This burns me ...

mc5aw

mc5aw

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Every day I read three news sources online, and watch parts of FOX in the evening to keep up to date with what's going on in the world. Yesterday, the main stories were about the professional basketball player coming out, and Obama's yukfest press dinner. There were secondary stories about the Boston bombing and Syria, but nowhere did I find a single mention that 30 April was the anniversary of the fall of Saigon, and the end of the Vietnam War. I think that kind of media disinterest and apathy is a disgrace, not only to history, but to the 10s of 1,000s who served, as well as the ~58,000 casualties.

Is that date not important enough for major media sources to mention, even in passing? Or is our current society so jaded and preoccupied with other things that such historically significant dates no longer merit remembrance?

What really irks me is the number of other "newsworthy" stories that got coverage instead.
 
Your most critical issue is relying on FOX news
'to keep up to date" not realizing that the Murdoch media empire and particularly Roger Ailes have already admitted that " the truth is what the public believes". Major share holders in Fox and Time/Warner include a Saudi Prince and his holding company and the whole Murdoch Media empire is largely considered to be little more than a tabloid outlet satisfying the masses with innuendo and contrived sensationalism. I, Sir would consider other avenues of reliable information...
 
A hero is an ordinary someone who, when presented with extraordinary circumstances, rises to the occasion w/o regard to self. This applies to everyone who has or is wearing our country's uniform or is a first responder.

I'm not a big fan of FOX but the fact that the media overlooked the anniversary of the fall of Saigon should not surprise anyone. They've (all of them) become part of the "problem."
 
I gave up trying to figure out this state of affairs a few years ago. I now hardly recognize the country I grew up in. Things sure have changed, and fast, but not for the better.

I saw a news article that today's college grads brings their pets or mothers to job interviews, or text and answer their cell phone during those interviews. There is also an entitlement mindset blooming with the twenty-somethings.
 
duppie, who would you recommend listening to, CNN, MSNBC, etc. They are famous for their unbiased news reporting.
Butch
 
If these things are what is important to society(the part anchoring decent hard-working people in the mud), then I claim ignorance is bliss and remain clueless to the ingrates. The only thing that will change anything is when "they" come to your door. You will have your choice because apathy will no longer be available. JMO
 
Help me out Duppie. I watch FOX News quite often and it is my home page. I routinely question and verify but.....What should we be watching and reading?
 
I agree with Duppie and none of the other US national outlets are any better. The media has become about making money, not providing information. Even biased information that suits the politics of the owner is not going to make it to the screen unless it will bring viewers and advertising revenue.
 
So, Reporting the BHO press response on Bengazi didn't stir the pot this week?

Thank the media.
 
C'mon guys.

How does it honor the memories of the 58,000 American dead and more than 300,000 wounded -- not to mention the POWs, MIAs, and thousands upon thousands of civilian casualties -- who sacrificed in that God-forsaken war, by observing this anniversary of the fall of Saigon? I don't think a story about this would really have a place on the evening news, unless you're watching TV Hanoi, where they would presumably have something to celebrate.

Politics of the war aside, this one was a travesty for America, despite the astonishing bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard members who served and put their butts on the line for their fellows, whether American, South Vietnamese, or from any of the other nations that provided troops to fight the Communists. I salute each one of them, and nothing about the outcome of the conflict diminishes what they did over there.

There's plenty to criticize the media about -- more than enough to go around -- but declining to observe an anniversary of what symbolizes the final indignity of what began as a small-scale attempt to help a friendly country fight Communism, and ended as the national horror that it was both here and there, ain't my idea of something to criticize.
 
vigil617 said:
C'mon guys.

How does it honor the memories of the 58,000 American dead and more than 300,000 wounded -- not to mention the POWs, MIAs, and thousands upon thousands of civilian casualties -- who sacrificed in that God-forsaken war, by observing this anniversary of the fall of Saigon? I don't think a story about this would really have a place on the evening news, unless you're watching TV Hanoi, where they would presumably have something to celebrate.

Politics of the war aside, this one was a travesty for America, despite the astonishing bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard members who served and put their butts on the line for their fellows, whether American, South Vietnamese, or from any of the other nations that provided troops to fight the Communists. I salute each one of them, and nothing about the outcome of the conflict diminishes what they did over there.

There's plenty to criticize the media about -- more than enough to go around -- but declining to observe an anniversary of what symbolizes the final indignity of what began as a small-scale attempt to help a friendly country fight Communism, and ended as the national horror that it was both here and there, ain't my idea of something to criticize.
Click to expand...

You answered your own question in your second paragraph.

We should remember the guys that were there and honer them for their service and the lessons learned.
 
Keep in mind, that if the "public" is not taught, or
reminded, of history, anything can be foisted-off on them.
The MSM likes things as they are.
Personally, I prefer as much history knowledge as I
can get. Not real smart, so I'm always saying,"So that's
why that happenned!." We've got great historians here
on the Forum.
TACC1
 
o3rugby1 said:
What has this country come to that a basketball player that comes out is news. How do you explain this to all the young kids out there?
Click to expand...

I would explain it that a young man had a lot of courage to explain who he is and that it was a seminal moment in the history of sports in America and for that particular human rights movement.

I think it's news and I find it significant and fascinating. I don't want to discuss my feelings on the situation further though as we're in a gray area already.

I don't think that the other things mentioned in the OP are insignificant though. However, I would not make a similar defense of the media storm that follows random celebrities crowing about their every misstep.

I also recognize that the news is more and more a business and that type of thing generates revenue through the clicks and ratings. I despair that we're so jaded that we won't recognize honest, open-bias reporting when it hits us squarely in the face (and it does from time to time). We're so programmed at this point to watch and read things that are bias confirming rather than challenging that I'm quite certain that the vast majority of the country (me included) is unable to separate the bias from the news most of the time. We tend to nod our heads and say "what a very balanced piece that was" when it confirms our viewpoints and scream at the TV or computer when it doesn't.

Most of what we digest is news with a national bent. Flooding in Iowa, bombs in Boston, fires across the west (US)... An interesting thought came to me while typing this: I've spent a lot of time abroad in countries where only after years living there did I develop a deep interest in their national news. In the meantime, I watched CNN International as it was the only channel that was a) in English (necessary in some places) and b) news. It tries with some great success to cover the entire world and in doing so is really pretty boring as it doesn't connect with wherever one is. I don't know if anyone else will think this is interesting (probably lost most of my readership by now) but it really highlights my own tendency to want to watch news with which I have some connection, even if only geographic. Things become so much more clinical when separated by distance or lack of empathetic response.

As for the coverage (or lack thereof) in the fall of Saigon, it would have been really nice to see some commemoration of the sacrifice so many gave in southeast Asia in May, this month of remembering.
 
kozmic said:
Help me out Duppie. I watch FOX News quite often and it is my home page. I routinely question and verify but.....What should we be watching and reading?
Click to expand...

I mine daily... Reuters,The associated press,Wall street Journal,BBC International,World News Network,FOX,Huffington Post,The Blaze,The Trinidad Guardian, Dagbladet....
Now I'm not saying you should follow my lead but I mention"Mine" because like mining you keep the nuggets and discard the rest.
 
kozmic said:
Help me out Duppie. I watch FOX News quite often and it is my home page. I routinely question and verify but.....What should we be watching and reading?
Click to expand...

SMITH & WESSON FORUM
 
They dont show 1/2 the important stuff that happens around the US and around the world. Just filler with a break for weather and sports. It would be the same if you read your newspaper from back to front in 1 hour. Starting with the classifieds and working your way to the important stuff and hope you can get to some of it within the hour.

This is why we have so many idiots on both sides. Poor people living in shacks in 3rd world countries with a satellite dish know more about the world then 90% of americans.

Everything within my generation is nothing but filler. You want a burger and find out its 75% oat filler, 20% pink stuff and 5% meat. You want to know whats happening and someone dangles big shiny spinning rims in your face. Want to know what the candidates are gonna do about the economy, or rights and our freedoms and they kiss babies (or other irrelevant topics) which gets replayed over and over. Everything is a filler to clog the important information.

No one cares anymore as long as they can buy the next great thing!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
 
Drudge Report seems to be a good place.

I was too young for VN. But I remember it well. I remember the daily news reports. I remember my father being called names when he walked through the airport. And I remember what a difficult time it was for everyone.

It's amazing how some have forgotten such an event.
 
Arik said:
They dont show 1/2 the important stuff that happens around the US and around the world. Just filler with a break for weather and sports. It would be the same if you read your newspaper from back to front in 1 hour. Starting with the classifieds and working your way to the important stuff and hope you can get to some of it within the hour.

This is why we have so many idiots on both sides. Poor people living in shacks in 3rd world countries with a satellite dish know more about the world then 90% of americans.

Everything within my generation is nothing but filler. You want a burger and find out its 75% oat filler, 20% pink stuff and 5% meat. You want to know whats happening and someone dangles big shiny spinning rims in your face. Want to know what the candidates are gonna do about the economy, or rights and our freedoms and they kiss babies (or other irrelevant topics) which gets replayed over and over. Everything is a filler to clog the important information.

No one cares anymore as long as they can buy the next great thing!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

That ,Sir is a mouthful and entirely accurate. It astounds me that in this day and age there are still those who subscribe and trust the modern day snake oil hawker... whether it be in print or on the air waves.....
 
The best thing about American news is that no matter what you want the news to be, there's a network that will tell it to you. :rolleyes: So sad. You can get the news you want to hear by dialing in the right station... or left station.;)

I read / watch them all. It's the only way to try to get to the truth... reading everyone's take on the same story.
 
i gave up on news media when i read a headline about 7 years ago. it read "90% of teenage pregnancy ends by the age of 24"...:eek:
 
Arik said:
Everything within my generation is nothing but filler. You want a burger and find out its 75% oat filler, 20% pink stuff and 5% meat. You want to know whats happening and someone dangles big shiny spinning rims in your face. Want to know what the candidates are gonna do about the economy, or rights and our freedoms and they kiss babies (or other irrelevant topics) which gets replayed over and over. Everything is a filler to clog the important information.

No one cares anymore as long as they can buy the next great thing!

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

^^^ Spot on! Every two years our state legislature meets and the hand wringing over money starts and is reported ad nauseum. Well, at least it LOOKS like it is being reported until you realise that none of the local news stations actually ever show you a breakdown of what the state spends its money on. Nobody tell us what is required spending by Federal dictat and what spending is really controlled by the state and how it is divided up. Just for giggles I emailed a couple of local stations asking when they would be presenting this kind of information. I asked about two sessions ago, and I'm still waiting.....
 
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