Open
Collar Meets Closed Mind
Written by Deron Bauman to
CNN, November, 2006
In response to commentator Jeff Greenfield’s
assertion that the American electorate would associate Barak Obama
with Iranian President Ahmanijad since they both wore open collar
shirts with suit jackets.
Jeff Greenfield’s comment about Barack Obama’s style
of dress is the most thought-provokingly abhorrent statement on
contemporary journalism I can imagine.
It
reeks of the sort of sickening innuendo that both seeks to undermine
the potential of a person and poison political discourse. Instead
of an analysis of Mr. Obama’s positions you set him up as
a caricature of an Islamic fundamentalist.
A
simple pun on his name and a visual connection to the Iranian president,
and the political assassination is complete.
Never
mind that he is one of the most gifted minds in the political debate.
Never
mind that he is the embodiment of the American dream
Never
mind that millions of Americans see in him a hope for the future
of the country that transcends the treacle that has become the current
political language, fostered in many ways by the substance-phobic,
xenophobic mainstream media.
If
I were in a position to make such decisions I would fire Mr. Greenfield
for his nonchalant character assassination. You, the company, and
he, its mouthpiece, should be ashamed of yourselves. The American
public deserves better than this.
Please,
do your job of reporting the news, not creating it, or, if you would
like to critique potential harm done to the American cause by extremists
and radicals, no matter the clothing, start with the current administration.
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