A short while ago, Chris Mathews did an "interview" with an aquaintence of mine, William Kostric, a member of the free state project in New Hampshire. He was spotted open carrying a pistol at the Obama Town Hall health care meeting, nothing unusual up here, people open carry everywhere and it is not seen as alarming or abnormal here. I used quotations around the word "interview" because it was more a scolding, it was ignorant and probably the most consdisending display of arrogence I have ever seen in a "journalist" ( a term I apply loosly to Mathews).
Well, MSNBC is at it again. At a rally in arizona, a man shows up open carrying an ar-15 rifle (no, it's not an assault weapon).
Ok, here is the first clip, the msnbc piece on it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYKQJ4-N7LI
Note they show several shots of the guns being carried by the man, his rifle and his side arm....between 0:05 and 0:15. They then proceed to talk about the racist aspect of it all and how it is all about Obama's race.
Well, well, here is what msnbc DIDN'T show you about the guy they were using to demonstrate the "racist" aspects of people open carrying at that rally:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz-c4aUmUfI&feature=related
I rest my case your honor, msnbc, GUILTY of out right dishonesty, manipulation and the worst charge of all, FUELLING racism.
[question posted by xfahctor]responses and comments:
In my opinion carrying fire arms is wrong anyway. But the American press shouldn't just mention any racist aspects about it when it's not even determined that the man wearing fire arms had a racist purpose. That's just bending rumors into truths and smack it in the face of the viewer. Maybe I am biased because I am upset on certain American press agencies anyway. They are one sided in their reports which is the worst mistake you can make as a journalist. Fortunately there are some agencies who invest time and money to show both sides of any story. glare [diamania]
diamania....could your dislike of guns have anything to do with a pacifist nature. I am only asking because I deplore violence (abuse survivor) and guns say to me...violence. I, however....try to overcome this by going target shooting and hunting when my sons will allow me...lol. Guns then become just a tool...in the hand of a person. What happens next depends on THAT PERSON. The propaganda machine plays on people's fear or concern about violence and connect guns with that violence. As if just because that gun is there, there HAS TO BE violence. There is truth to the bumper sticker that says...Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Trite but true. [debrakcarey]
It is disgusting and shameful, even more so since people actually BELIEVE the lies put forth by MSNBC! Someone recently remarked to me about "hypocrisy" using the fact that people like Cindy Sheehan (disrupting fallen soldier's funerals) would get arrested under Bush but that the people carrying guns in New Hampshire and Arizona at town halls weren't arrested! I tried to explain how guns are LEGAL in AZ and NH and that people carrying them is not violation of any laws, but I don't think that got me anywhere. [AngryKittyMSV]
I had to laugh, AMK- don't we all feel that our beliefs, and those who agree with them, are right?! [milkmaid]
*Lamb peers into politics interest* *sees the coast is momentarily clear* *enters politics arena* Dammit, quit enticing me into the politics section!doh Okay, I am going to basically agree with you on all points here. HOWEVER...(bet you knew that was coming)lol I am just a tad concerned about the "open carry" stuff. It just seems to me (and this is only my opinion...I'm not saying it is right or wrong) that there are times and places to carry a weapon...and I really don't think a place the President is appearing is a good place, or any type of enviroment where people tend to exchange angry words and there are many people of extreme opposing views. To me, that is a situation just waiting to explode into an unfortunate act. And the security logistics have got to be a nightmare. I know that the majority of people carrying are likely not to pull the weapon and start shooting...but this does make it much easier for something like this to occur. *Lamb quickly exits before the bullets start flying* [The_Lamb_Lies_Down]
Lamb: You should check some of the state laws. Many of them state that although it may be legal to open carry a gun, you can't take it anywhere you want. Some exclusions are places that serve alcohol, I believe schools are also usually off limits as well. Also, those with guns were not allowed inside the building with Obama, they were merely standing outside peacefully protesting. Your second post was that you worry when people carry a gun when they don't have to. Well do you know when you will be attacked and need to defend yourself? Most people I know don't, therefor isn't best to always be prepared? (Yes I was a boyscout) [jonakyl]
This is a classic example of irresponsible news reporting. I am avidly follow the news. I learned a long time ago that you cannot depend on any one report for the whole truth. There is a tendency to sensationalize and do anything to get attention. Newspeople also seem to promote their own agenda rather than report the news. [StarBright]
There is a very pervasive and sinister twisting of facts and outright lies being told to the American public. For decades we have been led around like sheep and it's time to dig in and find out the REAL truth. [debrakcarey]
I really don't know how anyone can watch that network without complete and utter disgust. At one point I thought Kieth Olbermann was the worst person they had, but then I watched a few interviews by Chris Matthews. That pig just screams racism at every opportunity and now we can see that it's not beneath the scum at MSNBC to doctor a video in a pathetic attempt to claim racism while hiding the race of the person they are accusing. In case you're unaware, this isn't the first time an NBC employee has doctored a video to scream racism. The last time they did it they spliced a video of John Gibson from Fox News to make it appear that he was comparing Eric Holder to a monkey. Huffington Post of course put the video all over their website because they were too stupid to realize it was an obvious fake. He was planning to sue for defamation, a suit he would surely win, but I haven't heard anything since then. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,499525,00.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/19/john-gibson-compares-eric_n_168377.html Despite proof that they faked that video, you can still find all sorts of blogs out there that use it as "proof" that Gibson is a racist. [Taskr36]
I wasn't aware of the specific incident you mentioned, but I am fully aware how dishonest this network is. Lets face it, they are all pretty much mouthpieces for the two big political parties, but MSNBC is absolutely the worst of the worst. And yet sadly, people will continue watching it and expousing it as gospel truth. I expect a few threads today on this story and they will be based only on the report MSNBC did on it, I can't WAIT for them lol, this is gonna be fun, lol (unless of course people actually read this pre emptive thread) [xfahctor]
The more I hear and read about cable "news" shows, (and this applies to those on both sides), the more I am glad I don't have cable. IMO, it seems both sides pander to the fears of their viewers, regardless of facts. That is one of the worst things journalists and reporters can do, and it if the political topics here on myLot are any indication, it is absolutely rampant anymore. Everyone, please, before you take something as the gospel truth because it comes from one of the talking heads on your network of choice, do some friggin research. I will get off my soapbox now... [milkmaid]
I agree it was horrible and outrageous of MSNBC to do it. I am not excusing it, but it is not the first time a network has lied, distorted the facts, or simply made something up to get a specific reaction. The quality of broadcasting (on a national level anyways) has all but disappeared. [milkmaid]
They're horrible at the "news." For craps and giggles, and because I like to torture myself, I watched an episode of Bill Maher last night. Well, long story short, they basically said that media is dead because of the right-wing pundints. Glenn Beck specifically. Okay, I'm not posting anything in defense of Beck's nutty behind! lol ... But, seriously, it's just that far-left guys don't see the problem with their "brand" of news. They really don't. Here's Bill, a Congresswoman, Jay Leno and a guy from MSNBC, rallying for more fair (liberal) news and less tilted (non-liberal) news. Then they went on to laugh about Palin's daughters in the bedroom having sex while her mother "drops" another baby. But I digress... I think this is just the mindset of a hardcore (I won't even call them liberal zealots anymore) change agent for Obama. CAO! A lot on MSNBC, particularly Matthews, have long been pushing the President's agenda. The upper management is completely in the tank, on the tit, and hoping to milk every last penny of taxpayer money to expand GE and become the virtual monopoly holder of new-age green appliances. The fixed news and hate is carry-over from the Tea Parties. They wanted racism and violence to erupt so badly that they were even trying to manufacture it. Now that guns are showing up at town halls, they feel they're finally proven right. CNN isn't any better. They even condescendingly brought on a black guy to talk about the problem with racist gun-toters at the town halls, and all the while, they were intentionally hiding the fact that the guy in AZ is black. You know exactly what type of audience these "news" channels are attempting to lure in. Sadly, they still do well enough in the ratings to maintain their spots. The do fuel the fires. They make sure to intentionally fuel the fires. The media, like elitist politicians, want one America - no opposition to their views. In order to get that, they first have to split it into two America's and paint themselves the good guys. Chris Matthews. LMAO [matersfish]
As far as I am concerned, they are all pretty much party mouth pieces. I put a thread up a while ago about Fox as well, they deleiberately tried to burry a story on Monsanto a while ago, the reporter ended up quitting over it and went public with the story anyway. [xfahctor]
You didn't really expect MSNBC to give an honest representation of dissent when it comes to THEIR president, did you? You know, I rarely run into people or groups that are against Obama because of his race. For most people, the guy just isn't doing a good job. You're right, though, they're fueling racism, instead of helping to get rid of it. [Latrivia]
I had always suspected the media was deliberatly prodding things along, for what ever reason, ratings, looking like the "good guys" or furthering the party, but this pretty much confirmed it for me. [xfahctor]
MSNBC is a corrupted news source paid off by corrupted powerful people, Fox news aired the actual story and the interview with the black man. As MSNBC has proofed they are dirty and corrupted and their rating are in the pot and going down fast, the people bring their guns to the town hall meeting was making a public statement this is their right as American citizens having gun premits. I'm a gun and rifle owner would I had taken mine to a meeting no I would not this is what is so great about living in a free country,let freedom ring!!! [kennyrose]
Keep in mind roise, that though Fox leans the other way, they do non the less, still lean and they do manipulate. I busted them a while ago burrying a negative story on Monsato foods and intimidating one of their reporters to not cover it. All 3 big news agencies are pretty much playing us. [xfahctor]
When the media still does segments like this, is it really any surprise there is still racism in this country? How are we as a country supposed to get beyond this when a multi-racial event gets turn in to a commentary about white men with guns protesting against a colored man in office (to paraphrase.) I know some people don't like Fox. But they didn't even bring up the color of this man's skin color, to Fox he was just a man exercising his 2nd amendment. MSNBC is ashamed of the color of his skin and edit the footage to fit their political agenda. Please tell me again which of the stations is biased? Even if you are liberal, can't you at least agree that MSNBC is more biased and skewed than Fox? [jonakyl]
The fires of racism are fanned continuosly by media, they love senationalism and it serves the parties they mouth piece for. I hate to say it, but Fox is no different in how it covers things, they may lean right instead of left, and it may not be as hard of a lean, but they lean non the less. It's pretty sad when I have to watch THREE networks to get ONE COMPLETE story. [xfahctor]
MSNBC knew this guy was BLACK!! Why do they embarrass themselves? They had to know they would get caught! I found it quite offensive that a WHITE woman would be so worried about a BLACK man legally carrying a GUN. I feel alot safer around a citizen with a gun. Criminals don't!! [Carson11]
" I found it quite offensive that a WHITE woman would be so worried about a BLACK man legally carrying a GUN." Lol, I should write in to them with that angle, I didn't even consider it. I am not sure who the woman in the second video was, I think she was just a bystander. But I had to chuckle when she said his gun made him nearvous and he answered with "well, at one time my skin color made people nearvous" [xfahctor]
What else do you expect from the ALL OBAMA ALL THE TIME network? [Carson11]
MSNBC the favorite new channel for all flatlanders. Chris Mathews showing the world for much of an elitist snob he truly is. This is an excellent reason why no one watches MSNBC, what about a million. [gewcew23]
LOL! I thought the mathews piece last week was bad enough, he was just being an asss, THIS however, was blatent dishonesty, I can't believe they thought no one would catch on to it. [xfahctor]
Occasionally I watch MSNBC, when nothing else is on. I don't get very many cable channels any more because I had to lower my bills. Besides, sometimes I just like to see what the "other side" is up to. It's torturous at times. I caught Chrissy Mathews interviewing someone about the town hall meetings on the health care bill and he asked what this person thought was behind all of this. The person answered and then off handedly Mathews says that it's all because Obama is black! "I think some of the people are upset because we have a black president." http://newsbusters.org/blogs/geoffrey-dickens/2009/08/11/matthews-charges-town-hall-protestors-upset-because-we-have-black- [piasabird]
Yeh, the guy Mathews interviewed last week was an aquaintence of mine, that piece was bad enough. THIS one REALLY pisssed me off though, they were DELIBERATELY inventing news. [xfahctor]
I live in Arizona, and yes we are an open carry state. you DO need a license to carry CONCEALED though. i will say this...ive seen guns carried on the street, at the grocery store and in the McDonalds lol! and you want to know what? if ever there came a day where some crazy walked into the place and pulled, started shooting...im looking for that person with the openly carried gun to hopefully put a STOP to the shooting, whether its by killing the crazy or not. ok..about the clips..OMG she actually said WHITE people showing up with guns! edited and shot that clip very carefully didnt they! sheesh, i dont trust any of the news anymore. arent you supposed to trust what they say? isnt that how it USED to be? or has it ALWAYS been this "corrupt/influenced/warped out of recognition" and we just never knew it?? that last part kind of scares me..makes me really wonder how bad the truth or how different the truth really is..especially when it isnt often that FLAT OUT they are caught being dishonest! thats it im going back in my cave..its cool, damp and theres no news, just the Sci-Fi channel..which of course is the trusted network for The Truth and Nothing But The Truth! LOL! [CinderInMySoul]
"has it ALWAYS been this "corrupt/influenced/warped out of recognition" To know the answer to that you'd have to compare older news with what was really going on at the time. I can say that during WWII the Miami Herald was dishonest in that it wrote articles about how the US was crushing the German troops after entering the war. It even referred to our military as "invincible". As I've studied history I know that early on, the Germans were mopping the floor with us. Our weapons and tanks were old and inferior. It took a long time before we finally started to gain ground and it was not pretty. [Taskr36]
Welll, what can one expect from PMSNBC? I's in the pocket of Obama, as are most self-called "mainstream" media. IOW: It's par for the course. Shrug. And they wonder why their ratings are plummeting. Yeesh. glare whistle Maggiepie "WHERE'S THE BIRTH CERTIFICATE?" [Maggiepie]
X, I've been debating whether or not to respond to this discussion since I first read it. I know I'm in the definite minority among those who have posted so far in that most everyone else seems to hate MSNBC and I don't...lol! Many who have responded here are also adamant gun owners and advocates and I'm in favor of REASONABLE gun legislation. I'm not for taking away everyone's guns or banning hunting, I just think there's a time and place for everything and the time and place where our President - no matter WHICH President - happens to be isn't the time and place for armed citizens. Possibly if I lived in New Hampshire or Arizona I'd feel differently about it, I don't know, but obviously none of us are going to change our opinions on this aspect of this issue. As for this particular report, I've responded to another discussion about the same thing and I know you're going to disagree with me since this IS MSNBC we're talking about but could it possibly be that Contessa deserves the benefit of the doubt here? Maybe she had nothing to do with the editing of that clip and honestly wasn't aware of the race of the man with the rifle? I understand there were around a dozen armed men at that rally in Arizona; this one happened to be African-American. I know there are some people who don't want to hear ANYTHING about even the most remote chance there have been more threats against President Obama's life than any previous President in part because of race but is that idea REALLY so preposterous? And does the fact that ONE out of 12 armed people at a rally is black "prove" beyond a doubt there is no racial undertone to any of these occurrences? Personally I wish nobody would be playing any of these "ism cards" (Yes, I made that up!) but if either Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin were in office now there WOULD be allegations of sexism and if McCain were President there would be talk of "agism". These things exist and I'm not sure if the right thing to do is to pretend they don't because someone may be offended. Annie [anniepa]
Someone from a local affiliate is NOT the same as the network or MSNBC. Annie [anniepa]
I think that it remains wrong for guns to be carried into public meetings. I think that the dangers of that action far out weigh the benefits of it... I think that your friend exercised poor judgement in carrying a gun into that place... The fact that the President was there and that emotions were already inflamed due to the health care discussions made carrying a gun very suspicious and frankly made it appear quite stupid as well. The fact that a gun can be carried around does not mean it should be carried around... There are times that carrying a gun around is illogical and inappropriate... This was one of those times. I have to ask what your friend was trying to prove by carrying that gun... Was it a fashion statement, a threat, an expression of open hostility and male angst or what? What good did his action do for anyone other than getting his name in the paper and his picture on the television for an ignoble action? Would those who saw the gun at the meeting feel more comfortable or less comfortable for having seen it there? Did he care at all about the feelings of the others who were at that meeting? Frankly I do not think that he thought about anyone other than himself and his angry acting out feelings. In my area, when a person carries a gun they are either a police officer or a criminal...so a person carrying a gun into a meeting where so many people are assembled and where anyone could get hurt through bumping into that person or where some fool could take that gun away from that person and use it against someone else would be the height of foolishness... The gun had no business there... I certainly would not want to see a gun at a public meeting either as it would tend to rachet up the tension and fear in the room and would be an uncivilized behavior on the part of the one carrying the gun. [whiteheron]
You are confusing two seperate stories. The one reguarding my friend, was several weeks ago. I will adress this one first. Ther is no "apropriate" time or "inapropriate" time to exercise a right It would have been inapropriate if he had abused this right by unholstering his gun and either threatened someone with it or used it preemptively against an unarmed and un threatening situation. Just as it would be inapropriate to exercize one's right to free speech in a way that endangers another (the old fire in a crowded theater example), those are example of ABUSING rights, but have NOTHING to do with aproproate or inapropriate times for exercizing of rights, because a right is a right, period and there is no apropriate or inapropriate time to excersize a right. What was he proving? According to him, nothing, other than that he could, you are just as likely to see him with his gun while he is shopping, or picking up litter in his neighborhood. The gun had every business there as our state laws allow it to be, ANYWHERE, we have no restrictions on where one can carry a gun by state law, icluding the lgeslative floor and gallery of our state house, we have state legislators who open carry while in session and spectators in the gallery who do as well, no one here really sees it as a threat or "inaproprate" it's just the way we are up here. Do not fall for the programming being dished out by the media and anti gun lobby. The only people at the New Hampshire rally who seemed at all bothered by the open carry demonstration were the out of staters who often like to interfere in our state's business and laws anyway, if they don't like it, they can stay the hell out of my state. We DO NOT bend our state laws or our state constitution for ANYONE including the president, he is merely just another elected servant. Also, why is carrying a gun "uncivilized" behavior? DId he threaten anyone with it? Point it at anyone? Shoot anyone? NO, he didn't. Will is one of the most peacefull and civilized people you will ever meet, as is the rest of the free state project. Again, it boils down to this country being frikkin programmed like brainless sheep in to an automatic reaction of horror and panic uopn seeing a gun attatched to a person, no matter how peacefull the person. Now, for the second story. I am going to guess you didn't watch either of the videos. The first one shoes a couple of camera shots of a guy open carrying an ar-15 rifle (not an "assault weapon" by the way) and a pistol. that is all they show, a couple shots of the guys weapons. Then they proceed to talk about the racial issues and how people open carrying at these rallies is all about the president's race. the SECOND video shows the guy, talking with bystanders and such, ALL OF HIM, not just his guns and it turns out, the guy himself WAS BLACK, so in other words, MSNBC DELIBERATLY LIED and manipulated the story to give it a racial spin. In the second video, the man even says after being told by a woman that his gun made her nearvous that "well at one time my skin color made people nearvous" This particular thread was about that specific topic, the deliberate manipulation and dishonesty the media uses to perpetuate racism. Again, I will go back to my aquaintence here, the one who was carrying at a New Hampshire rally. Will is about as far from a racist person as one can get, as is the rest of the movement he belongs to, yet here we are, in the 21st century, STILL automaticly assigning racism to even the basic free exrecize of a right. Isn't it time we got by that mentailty? Haven't we matured as a nation enough to do that? [xfahctor]
I think they should not act like that to avoid fueling racism again. Have a great day! [aerous]
I think people are beginning to realize that these pompous "journalist" are anything but reliable. [6precious102]
I've said it before and I'll say it again, "The guilty dog always barks." [bestboy19]