Something's bothering me about the Muhammad Sniper verdict coverage. . .

Vanity | 11/17/2003 | Self

[Salgak]

. . .driving home this afternoon, I heard the good news: John Muhammad, the older of the DC Snipers, was convicted on all four counts, and the jury is now going on to the penalty phase, where they will determine whether he gets executed or spends the rest of his life at taxpayer expense.

But what was bothering me was THIS: EVEN AFTER he was convicted, all the newsies kept referring to him as "DC Sniper SUSPECT". . .

I'd say that, now that 12 of his peers have found him guilty of one count of Capital Murder, One count of Murder in an Act of Terrorism, and two other counts, he's not a suspect any more. . .

I really tire of newsies trying to be "fair" far beyond a reasonable doubt. How about the rest of you out there in Freeperland ????

[Doctor Stochastic]

One need not say suspect after conviction. There is no longer any presumption of innocence. It's probably just inertia.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

I believe the legal responsibility to not smear the name of the accused ends when there's a guilty verdict. I think this is liberalism run a-muck.

[Palladin]

This just proves the ignorance and laziness of the current crop of publc-schooled newsies.

[Cicero]

I suspect they are used to sitting down near the beginning of a story and working out what the politically correct language is. Maybe they consult the latest Language Police Bulletin, just as they used to consult their newspaper's style sheet. But after you've learned the ropes you seldom have to pull out the style sheet or bulletin, since it becomes second nature to follow them.

So, they never have to think about it again. I'd say inertia, too.

[sultan88]

I just heard the local Richmond news broadcast and they called him "Sniper John Mohammed" without the "suspect" adjective.

[Sabertooth]

I'd say that, now that 12 of his peers have found him guilty of one count of Capital Murder, One count of Murder in an Act of Terrorism, and two other counts, he's not a suspect any more. . .

John Muhummad is a convicted Muslim terrorist.

Now is the time to expose his connections to Jamaat al Fuqra, the American Muslim terrorist org implicated in the 1993 WTC bombing, and founded by Sheikh Gilani, a Pakistani terror lord and a mentor of Osama bin Laden.

[RebelBanker]

I heard it too. Sounds like habit more than anything else.

[auboy]

Many of today's "reporters" are from a parallel universe. Or I should say, a perpendicular one - a universe completely devoid of common sense and decency. I think it's called Liberalamous.

[AdamSelene235]

The BBC refers to him as Ex-Soldier.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

Can back this up, too. They're taught from high school journalism to use gender neutral, pc language.

[tbpiper]

I think is news speak inirtia. They've been calling him 'sniper suspect' so long, it's part of his name.

[Michael81Dus]

The BBC refers to him as Ex-Soldier.

The military will be thankful during the next war, when the BBC wants to get some "embedded journalists seats" again.

However, if he was a Marine, he still is a Marine. According to Freepers: Once a Marine, always a Marine! - In this case: NOT!

[Cobra64]

They're taught from high school journalism to use gender neutral, pc language.

Yup. I roll my eyes when someone refers to Mrs. Jones as "chairperson." If she is a female, she should be referred to as "ChairWoman." This PC stuff is out of hand.

Even our Pastor is doing this. I called him on it, and he said he did not want to offend anyone. I told him that since I chaired the Building Committe, I was to be referred to as ChairMAN; my wife was chair of another committee, and she was to be reffered to as ChairWOMAN.

Sheesh!

[american spirit]

I already know the answer but I'll ask this question anyway....was the hate crime element for any of the murders ever introduced at all in this case?

[Salgak]

Nope. But then the Snipers' victims were pretty much all across the ethnic spectrum: White, Black, Latino, Asian/Indian

[NavyCaptain]

Amen, brother!

[Procyon]

However, if he was a Marine, he still is a Marine. According to Freepers: Once a Marine, always a Marine!

He was Army.

[Cobra64]

I agree. You're preaching to the choir.

I was drawing reasonable middle ground for arguments against Gloria Stenam and her N.O.W. ilk.

Until I met my wife, I was a M.C.P.; and still have the neck-tie.

[cmsgop]

Hey Dude, did you see the last Daleel post?

[Badray]

"I think is news speak inirtia. They've been calling him 'sniper suspect' so long, it's part of his name."

LOL I always thought that Rush's real name was Right Wing Extremist Rush Limbaugh.

[Holly_P]

I always thought that Rush's real name was Right Wing Extremist Rush Limbaugh

I am partial to, Fat Drunk Ted (D-Mass)

[american spirit]

These pastors that "don't want to offend anyone" just drive me up the wall. Has this become the new 11th Commandment or something? A few months ago I confronted our pastor as to why he wasn't coming down hard on the gay movement, gaia in the schools, radical feminists, world gov't, etc. His response was that his church was not in the business of offending attendees (DONORS) and his mission was to bring people to the Lord. I tried to convince him that this approach was particularly counter-productive to our youth but to no avail......needless to say I haven't been back since.

[HitmanLV]

Once he is convicted he is no longer the suspect, I would think.

There is no conspiracy or mindset here. Before a conviction they have a duty to call him a suspect. In the minutes, hours, and even days after a conviction, often force of habit takes over. They have been calling him the suspect for a year - old habits die hard. Don't get upset over this. It's a non-issue.

[Badray]

"I am partial to, Fat Drunk Ted..."

To the name or to the man? (((ducking))) ;-)

Welcome to FR.

[Cobra64]

Our Presbyterian Pastor did the same thing about six years ago. Membership went from over 140 to about 55. The clerical people live in a dream world. If they ever read the WSJ and spoke with a business man, it'd be a miracle.

[Wolfstar]

What's really bugging me lately about news "reporting" is that most in the media have adopted the term "insurgents" to describe the terrorists who are attacking our soldiers in Iraq.

[MattAMiller]

I've noticed that the word suspect has come to include a secondary definition that's essentially the same as "perpetrator." You'll often hear reporters saying things like "The suspect shot four people." I think they've just gotten used to covering their butts and overuse the word.

[spodefly]

However, if he was a Marine, he still is a Marine. According to Freepers: Once a Marine, always a Marine! - In this case: NOT!

He was never a Marine! He was Army, and even in that there was some debate on his fitness for duty.

Do NOT badmouth Marines. Ever!

[tracer]

".....American Muslim terrorist org implicated in the 1993 WTC bombing, and founded by Sheikh Gilani, a Pakistani terror lord and a mentor of Osama bin Laden.

Rudy!!?? Say it ain't so!!

[LikeLight]

This same scenario has occurred before . . . I think it's a symptom of the death of truth in our society . . . how can we call someone guilty just because he was tried and convicted in a court of law? . . . who are these jurors to dare judge another man's actions? . . . what may be true for you is not necessarily true for me . . . people have become so PC, so accustomed to avoiding any confrontation with truth, that an institution like a criminal court seems bizarre and unnatural . . . almost an archaic relic from a different age . . . hence, they cling to the term "suspect" even after conviction . . .

[judywillow]

The D.C. snipers are nothing more than an extreme case of ideas having consequences. In other words, if you put five or ten thousand guys with two-digit IQs in front of death-to-america sermons long enough, this was predictable.

Why isn't anybody going after the clowns out there in LA who were and probably still are PREACHING the death-to-america sermons? They make it sound like this was a gun-control isssue but, as far as I can tell, it's basically an

ISLAM-CONTROL

issue.

[Holly_P]

To the name or to the man?

If I were going to admire a murderer I would choose Jeffrey Dahmer over Drunk Fat Ted kennedey any day.(Jeffery's dead)

[Badray]

Ultimately, Fat Drunk Ted will be responsible for many more deaths than Dahmer ever was.

I hope you know that I was just teasing you.

[Holly_P]

and that drunken lothario is a disgrace to my people

I know you were teasing. I just read the above quote on another thread and was going to reply to it but didn't I had already copied it. It was from an Irish person and my reply is that Fat Drunk Ted is a disgrace to humanity not just to people of Irish ancestory.

I will never understand why this living P.O.S. is reelected time after time.

[Badray]

" I will never understand why this living P.O.S. is reelected time after time."

I'd love to know that too. It's hard to believe that there are so many that can't see him for what he is. They can't all be in love with the Kennedy clan. Maybe they just own all of the vote counters.

[Michael81Dus]

I can´t remember I did!