Journalism at its finest
A national guard soldier from my city was killed in Afghanistan by an IED. I didn’t know the guy and I don’t really know most of my neighbors all that well, but his parents live a few houses down the block from me on the corner.
The police have been camped at the intersection for the past several days because the news media will not leave them alone. Sure, there was the standard feeding frenzy of reporters the day that they found out, but they seem to have failed to grasp the family’s message of “we’re in mourning and we don’t want to talk, please leave us alone”.
I understand the importance of the press, but there’s a point where trying to get the latest scoop can go too far. Intruding on the privacy of a grieving family to get a scoop falls under that purview in my book.
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October 27th, 2011 at 11:00 am
Hateful beings, the press, but completely necessary for a free society.
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JKelley reply on May 1st, 2013 5:09 am:
They’ve been trumpeting their crap about “The public has a right to know!” so long they’ve started to believe it themselves.
I defy ANYONE to point out to me, in the entire United States body of law (Federal, state, county, parish, or city) where there is a genuine and asserted “right to know” and therefore a right to interfere with people.
Galella v. Onassis, 487 F. 2d 986 (1973) notwithstanding (that’s an entirely separate issue.)
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October 27th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
Intruding on the privacy of a grieving family is a lot easier to ignore when it is not happening two houses down from you on the same block. Then the intrusion on the grieving family is also an intrusion on YOUR family, and that is downright inconvenient.
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October 27th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
They did that to a coworker of mine when her husband was killed. They also showed up at both her jobs on multiple occasions, one of them even blocked access to the ER with their van until we threatened to tow them and call the police.
Vultures.
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SKD reply on October 27th, 2011 4:57 pm:
I wouldn’t have bothered threatening, I would have called the police immediately after they failed to move the van the first time they were told.
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JKelley reply on May 1st, 2013 5:06 am:
I’d have just shifted into low gear and pushed their van out of the way. In most jurisdictions, the phrase “Medical Emergency” can get you excused from most offences were personal injury is not further involved (don’t ask how I know.)
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October 27th, 2011 at 4:58 pm
Between journalists/reporters and WBC it is despicable how we allow the families of our fallen soldiers to be treated.
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Ihmhi reply on October 27th, 2011 6:28 pm:
The fallen soldier in question was also an Essex County Sheriff. His brothers in blue have donated their time to be outside his parents’ house 24/7. They’ve been doing this all week.
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October 27th, 2011 at 7:23 pm
yeah my home town just lost a solider in Iraq. The media was all over this small one stoplight town; Also the WBC decided they were going to protest the guys funeral. I know of at least 3 people who wanted to bring their hunting rifles and go WBC hunting.
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Courtney reply on October 30th, 2011 6:12 am:
The thing that upsets me about the WBC is the children. My friend Kelly had a great message about this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XvOuTbEWWg
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October 27th, 2011 at 8:20 pm
Nothing says “get the hell out of my face” like a mossburg being chambered. Just saying
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Ian M reply on October 28th, 2011 7:16 am:
Undoubtedly. Personally, I’d go with a Taser to the gnads.
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October 28th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
We here at Henchmen Inc! strongly support the idea of vandalizing news media equipment when they are invading the space of a grieving family. Sudden Valve stem damage to news vans. Directed microwave interference beams, etc…
Sure, when they infiltrate our organization, yes we have to deal with them more harshly, but when they’re being Asses in public to the public, more subtle measures are required.
Alternately, Coordinate a bunch of people to stand around their houses and shout questions at them and their family. Wonder how they’d feel then.
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November 1st, 2011 at 5:23 am
There is no public good that can be achieved by prying into the family. The media is trying to turn a personal tragedy into a human interest story because it requires little investigation or research and because it will move papers. While I believe the media should extend an invitation to the family to comment or interview, they should not demand such.
The freedom of the press should be used for lofty goals, such as preserving and furthering democracy, not solely for base goals, such as greed. When we exercise the right to speak, and freedom of the press is an extension of said right, we must do so responsibly. Could any of these reporters justify their invasive behaviour in any way other than the most trivial and glib reference to their freedoms?
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November 3rd, 2011 at 10:14 am
Asking once, politely is okay. Even that is a drain on the family. But repeatedly badgering…uncool. They’re bereved family members, not Bernie Madoff.
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December 17th, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Times like this makes me think that (depending on your locale, of course) the family might want to ‘invite’ over those who would like to hunt wild boar on their property, with [seemingly loaded – but really are just empty magazines] AR15’s. You’d think the news media might get the idea after having had a few incidents of getting in the way of the hunters, who might happen to encourage expensive electronics equipment to fall on the ground and then, in the ensuing concern for the safety and well-being of said equipment, it would accidentally become trod upon.
Shame, that.
Media. Useful at times, but they go too far. Great reason to encourage abortion in the 300th trimester, etc etc.
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February 15th, 2012 at 2:13 am
You know a thousand plus dollar news camera is just as fatally destroyed by multiple laser pointers directed into the lens as the human retina. It’s also not against the law to post a sign about the right of the land owner to search any and all people found uninvited on their property. May not be true, but by the time it gets to court all electronics have been confiscated. Not to mention the reporter will have to explain why they didn’t leave the grieving family alone when requested. Of course there is always skunk juice for the slimeballs.
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