March 25, 2005

Race a Factor in Coverage of Minnesota School Shootings?

Michelle Malkin has a post on her blog regarding some complaints that there hasn't been a slew of coverage in the horrific Minnesota school shootings because they happened on an Indian reservation. Malkin highlights some articles in the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Here is one of the excerpts Malkin notes from the Post:

"From all over the world we are getting letters of condolence, the Red Cross has come, but the so-called Great White Father in Washington hasn't said or done a thing," said Clyde Bellecourt, a Chippewa Indian who is the founder and national director of the American Indian Movement here. "When people's children are murdered and others are in the hospital hanging on to life, he should be the first one to offer his condolences. . . . If this was a white community, I don't think he'd have any problem doing that."

Malkin says in response,

Kneel, kneel, before the gods of political correctness, oh, Great White Father in Washington!

Is this an issue of race? I guess it depends on what side of the coin you are looking at. I, for one, think that the more shootings there are, there is less of a general public reaction because it has happened before. I am not saying that the Red Lake Reservation shooting is any less tragic than any other school shooting. Cases like this are always shocking and moving.

Something else we have to consider is this: if President Bush (or any other president) took the time to meet and condole with each and every family who has had a loved one die in violent, tragic circumstances, he would get nothing else done.

There is also the fact that the nation is in the grip of Terri Schiavo fever, and it has been dominating the headlines for several weeks running. It's hard to drum up a lot of public sentiment about the Red Lake situation when the networks and newspapers are using up so much time and ink on the Schiavo issue. And, as the Schiavo case highlights something that is pivotal in our political scene (pro-life vs...well, not-so-pro-life), the media can analyze and discuss to its heart's content.

Part of the problem in this case is the media. The networks and papers pick what they think will sell...and at the moment, the Schiavo case is selling. For all of their boo hooing about corporate America not caring about people, they're out to make a buck just like the corporations they criticize. So for newspapers to allude to racism on the part of the president is really hypocritical.

But then, isn't that what the MSM has proven time and time again?

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