Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Did you notice Bush slap down the New York Times?

I didn't run to the computer fast enough to be the first to note it, but you might recall the New York Times quoting Cpl Jeffry Starr:
Sifting through Corporal Starr's laptop computer after his death, his father found a letter to be delivered to the marine's girlfriend. ''I kind of predicted this,'' Corporal Starr wrote of his own death. ''A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances.''

and the later discovery that the Times had quoted Starr out of context:
Obviously if you are reading this then I have died in Iraq. I kind of predicted this, that is why I'm writing this in November. A third time just seemed like I'm pushing my chances. I don't regret going, everybody dies but few get to do it for something as important as freedom. It may seem confusing why we are in Iraq, it's not to me. I'm here helping these people, so that they can live the way we live. Not have to worry about tyrants or vicious dictators. To do what they want with their lives. To me that is why I died. Others have died for my freedom, now this is my mark."

Interestingly enough, Bush quoted the second part of the letter toward the end of his speech.
I wonder if the Times will pubish the full speech?

5 comments:

buddy larsen said...

yes, it was only fair of the president to finish and thereby correct the fallen soldier's last testament.

What a nasty slap for the NYTimes to eschew the obvious solution to their political dilemma, and just ignore the story.

But, noooo, they couldn't do THAT--it was too juicy an opportunity.

Whether or not it's a matter of common decency whether or not to malign/edit/misquote someone who'd not only *earned* far better treatment (to say the very least), but also due to being deceased could never publicly correct the record, is evidently an unimportant ethical question at the NYTimes.

buddy larsen said...

Slapdowns? See Pajamas "do" Harry Reid's big-mouth.

buddy larsen said...

Jeez--if an earthquake in the mountain fastness did the Sampson/Sodom number on bin Laden, then this war will have taken on a vast--in fact the Most Vast of All--new coloration.

Charlie Martin said...

As I've said before, "couldn't happen to a nicer guy."

Unknown said...

I am glad the president quoted that young man. His words deserved to be heard.