Helen Thomas was fired, in what was a clear violation of her First Amendment Rights; but none of our major media or professors of Constitutional Law screamed in her defense, because she spoke the truth about the "Sacred Cow" of American politics -- Israel, and Israel's abuse of Palestinians.
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I've wanted to write this article since Hearst Newspapers
fired journalist Helen Thomas for an answer she gave in an interview about Palestine and
Israel. I've waited for more "prominent journalists" to speak out about her
First Amendment rights of freedom of speech in some of our "important journals
of note," such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Nation
magazine, Harpers, Atlantic, ABC, NBC, CBS, NPR, PBS -- but nothing was said, at
least nothing I've come across.
I feel this shows the shame of the "fourth
estate" (that actually no longer exists) and the cowardice of our major media to
defend not only her rights but their own belief in our Constitution. They want that
freedom of speech for themselves, and for printing their pro-Israeli "news," but
will not, and did not, defend someone of distinction like Helen Thomas because
she spoke against one of their icons and myths.
Helen Thomas was fired, in what was a clear violation of her
First Amendment Rights; but none of our major media or
professors of Constitutional Law screamed in her defense, because she spoke the
truth about the "Sacred Cow" of American politics -- Israel, and Israel's abuse
of Palestinians.
Ms.Thomas was, and is, the most famous, most courageous,
and most truthful of all journalists in American history. She was what
journalism schools teach, and have always taught. She was used as an example at
universities such as Northwestern, Columbia, Missouri, Harvard, etc., for what a
true journalist was, and should be. But when she spoke the truth about
something that none dared speak of, she was fired.
I hope that our journalism
schools have the courage to teach about this shameful act, so that students know
the pitfalls of what happens in America if you speak too much truth. Perhaps
future generations can correct this in the major media. If not, perhaps they
will carry on the belief in truth that we find these days only on alternative
media sites.
As everyone is aware of by now, in one of the most shameful
acts in American journalism, in June of this year, 2010, the Hearst Newspapers
fired Helen Thomas, the most famous and most respected journalist in American
history, for speaking the truth about Israel and its treatment of Palestinians,
and the favoritism America shows Israel even in the face of Israeli
atrocities.
Ms.Thomas has always stood out with her courage and
truthfulness. Even in Washington, when politicians would invite her to "private
dinner parties," she would not attend; I remember this clearly from her comments
when I edited, THIRD WORLD NEWS, and she was the top reporter at the White House
and the top journalist for United Press International before it was sold out to
a pro-zionist group and editor.
Helen Thomas continues to speak out, even though her former
colleagues in the media did not have the courage to stand by her and support her
First Amendment rights of Freedom of Speech. I know her well enough to be able
to state unequivocally that she would have stood up for them. During the Bush
administration, she was moved to the back row during press conferences, and was
called upon only at briefings. If her peers had been true journalists and had her
courage, they would have told the president, "Helen is the top journalist here
and she deserves to have the first seat and first question here at the White
house." Had they done that, George W. Bush, the eternal idiot, would have had
to back down.
In this recent case, even if she was no longer with Hearst
Newspapers, Helen Thomas had every right to keep that front-row seat and to ask
the first question, even if she was a freelance journalist. But her
"colleagues" were not really her colleagues, they were cowards and do not
deserve to be called members of "The Fourth Estate" any longer; they are but
lackeys to the corporations and the political parties that are ruining
America.
Long live Helen Thomas and the truths for which she stands. And thank
God for sites like www.opednews.com whose members have the courage
to speak the truth in this bad time for America and the world.
Authors Bio:Sam Hamod, Ph.D. is a graduate professor; he has taught courses in creative writing, politics, religion, mass media and intercultural relations. He has one of the very few PhDs awarded by The Writers Workshop of The Univ. of Iowa, has published 12 books of poems, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and has 3 more books under contract, including his memoirs, "At the Broadway Lounge: A Muslim Life in America." His M.A. and B.A. are from Northwestern University, and he went to Law School at The Univ. of Chicago. He is the former Director of The Islamic Center in Washington, DC; he founded and edited THIRD WORLD NEWS in Wash, DC; has taught at Princeton, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, Howard and Valparaiso. He also served as an advisor to the State Department and worked on the "peace process" between Palestine and Israel in Wash, DC. He founded www.todaysalternativenews.com in 2000. He has lectured and read his work all over America, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.