As we promised yesterday, we're beginning to dive a bit deeper into the disasters in Japan today - though we're still going to push a deeper discussion of nuclear power off one more day, as we wait to see a bit more stabilization of the situation in Sendai. Simply put, we need more research into such a complicated subject.
We also are treating this story with a bit more respect as we almost feel an obligation to offset the actions of others in our broader media community.
To say that some members of the media have been treating the multiple ongoing disasters in Japan with less respect than the circumstances call for is both sad and unsurprising.
For our part, we'll continue to refer you to the Japanese Red Cross, to Google's people finder, and to any other aid organization you think is worthy and able of taking your assistance, and passing it on the people in Japan. God forbid any combination of disasters ever befalls our nation at the same level of destruction and devastation like the Japanese people are now suffering.
It's that same wish not to add insult to injury that makes us choose our words more carefully when we discuss this catastrophe. Not everyone in the media follows our lead.
We don't often lend any pixels to seriously discuss the more obnoxious members of our media fraternity because, frankly, we think they embarrass and defile themselves more than enough without us having to point out their flaws in further detail.
Yet some in the infotainment media did just that yesterday, for reasons that still escape us.
We would hope that if a cataclysmic event like what is going on in Japan ever happened here in America, that media personalities in other countries would never insinuate that maybe GOD was sending these disasters to kill our people - as Glenn Beck did already, or as Pat Robertson did last year with Haiti, and Jerry Falwell did with 9/11.
We would hope that the Japanese or European versions (if, God forbid, they actually exist) of Rush Limbaugh would not say that some segments of the media were hoping whatever our disaster was got worse, with "a nuclear meltdown" or some other heinous action.
We're aware you've probably heard similar comments by these sad media windbags over the years. You may even have heard them so frequently that you now ignore them, as with the taunts of schoolyard bullies who no longer have any power over other kids. If that's indeed the case with you, we applaud you for being able to ignore the screeching fearmongers.
The size and scope of the right-wing media megaphone far outweighs anything comparative on the left these days - so not everyone finds it easy to ignore that much hatred and vitriol.
In the midst of a massive destructive event like what's happening in Japan right now, the proper thing to do is urge help, look at what may have caused the problems, and investigate what might be done to prevent another similar tragedy elsewhere. With a catastrophe like this, it's what they call in the Navy an "All hands on deck" event. This is not the time for partisans on either side of the political divide to be blasting vile hatred, or blaming others - even in jest - for such destructive natural acts.
Yet some of our media brethren have chosen to do just that.
If some right-wing media followers wonder why so many on the left look upon their media heroes with such distain… In the face of Japan's suffering, today's commentary and links should be all those wondering need to have their questions answered.
