On Media Ghouls, American Decency, and the 1000th Soldier

"It is rather for us, the living, we here be dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that, from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they here, gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve these dead shall not have died in vain; that the nation, shall have a new birth of freedom. " -- Lincoln

He or she does not yet have a name although that dark fact will emerge from behind a bullet or in the explosion of a coward's car bomb. When their paths intersect we will all know the name and most of us will mourn. That mourning will be fitting and proper. What will not be proper, what will repulse, is that some Americans, and not a small number, will rejoice at this death of an American soldier.

The 1,000th American to die in Iraq will be marked by most Americans as both tragic and yet another reason to continue to crush Islamic terrorism relentlessly, using whatever it takes. When the word of the 1000th death is passed the words of Abraham Lincoln above will live again in the hearts of every American that understands every generation must pull the sword of freedom from the stone.

But because of freedom and what it means, this country will also allow the

ghouls of the media and the current ragtag rabble that calls itself the Democratic Party to use this death as a cheap counter in their endless quest to recover in a day the power and trust they have squandered over decades.

Even as this is being written, it is a certainty that the execrable New York Times has buffed, polished, and stored it's unspeakable editorial on the soldier, with the veiled and not so veiled innuendos that this soldier's death was to no purpose. What it will really reveal is Times' host of shriveled intellects whose souls can have no purpose if they are not involved in the denigration of everything that is good and true about the United States. And that would be everything that they are not. The Times will be aped by their fellow ghouls at other papers and magazines since they too have long since forgotten how to feed off of anything but offal and bile.

In the rapidly melting Kerry campaign, the hosts of hate-filled advisors are already drafting spin after spin for their hapless candidate to ape. They already know they have defeated themselves. They already know well that their wan Hamlet is about to fall on his sword in an ignominious ending to a ineffectual, thin and hateful campaign. This reality does not make them reflect that somehow, somewhere, their vapid and useless political concepts are no longer appealing, but only that the people, whom they pretend to champion, have somehow lost the intellect to elect them. Instead of letting this death pass, they will add it to their quiver of broken arrows to use in their last fitful months on the national stage to cheapen and distort the meaning of the lives given to this country from among the finest of its citizens. One would like to think that, even at this late date, the Democratic Party would be able to summon some ghost from its distinguished past to, at the least, accept defeat in a noble fashion, but there is no nobility in them, only hate that is currently focused on the President, but is in reality a hate for the American people themselves.

All the networks -- broadcast and cable, AM and FM -- have their canned video essays already carefully edited and in the can wanting only a little "color" like a name and a short biography as a frame. Things like Michael Moore are already practicing their platitudes before the mirror, for their hideous turn in front of the lens. They will all "say" that "Of course we deeply regret and mourn...," but the cold camera, if you look closely, will show you the pleasure in their eyes, and you will know them for what they are.

The coming eruption of barely concealed glee over this as-yet unknown soldier's death will be nauseating to behold and difficult to bear. It will be like watching the desecration of a thousand soldiers' graves in slow motion. It will be difficult for Americans to bear; most of all those in the military. It will weaken our defenses.It embolden our enemies to kill more Americans. And it will be American made.

We can expect to see numerous "journalists" and video teams dispatched to interview the family of the unfortunate soldier. Perhaps some confused relative can be persuaded to condemn the President and the United States for a few brief and best forgotten moments.

If we have a few "media ghouls" of exceptional dedication we can expect to see what? The coffins have already been done. That won't do. Somewhere some "thing" that works for a "reputable" media organization will be trying to get a picture of this unknown soldier in death. Better yet, a video of the moment the soldiers' death. Such a coup would be the making of their career in many American media shops. They would expect to receive a bonus from their "news" organization for such a scoop and it is the shame of the Fourth Estate that many company's would issue the check, a nominate their ghoul for a Pulitzer Prize. And because the Pulitzer has many ghouls on its board of judges, it could win. In a corrupted alternate-America culture where something like Michael Moore believes he has made the best picture of the year, nothing is beyond the pale.

On a certain level, we must bear all this. For a death in the defense of freedom to achieve real meaning, freedom must be seen to flourish and not diminish from the sacrifice. And so the depraved American among us must be allowed to prate, posture, and spin this death.

What we can do, as free people, is to deny them their victory and their profit with all the power, small and large, at our command.

What is required of us is to ensure, by our votes, our pocketbooks, and our own free speech, that this moment does not benefit these craven people in any way. What is required of us is to shine the light upon the dark recesses of their souls and their depraved vision of the United States in such a sharp and relentless way that their "vision" is not only defeated in the forthcoming election, but defeated to such an extent that they are sent down and removed from any significant power in this country for a generation.

The promise of the freedom for which our soldiers die is that all thoughts and speech can be seen and heard. The price of such freedom is that some thoughts and speech, when seen and heard, are damned forever into the pit from which they first crawled on their fitful spineless limbs.

As we have seen more than once in this electoral year, bright sunlight is the best disinfectant.

Watch for the stories that desecrate. Condemn them and shun those that seek to advertise around them and profit by them.

Be alert for the political speeches and sly asides that seek to turn this now unknown soldier's death into political advantage and position.

Above all, do not remain silent when you see Americans of any political stripe use this soldier as a tawdry bit of political capital. Expose them all as the ghouls they are. The American electorate will take care of them as it should.

The people will know the meaning of this death as it knows the meaning of the others before and those to come. The people know, as Abraham Lincoln knew that, "in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow, this ground -- The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have hallowed it, far above our poor power to add or detract."

Posted by Vanderleun at September 7, 2004 5:48 PM