Posted on 11/24/2015 1:25:42 PM PST by SeekAndFind
There's a difference between a lie and an honest mistake. However slight, it's a crucial distinction in politics, and especially in the campaign of Donald Trump.
On Saturday, the real-estate magnate insisted that after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, he watched news footage of "thousands of thousands of people" celebrating in northern New Jersey -- "where you have large Arab populations," in his words.
Journalists have searched news archives for any evidence of such footage and turned up empty handed. Public officials and law enforcement in New Jersey say Trump's account is utterly false.
But Trump's assertion might not be a bald-faced lie. Psychologists suggest that people unconsciously fabricate memories all the time, and that Trump might have done the same.
"I can't say that he's not lying," said Deryn Strange, a psychologist at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. "But my research, and the research of my colleagues, certainly supports a more charitable interpretation: that this is a false memory."
There is a well-circulated video clip of Palestinians celebrating the attacks in the West Bank, as The Washington Post's Glenn Kessler has reported. Newspapers, including The Post, stated that police had detained some people in northern New Jersey who were allegedly partying on rooftops and watching the mayhem in New York. The Newark Star-Ledger later reported that “rumors of rooftop celebrations of the attack by Muslims here proved unfounded."
Trump might have conflated the two in his mind. "I can easily conceive how he could have developed this memory," Strange said. "All you need is a suggestion."
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I think that's likely what happened. He saw the videos of celebrations in the Middle East, read/heard the reports of celebrations in New Jersey, and now, fifteen years later, he remembers seeing footage of celebrations in New Jersey, even if no such footage exists.
It's not lying, it's how the human brain works. Human memory is not a videotape, and the brain has a way of remembering things in a way that "makes sense."
And, more importantly, it doesn't change the underlying facts: there WERE Muslims, in the United States (and some within miles of the towers) who celebrated the attacks.
I remember seeing a video of people celebrating on the Jersey side of the river.Turned out they were Israeli tourists,who said”Now you know what we have to deal with.”
I searched but couldn’t find the video anymore,maybe some folks here will remember it.
There has been an exhaustive media scrub in the years since 9-11. I remember all kinds of remarkable things being shown on TV on the day of the attack, and on the next day (Wednesday), that I have never, ever seen since.
The MSM has done everything in its power to make 9-11 disappear. Into the memory hole it all went.
Multiple Hollywood movies were made about the attack Pearl Harbor. The number of people killed on 9-11 was twice the number killed at Pearl Harbor, and the majority of 9-11 victims were civilians, just going to work at their jobs.
Yet the events of 9-11 have been suppressed. My daughter, who is in tenth grade, was unclear on what had even happened on 9-11. I had to explain it to her. She was surprised.
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.com/2011/09/eyewitness-to-arab-911-celebrations-in.html
http://www.bizpacreview.com/2015/11/23/live-jersey-trump-right-muslims-celebrate-911-nj-saw-277082
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2012/09/muslims-celebrated-the-sep-11-attacks.html
No thousands of Muslims there....still looking..
I saw what Trump saw. It was on every news outlet.
IIRC, the Anthrax letters were sent from New Jersey.
I remember that too.
I also remember the reports of the people on rooftops in Jersey City laughing and dancing.
The press is now walking back the category allegation that there was no Muslim cheering on 911...
lest the floodgates open that the press has been hiding things
the press will now dribble out bits slowly so not big bombshell that trump was right and the press lied
We need to dig out the true documented facts.. faster then the press dribbles out the minimum needed to cover their ass
“Journalists have searched news archives for any evidence of such footage”
Bwahahahahaha. They could not even find the story in their own newspaper.
Christie said it didn’t happen. But he also said that bridge closing didn’t happen either.
I worked with Canadian non-Muslims who cheered
“Except the WaPo actually printed a story confirming his statement”
Trump may have exaggerated the number, but the incident did occur.
(commentary on this paragraph)
“There is a well-circulated video clip of Palestinians celebrating the attacks in the West Bank, as The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler has reported.”
Actually is almost TOTALLY SPIKED, too. But nice try.
“Newspapers, including The Post, stated that police had detained some people in northern New Jersey who were allegedly partying on rooftops and watching the mayhem in New York.”
THERE IT IS!
“The Newark Star-Ledger later reported that “rumors of rooftop celebrations of the attack by Muslims here proved unfounded.—
Is Trump now supposed to READ EVERY HICK NEWSPAPER IN THE COUNTRY to search for a Washington Post story to be considered untrue?
Sounds to me that Trump should be given THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT here...and he will. As with all other attacks so far, this will backfire in their faces.
IIRC, Mohammed, the DC sniper was cheering in a saloon.
Those idiots don’t even vet their own database:
Sept 18, 2001 - Washingtonpost
In Jersey City, within hours of two jetliners’ plowing into the World Trade Center, law enforcement authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river.
Northern New Jersey Draws Probers’ Eyes
Serge F. Kovaleski and Fredrick Kunkle
They’re not making excuses...they’re trying to stay he’s crazy for seeing what he saw...and they’re trying anything to take him down.
Funny: I have the same memory.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.