Posted on 06/24/2002 6:50:02 PM PDT by GailA
Radio hosts dance on Westmoreland’s grave City Editorial
On topics like tax policy, welfare and TennCare, local talk radio personalities like Phil Valentine and Steve Gill are champions of what they refer to as "personal responsibility." On the morning following the death of state Rep. Keith Westmoreland, however, Gill and Valentine vehemently denied any responsibility for Westmoreland’s disgrace and suicide. We think their denials carry the distinctive odor of hypocrisy.
In an emotional speech last Thursday, Rep. Chris Newton (R-District 22) accused the news media of hounding Westmoreland to death. While Newton’s words should sting any journalist with a conscience, let’s be clear: If Keith Westmoreland was guilty of the sexual misconduct of which he was accused, he brought humiliation upon himself. If he took his own life, it is hard to say anyone else is to blame. But it is important to remember that the allegations reported in the media this week, however distasteful, were news. It should also be remembered that while Westmoreland stood accused, those accusations will never be tested now in a court of law.
What Gill and Valentine cannot legitimately deny, however, is that they cynically attempted to use the Westmoreland scandal as a weapon in their on-air battle against a state income tax. Even before the Westmoreland story broke in the mainstream media, Valentine trumpeted the news that a man who voted for the income tax had been accused of sexual misconduct — as if one fact had anything to do with the other. As cruelly as they knew how, both Gill and Valentine made savage jokes about Westmoreland, linking alleged sexual perversion to a political idea with which they disagree. To report that a man has been charged with exposing himself to minors is one thing; to say that he has "convicted and executed himself" for his crime is quite another.
In a perfect world, these tax talkers ought to have a difficult time facing themselves in the mirror these days. Given their self-righteous self-defense last Thursday, however, we expect that the anti-tax talk radio tango will continue — right across Keith Westmoreland’s grave.
I've read all the printed news reports, NOT one of them did more that state facts as they came out. The newspapers can't help it if MORE cases surfaced. The TV news didn't do much beyond stating facts either. Neither media floormat allow the average citizen to voice their thought and opinions in these situations.
Talk radio not only reports these aweful situations, BUT they allow the common man to voice their thoughts and opinions. Yes, the thought had crossed many of our minds were there worse incidents to come? Did Taxquist and his buddies use them to blackmail Westmoreland into that yes vote on the IT? These are NORMAL thoughts in an horrible event like this.
In general the media has abandoned it's watch dog position on government. To often they cover up corruption by government officials they like. Clinton was a prime example of their wilingness to cover up their favorites corruption.
Westmoreland chose to be a flasher, talk radio didn't make him one, nor did they drive him to take the coward's way out leaving his family to face ALL the ugliness ALL of his actions brought on them. After the first incident (IF it was the just the first incident) in March had he'd sought professional help the other two incidents might not have occurred.
His targets were 13-15 year old girls..not grown women. As a lawmaker, a former lawman and a father he KNEW his actions were illegal, reprehensible and immoral. He WILLFULLY CHOSE to do them anyway.
This one statement bothers me..."Tell them a lot is coming down." it makes it sound as if there might be more incidents that could be surfacing or a MORE serious one. Flashing is often a prelude to other more serious sexual crimes.
This article is weird. They're blaming the Radio folk? My guess, if he was innocent of the numerous and growing charges against him, he wouldn't have committed suicide.
I assume they mean themselves, rather than some small paper in Florida. How many calls and tips from local parents did they suppress in favor of their boy?
Newton needs to have his damned diapers changed and someone to pat his fat rotarian ass. He needs to shut his fat stupid mouth before he ends up out of a job (which ain't a bad idea) and changing urinal cakes in the local high school. (Which is a better idea)
It's just one big tragedy all the way around, except for the opportunists.
I stand by my theory that Westmoreland was blackmailed by the scumbag pro-taxers into supporting the IT. His proclivities were not suddenly discovered out of the blue last week.
Talk radio is a total irritation to the newspapers because the listeners no longer subsribe and buy that partyline any more..
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