMY ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS Sunday, June Eighth Two Thousand Eight Two Hundred Thirtieth Year *- •** •tiodiilta M^ta PROCESSION Trustees, Faculty Emeriti,. Faculty, and Seniors Processional Airs and Marches Clan MacPherson Pipes and Drums INVOCATION Dr. Ted Kepes Roman Catholic Chaplain "AMERICA" Brass Ensemble with the Assembly My country, 'tis of thee Sweet land of liberty, Of thee I sing; Land where my fathers died, Land of the Pilgrims' pride, From every mountain side Let freedom ring. Our fathers' God, to Thee, Author of Liberty, To Thee we sing; Long may our land be bright With freedom's holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God, our King. Samuel Francis Smith, 1808-1895 Andover Theological Seminary, 1832 INITIATION CEREMONY OF THE CUM LAUDE SOCIETY Thomas S. Hodgson, B.A., M.A. President of the Andover Chapter The following members of the Class of 2008 were elected in February 2008: Oliver David Bloom Jae-Kyu Lee Sebastian Joseph Caliri Jin Won Lee Man-Kit Chris Cheung Meng Li Andrew Eastman Clay Jeffrey Jiefei Lu Sarah Anne Cohan Paul Robert McCarthy Jessica Michelle Cole Benjamin Edward Niedzielski Christina Marie Coravos Jay Yun Park Jennifer Leslie Downing Ryan Jin-Hyung Park Zachary Michael Alexander Feldman Alexandra Anwara Rahman Kelly Xenia Fox Stephanie Jayne Schuyler Sara Ashley Ho Sophie Carolyn Scolnik-Brower Blaine Frances Johnson James Jan Yang Paul Joo Jorden Anthony Zanazzi Nicholas Li Yong Koh Michael Yu Zhan William Sutherland Koven Katherine Anne Zimmerman The following members of the Class of 2008 were elected in June 2008: Jonathan David Adler Christopher S.
    [Show full text]
  • Scott Lagasse, Jr
    Messenger Building a Bicycle-Friendly Florida Vol. 19, No. 1 • Winter 2016 OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE FLORIDA BICYCLE ASSOCIATION, INC. Fast Track Scott Lagasse, Jr. “Driving” the Alert Today to... Florida Message Home By Trenda McPherson & Alert Today Florida staff cott Lagasse, Jr. or “Scotty” as many of Sus have come to know him, is the official spokesperson for Alert Today Florida. Scotty pilots the Alert Today Florida NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Car and the Alert Today Florida NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Truck. Yes, he “pilots” them, because this guy FLIES around the track!? While many prefer a motor vehicle as their mode of transportation, Scotty’s Membership 2 preference, second only to the driver’s seat on race day, is his bicycle. He’s been an avid cyclist for most of his life. He rides Blue Light Corner 5 primarily for the health benefits, but he also enjoys the fresh air and the fresh perspective WHEELS Wrap 8-9 he gets when he rides. “Unfortunately, motorists don’t always Ask Geo 11 share the road with bicyclists, and there are some roads I don’t feel safe riding on Gears 101 12 because of it,” Scotty stated. He feels it’s important to “humanize” bicycling by Touring Calendar 14 reminding motorists that PEOPLE are on Scott Lagasse, Jr. proudly sported the FBA and new Alert Tonight Florida logos at the November bicycles. “Every Life Counts” is one of Alert Homestead race. (photo courtesy of Team SLR) Today Florida’s campaigns and one of the messages Scotty drives home through his and bicycle safety? Why not? Scotty is a or other event, or organizing the next new racing and appearances outside the track.
    [Show full text]
  • A Decade After Abu Ghraib: Lessons in Softening up the Enemy and Sex-Based Humiliation
    Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality Volume 31 Issue 1 Article 1 June 2013 A Decade after Abu Ghraib: Lessons in Softening Up the Enemy and Sex-Based Humiliation Johanna Bond Follow this and additional works at: https://lawandinequality.org/ Recommended Citation Johanna Bond, A Decade after Abu Ghraib: Lessons in Softening Up the Enemy and Sex-Based Humiliation, 31(1) LAW & INEQ. 1 (2013). Available at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/lawineq/vol31/iss1/1 Minnesota Journal of Law & Inequality is published by the University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. 1 A Decade After Abu Ghraib: Lessons In "Softening Up" The Enemy and Sex-Based Humiliation Johanna Bondi Introduction In April 2004, many in the United States and around the world watched with horror as the now-infamous photographs of torture and abuse at Abu Ghraib Prison emerged. The photos depicted images of U.S. soldiers engaged in torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.! Among other things, the photos documented the sexual abuse and humiliation of Iraqi detainees in the prison.' The photographs depict naked detainees, some of whom were forced to engage in sex acts or simulated sex acts.3 Sworn statements of the detainees at Abu Ghraib reveal a pattern of abuse and degradation, including "details of how they were sexually humiliated and assaulted, threatened with rape, t. Johanna Bond, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Law, Washington & Lee University School of Law. 1. Joshua L. Dratel, The Legal Narrative,in THE TORTURE PAPERS: THE ROAD To ABU GHRAIB xxi (Karen J. Greenberg & Joshua L.
    [Show full text]
  • The Tillman and Lynch Episodes
    1 Union Calendar No. 555 110TH CONGRESS "!REPORT 2d Session HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 110–858 MISLEADING INFORMATION FROM THE BATTLEFIELD: THE TILLMAN AND LYNCH EPISODES FIRST REPORT BY THE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM TOGETHER WITH ADDITIONAL VIEWS Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/congress/ index.html http://www.house.gov/reform SEPTEMBER 16, 2008.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 69–006 PDF WASHINGTON : 2008 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 10:08 Sep 17, 2008 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4012 Sfmt 4012 C:\DOCS\69006.TXT KATIE PsN: KATIE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM HENRY A. WAXMAN, California, Chairman EDOLPHUS TOWNS, New York TOM DAVIS, Virginia PAUL E. KANJORSKI, Pennsylvania DAN BURTON, Indiana CAROLYN B. MALONEY, New York CHRISTOPHER SHAYS, Connecticut ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS, Maryland JOHN M. MCHUGH, New York DENNIS J. KUCINICH, Ohio JOHN L. MICA, Florida DANNY K. DAVIS, Illinois MARK E. SOUDER, Indiana JOHN F. TIERNEY, Massachusetts TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, Pennsylvania WM. LACY CLAY, Missouri CHRIS CANNON, Utah DIANE E. WATSON, California JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR., Tennessee STEPHEN F. LYNCH, Massachusetts MICHAEL R. TURNER, Ohio BRIAN HIGGINS, New York DARRELL E. ISSA, California JOHN A. YARMUTH, Kentucky KENNY MARCHANT, Texas BRUCE L. BRALEY, Iowa LYNN A. WESTMORELAND, Georgia ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON, District of PATRICK T. MCHENRY, North Carolina Columbia VIRGINIA FOXX, North Carolina BETTY MCCOLLUM, Minnesota BRIAN P. BILBRAY, California JIM COOPER, Tennessee BILL SALI, Idaho CHRIS VAN HOLLEN, Maryland JIM JORDAN, Ohio PAUL W.
    [Show full text]
  • CNN Anchor Speaks at OU About Finding Success
    Oakland University - News Archive - CNN anchor speaks at OU about finding success Monday, November 24, 2003 CNN anchor speaks at OU about finding success By Jeff Samoray, OU Web Writer Soledad O’Brien took an entry-level job at TV station WBZ in Boston, an NBC affiliate, in 1989. But she wasn’t reporting or writing news scripts – her main behind-the-scenes responsibility was to pull staples from the office bulletin board. Today, O’Brien co-anchors “American Morning,” CNN’s flagship morning program. Her high-profile position follows an 11-year stint with NBC. During that time, she reported for the network’s “Today Show,” covering notable events such the Columbine school shooting, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the September 11 terrorist attacks, and others. She also anchored weekend editions of “NBC Nightly News” and co-anchored NBC’s weekend coverage of the war in Iraq on the network’s “Weekend Today” show. In her lecture, “The Road to Success,” hosted by Oakland University’s Student Life Lecture Board on Nov. 20, O’Brien credited her meteoric rise to hard work, the support of her family and on-the-job mentors. “When I entered this business, my idea of personal success was different from what it is today,” said O’Brien before an audience of several hundred in the Oakland Center Banquet Room. “There was a time when I thought being an anchor would be my dream come true. But there’s also more to life. My mornings begin at 3:30 a.m., but I can still pick up my daughters from pre-school and spend time with my family.
    [Show full text]
  • Tabloid Ethics, News Reporting on the Iraq War and the Simulacrum of Objectivity
    TABLOID ETHICS, NEWS REPORTING ON THE IRAQ WAR & THE SIMULACRUM OF OBJECTIVITY by FRANK LOUIS RUSCIANO Editorʼs note: This is a brief version of a paper originally prepared for and presented at the Oxford Round Table, Oxford University, August 5, 2004 entitled “The ʻRight to Knowʼ vs ʻKnowing Whatʼs Rightʼ: Tabloid Ethics and News Reporting on the Iraq War.” The editors of Progressive Librarian thank Dr. Rusciano for his willingness to allow us to publish that portion of his paper of compelling interest to our readers. The first sections of the original paper began with Russell Hardinʼs analysis of media ethics with his adaptation of the classic “prisonerʼs dilemma problem” through what he has called a “contract by convention” to uphold objective journalism. However, in recent years, the proliferation of media has changed the market for information, causing this convention to break down. In its place, a “tabloid mentality” has affected even the most respected media in the United States. This mentality relies upon deniability rather than authenticated sources, and entertainment models over the traditional conventions of news reporting. Nowhere is this change more evident than in the reporting of war news during the Iraq conflict. If once we were able to view the Borges fable in which the cartographers of the Empire draw a map so detailed that it ends up covering the territory exactly… as the most beautiful allegory of simulation, this fable has now come full circle for us, and possesses nothing but the discrete charm of second-order simulacra. Today abstraction is no longer of the map, the double, the mirror, or the concept.
    [Show full text]
  • The Guardian
    The Guardian Monday October 25, 2004 ‘I reported the rape within 30 minutes – then watched my career implode’ Suzanne Goldenberg Reports on the Scandal of Unpunished Sexual Assault within the US Army http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,3604,1335105,00.html The worst thing for Captain Jennifer Machmer was knowing that the US army had actually promoted her rapist. Four years in the military, from proud passing out at West Point to humiliating discharge, had provided an education into the Pentagon’s thinking on sexual assault in the ranks, but Machmer never expected an accused rapist to be rewarded. Her story, narrated to a hushed Congressional committee chamber in April this year, was a rare first-person account of the dangers faced by women soldiers during the Iraq war from their fellow troops. With thousands of women on the front line of America’s war on terror, the Pentagon has been forced to acknowledge that female soldiers are at risk from their comrades in arms, and that, in the US military, rapists often go unpunished. As Machmer’s experiences in uniform reveal, the culture of violence runs deep. In her first command, she was nominally in charge of a soldier who regularly abused and threatened her. Machmer had the soldier transferred, and he was punished with a £475 fine. In her second posting, in 2002, the military chaplain she was seeing for marriage counseling sexually abused her. Machmer opted for discretion, and did not file a complaint. Later, in Kuwait during the run-up to the American invasion of Iraq in early 2003, she was raped.
    [Show full text]