Friday, April 10, 2009
More agenda driven acronyms
There are many examples of agenda driven stories in the media...it's a long and detailed list...and one of the (main) reasons for this blog...I am reminded of one of the first times I got a hint of media bias (which has always existed) AND agenda driven media (which is more subversive and much, MUCH more prevalent today).
MADD...Mothers Against Drunk Drivers...a once true altruistic organization founded by Candy Lightner in honor of her 13 year old daughter, Cari, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Candy founded the organization and took her cause to the heights of public awareness and legislative attention. Unfortunately, along with it, came media scrutinizing (I call "finagling").
The media, I believe, was responsible for the bastardization of a once great organization. What originally brought much needed attention to the plight of forgotten victims--victims of people who thought nothing getting bombed and then getting in a (several) thousand pound hunk of metal and haphazardly driving on PUBLIC thoroughfares with ZERO regard for innocent human beings--soon became a lobbying group which demanded change simply to enhance their own agenda (re: power) with little regard for the actual victim(s). Lightner was subsequently forced from the organization because she didn't adhere to their "neo-prohibitionist" agenda, saying she started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving, not alcohol per se.
This was savagely brought back to my attention upon my hearing of the tragic death of Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart who, along with two others (a third is in critical condition) was killed in a vehicle accident. They were killed by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. The driver, a scumbag named Adam Thomas Gallo, was driving on a suspended license from, yep, you guessed it, a prior drunk driving conviction.
Yeah, MADD, you've really helped...oh sure, in the beginning, you helped tremendously by shedding light on the plight of forgotten victims...but MADD soon became more fixated on legislation which dealt with a "Joe Six-Pack" who might have consumed a few beers after work...and less on repeat offenders (yes, Cari Lightner was killed by a "repeat" offender)...
So, why blame the media? Because I believe that they bear much of the blame (along with attorneys and the courts) for causing this paradigm shift; a shift from offender accountability to attempting (very poorly I might add) to legislate responsibility. Yes, the media is tremendously to blame...for making MADD their one time "cause-du-jour," much like their obsession with gun control, abortion, and other constitutional issues...oh, that's right...the constitution doesn't mention abortion...oh well...that's a post for another day...
MADD...Mothers Against Drunk Drivers...a once true altruistic organization founded by Candy Lightner in honor of her 13 year old daughter, Cari, who was tragically killed by a drunk driver. Candy founded the organization and took her cause to the heights of public awareness and legislative attention. Unfortunately, along with it, came media scrutinizing (I call "finagling").
The media, I believe, was responsible for the bastardization of a once great organization. What originally brought much needed attention to the plight of forgotten victims--victims of people who thought nothing getting bombed and then getting in a (several) thousand pound hunk of metal and haphazardly driving on PUBLIC thoroughfares with ZERO regard for innocent human beings--soon became a lobbying group which demanded change simply to enhance their own agenda (re: power) with little regard for the actual victim(s). Lightner was subsequently forced from the organization because she didn't adhere to their "neo-prohibitionist" agenda, saying she started MADD to deal with the issue of drunk driving, not alcohol per se.
This was savagely brought back to my attention upon my hearing of the tragic death of Angels' pitcher Nick Adenhart who, along with two others (a third is in critical condition) was killed in a vehicle accident. They were killed by a drunk driver who ran a stop sign. The driver, a scumbag named Adam Thomas Gallo, was driving on a suspended license from, yep, you guessed it, a prior drunk driving conviction.
Yeah, MADD, you've really helped...oh sure, in the beginning, you helped tremendously by shedding light on the plight of forgotten victims...but MADD soon became more fixated on legislation which dealt with a "Joe Six-Pack" who might have consumed a few beers after work...and less on repeat offenders (yes, Cari Lightner was killed by a "repeat" offender)...
So, why blame the media? Because I believe that they bear much of the blame (along with attorneys and the courts) for causing this paradigm shift; a shift from offender accountability to attempting (very poorly I might add) to legislate responsibility. Yes, the media is tremendously to blame...for making MADD their one time "cause-du-jour," much like their obsession with gun control, abortion, and other constitutional issues...oh, that's right...the constitution doesn't mention abortion...oh well...that's a post for another day...
# posted by mediacopp : 9:13 AM
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