Today's media madness over the White House and Capital attack
At the moment, 3pm, the news channels are full of nothing but commentary and repetition about the events at the White House and Capital today. Even CNBC financial reporters are full of opinions and speculation about gunfights or terrorism. In fact, at this point we know almost nothing. We don't know who the female perpetrator was, how she was able to get her car close enough to ram into the White House gates, how she was able to drive the two miles down Constitution Avenue without being stopped, and whether there were any injuries beyond her death from police gunfire.
None of the lack of knowledge is deterring the news outlets from non-stop repetition of what little we do know, interviewing anyone within a mile or more of the scene and constantly talking to congress members who were locked in their offices and saw nothing. There is absolutely no reason to watch all of this media exaggeration and speculation.
More will be revealed over time of course, but there nothing of value now on any news outlet.
Postscript 1 --- same day, early evening --- the police essentially murdered an unarmed mentally ill woman. The only federal officer injured wrecked his own car in the enthusiasm of the chase and was not bumped or otherwise affected by the fleeing woman. Her actions are still inexplicable at this point, but she had no gun and thus fired no shots at anyone as earlier reported. With perhaps hundreds of police officers on the scene, couldn't she just have been arrested, however forcefully, and not killed. Should the killers be put on leave like normal police officers and face a review of their mental fitness for their duties, or even a consideration of a charge of involuntary manslaughter. ? That would be normal in New York in the killing of an unarmed person who had endangered many by her driving but not yet harmed anyone.
Postscript 2 --- news reports keep mentioning that an officer had already been injured. The facts are that one rolled across the hood of her car just as it began moving at the White House area and was unhurt and, as mentioned, the officer that was hurt was an inept driver who is responsible for his own injuries that had nothing to do with the murdered woman.
None of the lack of knowledge is deterring the news outlets from non-stop repetition of what little we do know, interviewing anyone within a mile or more of the scene and constantly talking to congress members who were locked in their offices and saw nothing. There is absolutely no reason to watch all of this media exaggeration and speculation.
More will be revealed over time of course, but there nothing of value now on any news outlet.
Postscript 1 --- same day, early evening --- the police essentially murdered an unarmed mentally ill woman. The only federal officer injured wrecked his own car in the enthusiasm of the chase and was not bumped or otherwise affected by the fleeing woman. Her actions are still inexplicable at this point, but she had no gun and thus fired no shots at anyone as earlier reported. With perhaps hundreds of police officers on the scene, couldn't she just have been arrested, however forcefully, and not killed. Should the killers be put on leave like normal police officers and face a review of their mental fitness for their duties, or even a consideration of a charge of involuntary manslaughter. ? That would be normal in New York in the killing of an unarmed person who had endangered many by her driving but not yet harmed anyone.
Postscript 2 --- news reports keep mentioning that an officer had already been injured. The facts are that one rolled across the hood of her car just as it began moving at the White House area and was unhurt and, as mentioned, the officer that was hurt was an inept driver who is responsible for his own injuries that had nothing to do with the murdered woman.
posted by John Borden at 3:59 PM
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