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Problems With Mainstream Media-immigration bill

10 Mar 06 - 06:40 PM (#1690329)
Subject: BS: Problems With Mainstream Media
From: Azizi

I got a problem with the so called mainstream media {MSM}.

What does it take to get news covered by the national news media?

Take the MASSIVE rally in Chicago today to protest the draconian federal immigration bill H. R. 4437. If passed this bill would split up families and-among other things-make it a felony for churches, non-profits, and other organizations to help undocumented individuals get the care and services they need. Giving aid or providing health care to an illegal immigrant would be a felony.
So doctors who treat a person in an emergency room and later find out that the person is an illegal alien could be arrested, and couldn't give follow-up care.

Read more about this bill HERE

and here

But the point of this thread is doesn't any national reviews of news found online have any reports about this rally? [Hopefully it will be on the tv evening TV news; I don't do tv so I won't know]. But wouldn't you think that Comcast-my home page-would at least mention a rally of a million or more people about an immigration bill that could directly impact millions of people throughout our nation?

While it's important to talk about that bill, I also feel that it's critical to talk about what is wrong with the United States' mainstream news media.

Where you get your news? Do you think that newspapers and the mass media are lacking in their coverage? And if so, what can we do about it?

10 Mar 06 - 06:54 PM (#1690334)
Subject: RE: BS: Problems With Mainstream Media
From: Peace

It will be interesting to see how many papers pick it up.

11 Mar 06 - 01:56 AM (#1690447)
Subject: RE: BS: Problems With Mainstream Media
From: Barry Finn

I haven't heard about the bill nor the rally. Thanks for the input.
IMHO the news media isn't worth the ink & paper used, I'd rather they save it for the trees. The right wing has lulled, sweet talked, bribed, bought, strong armed & intimadated the media into bed with them & the marriage cannot be annulled with out an ok from the religious right & the PentaGONE & that ain't happening. Those that reported with out bias were reduced to being sidelined & those that published with out bias were being intimadated. We allowed this to happen so I can't really fault the reporters who couldn't see their way to sticking to the truth when we the reading public wouldn't demand the truth & stand behind them. Today if you want the whole truth you'll have to dig pretty hard to uncover it.
Barry

11 Mar 06 - 03:38 PM (#1690759)
Subject: RE: BS: Problems With Mainstream Media
From: Peace

More here.

. . . and here.

11 Mar 06 - 04:36 PM (#1690798)
Subject: RE: Problems With Mainstream Media-immigration bil
From: Joe Offer

Here's a pretty good summary of the bill, as posted by the U.S. Council of Catholic Bishops:

The Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R 4437)

The following is a summary of the major provisions of H.R. 4437, the Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005. The legislation passed the House of Representatives 239-182 on Friday, December 16, 2005.

  • "Unlawful presence" would now be considered a crime and a felony, meaning that undocumented immigrants may have to serve jail time and would be barred from future legal status and from re-entry into the country.
  • Immigrants, including asylum-seekers, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic abuse, and children who are apprehended along an international border or at a port-of-entry would be detained until such time as they are removed from the nation or otherwise provided immigration relief.
  • Anyone or any organization who "assists" an individual without documentation "to reside in or remain" in the United States knowingly or with "reckless disregard" as to the individual's legal status would be liable for criminal penalties and five years in prison. This could include church personnel who provide shelter or other basic needs assistance to an undocumented individual. Property used in this act would be subject to seizure and forfeiture.
  • The use of expedited removal, which would permit DHS enforcement personnel to remove a potential asylum-seeker without providing an opportunity to appear before an immigration judge or qualified adjudicator, would be mandated within 100 miles of the border and within 14 days of a person's entry into the country.
  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be required to erect up to 700 miles of fencing along the Southwest border at points with the highest number of immigrant deaths.
  • State and local law enforcement are authorized to enforce federal immigration laws. State and local governments which refuse to participate would be subject to the loss of federal funding.
  • Asylum seekers and refugees who are convicted of a minor offense, such as petty theft, would be barred from permanent legal residence and eventual citizenship.
  • Document fraud would be considered an aggravated felony and would subject an asylum-seeker to deportation and bars to re-entry.
  • Nationals from countries who do not accept the return of aliens who commit crimes in this country would not be admitted to the United States. This would include countries such as China, Vietnam, and Cuba.
  • DHS would be given the authority to continue to detain individuals who have served their sentences based upon a determination that they are a "dangerous alien," contrary to Supreme Court rulings barring indefinite detention.
  • The diversity visa lottery program, which allows 50,000 immigrants each year from countries around the world to permanently reside in the United States, is eliminated.
    • The bishops' statement on the issue is here (click). Makes me proud to be a Catholic.
    -Joe Offer-

11 Mar 06 - 04:37 PM (#1690801)
Subject: RE: Problems With Mainstream Media-immigration bill
From: Azizi

Thanks for that summary, Joe!

{And-for the record-I also appreciate the additional information in the name of this thread}.

11 Mar 06 - 05:24 PM (#1690835)
Subject: RE: Problems With Mainstream Media-immigration bil
From: katlaughing

Wow, thanks, Joe!

And, thanks, Azizi, for bringing this to our attention. I had not heard of it, until I looked at google news with the info you'd given. However, I do not read any newspapers. All of my news comes from either NPR, small bits from tv, email alerts, and internet news sites, often from Mudcat, just like this item!

This bill has to be stopped!

kat

11 Mar 06 - 05:34 PM (#1690841)
Subject: RE: Problems With Mainstream Media-immigration bil
From: Joe Offer

Googling for Border Protection, Anti-Terrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act does bring up a lot of information on the bill from mainstream media - and much of it is quite critical of the proposed legislation. HOWEVER, much to the chagrin of activists, the media do not consider a demonstration, in and of itself, to be a newsworthy event unless something newsworthy happens there. This has a lot of advantages - it means the media are not obligated to show up for the Ku Klux Klan and Nazi rallies, but it also means they can't cover demonstrations they agree with.
Even getting arrested at a demonstration isn't newsworthy any more. I have friends, particularly nuns, who keep getting arrested at protests - but nobody gives them much attention any more. Oh, well....
-Joe-