This is an e-mail from a chaplain who was assigned at Gitmo. His e-mail is below unedited. (From Ravings of John C. A. Bambenek
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FROM: Reverend Kent L. Svendsen
Ordained Elder
United Methodist Church / Northern Illinois Conference
Dear Women's Division
General Borad of Global Ministries
United Methodist Church
I understand that you about to start a campaign relating to among other things human rights protections and the detainees held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
I can speak with some authority on the subject since I served as the chaplain to the Joint Detention Operation Group in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba from May 2004 until March 2005.
As a United Methodist I have a keen sense of world justice and while serving in Cuba sought to be faithful to our social principles and their concern for social holiness.
So I am not speaking to you as a military chaplain but as an Ordained United Methodist.
I have a great concern for our news media sources today. There was a day when the truth and protecting our nation from harm took precedence over being the first to break a story. Now it seems that accusations, no matter how harmful, no matter the source, no matter the possible consequences, are enough to use them as weapons upon the innocent as well as the guilty.
I am also grieved that there seems to be not only an automatic assumption of guilt when the accusations are aimed at our military and our government, but that any explanation aimed at proving them innocent is also automatically viewed as a "cover up". And that when those who are guilty of violations are uncovered, prosecutated, and punished there is a tendency by some to want to use that as evidence that the violations were policy instead a violation of the standing orders and policy. What the new media and groups like the Woman's Division needs to understand is that accusations cause harm and create damage that a retraction and an admission of error later cannot repair. (I don't think we will ever really know exactly how many died after Newsweek made the false accusation of a Koran being flushed
down a toilet.)
There are those who would use accusations such as those recently made against our military as weapons to gain political power. They count on the fact that people will believe something if its said enough times and said by people and organizations they respect. It was the case in the past that our nation's opponents tried to prevent our culture and news sources from reaching their people. After all, the ideas of freedom, democracy, and equality for all doesn't play well in some parts of the world. So since modern technology cannot be stopped and "world news" is now also news to the world there is now a new strategy. They use it to their advantage as a weapon against our nation.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
Thanks for letting us know about this letter. What do you think the chances of any of this making into the MSM are...
Dave
2 - John Bambenek
Approximately 0, since it would probably be considered "propaganda" because anything positive about the US apparently is propaganda by their definition.
3 - Temple Stark
If he sends it out as a letter to the editor it will get published. You guys are way too simplistic.
What would you have media outlets do with this other wise? He could be interviewed about this but the protest barely cracked the media lip either.
>>There was a day when the truth and protecting our nation from harm took precedence over being the first to break a story.
I agree with this.
The rest is just whining. Seriously. Esquire counts as MSM and it was a complete puff piece they wrote - but nevertheless pretty damn interesting.
4 - Patriot
The chaplain says: “There was a day when the truth and protecting our nation from harm took precedence…”
Yes -- it has been a long time…
Perhaps since the day Lyndon Johnson told Americans the truth that we were attacked in the Bay of Tonkin?
Or more recently -- since the day George Bush told Americans the truth that Iraq posed an “imminent danger” to us?
The chaplain also says: “I am also grieved that there seems to be not only an automatic assumption of guilt when the accusations are aimed at our military and our government…”
I wonder how many times our government has been accused of wrongdoing and it was proven false as opposed to the number of times it was proven true?
Anyone care to venture a guess?
There was a day when chaplains reported fact and not politicization of events…
5 - Michael
The chaplain says: “There was a day when the truth and protecting our nation from harm took precedence…”
Yes -- it has been a long time…
Perhaps since the day Lyndon Johnson told Americans the truth that we were attacked in the Bay of Tonkin?
pfft. "Remember the Maine!"
6 - Marc
Dave the answer to your question can be found at the end of the Chaplains Email:
As for Temple Stark - "If he sends it out as a letter to the editor it will get published."What flavor Kool-aid do you enjoy? Go ahead Temple pen a similiar type letter and send it the the NYT, LAT and the WaPo see if you go three for three.
My guess is you'd have better luck locating an active brain cell if Dick Durbin's skull.
7 - Temple Stark
I say that because of who he is. They'd publish it. Do you read the letters sections of those papers regularly? Just asking because for you to say it is so beyond the pale makes me think you have not or you just have an axe to grind.
8 - John Bambenek
At what point ever did Chaplains report ANYTHING? That's not their function...
But it's easy to dismiss an eyewitness account as false when you aren't concerned about the facts to begin with.
9 - Patriot
The function of Chaplains is to report the unvarnished truth…
An eyewitness account is discounted when it contains innuendo and hyperbole…
10 - Temple Stark
>>But it's easy to dismiss an eyewitness account as false
No one here has said that. Quit making it up out of thin air.
11 - John Bambenek
Patriot:
The function of chaplains is to minister to the spiritual needs of troops... period. They aren't journalists.
Temple:
Gee with statements like "There was a day when chaplains reported fact and not politicization of events…" one wonders how I got the idea you were calling it lies... I'm sorry I missed your praise for the veracity of his statements.
12 - SFC SKI
I'd say the chaplain's letter is one more example of the frustration military members have with most press.
Temple, IIRC, you are a journalist. MY question to you is, why is most media coverage of the military limted to casualties or charges being brought against the military as a group or individual servicepeople?
I read several national newspapers online everyday and the Iraq coverage does not tell the whole story, why is that?
Last, what is your opinion of this site?
http://www.michaelyon.blogspot.com/
13 - John Bambenek
And Temple, do you believe the Jews are to blame for 9/11?
14 - SFC SKI
Please leave the conspiracies to the WTC thread. I'd like to see if we can keep at least one serious post from going scattershot.
15 - John Bambenek
I've not had one post on this site that hasn't gone scattershot yet...
I'm sure when I post my book review the flamers will start going nuts on that too.
16 - SFC SKI
I know, but I keep hoping.
17 - Phillip Winn
John, Temple know what he's talking about when he talks about the print media. Rather than bring bizarre accusations of anti-Semitism into the mix, perhaps you should suggest that the letter posted here be sent as a letter to the editor of the three newspapers mentioned and see what results you get.
It's an easily verified claim, after all.
18 - John Bambenek
It's not that bizarre of a claim... House Democrats apparently throw it around everytime they play pretend-impeachment...
19 - Zack
Comment 13 posted by John Bambenek
“And Temple, do you believe the Jews are to blame for 9/11?”
And John, do you believe that Israel had anything to do to with Bush invading Iraq?
20 - Temple Stark
>>There was a day when chaplains reported fact and not politicization of events…
Hey John. Get things straight, please. I didn't say what you just quoted to me. That was Patriot comment 4.
It's basic mistakes like this that make me wonder about your veracity.
And the quote itself is not an either /or situation statement. There can be facts without politicization (even in this day and age of retribution and rancor.) It didn't say Chaplain Svendsen
Phillip - thanks for having my back. Again, the letter needs a little more context and some knowledge of the ladies' campaign to be understood. But that would be my suggestion, too. Get it out there.
SFC SKI: You ask a complicated question but a good one. I have not worked on a national publication so I do not have firsthand knowledge of the mode of thinking.
I do think people tend to forget the good coverage, more so when they think there is none or very little to begin with; preconceptions color what's actually happening.
I believe I've read you answer your own question elsewhere: News is what's happening today. It's more often what ends up on the front page than feature articles of any kind.
But if you include television and the cable news networks - all of them - there's been much more positive than negative coverage I believe.
A soldier's story - coming back or going to - tugs at many heart strings. Especially because more and more people are or know someone who is effected. You have to include all the coverage as whole, do you not - the thousands of stories (print and TV) in early 2003 of soldiers and their proud families. Stories that continue to this day.
Back to newspapers:
I think there are a lot of access issues.
I think Michael Yon's site, which I have read many times - has a lot of unverified information (though that doesn't mean I don't think its true). I think if all you do is report good, people who want the good to come out first will go to you. At the same time they will be less likely to go to media outlets who relate a more complete picture.
(Pundits online and off, yes but pundits say a lot of stupid things in all directions that is best ignored).
I think the civilian casualties we are causing and those we set in motion are also worth recording. I don't hear / read the newspaper reporting saying America caused their deaths. Insurgents did.
I think people understand that and people should be given more credit for their intelligence. Most people also already understand that soldiers are a credit to their uniform and the country.
That's WHY something like Abu Ghraib or that there were 30 deaths in American prisons - which I think is more than the number of beheaded Americans if people want to comparison shop - is so shocking. It's out of character and a lot of people wonder WHY? And HOW.
And I personally wonder at the motivation of people who do NOT ask those questions. I know soldiers do all the time. And I don't have to wonder at the motivation of people who do not want others asking those questions. Questions are not the same as accusations. Of course some people will accuse first and ask questions later. But it's not mainstream media outlets.
Lastly I think dead soldiers is news and something people do want to know. I hope so anyway. Each one is sickly tragic, followed by tragedy followed by a lifetimes of memories, as well as pride. But pride in a soldier can come without death - and usually does.
Death of all kinds should be a factor to weigh into the mix. And again the countless hours and 1,000s of words of positive coverage is easily forgotten because deaths keep coming.
Situations like the lies - yes, I will call it that - surrounding Pat Tillman's death and Jessica Lynch's rescue also do not help. The Pentagon - as perhaps is part of their job in war time lies to media outlets all the time about this and much more. They can't really be trusted for the truth all the time either (and often "Pentagon spokesman" is a pretty anonymous source as well).
There's still more to it. There's a start. Thoughts?
21 - Temple Stark
It didn't say Chaplain Svendsen lied (to finish my sentence).
22 - John Bambenek
Temple: Ok, I misread the comment. The have a peculiar template for this and I often misattribute... I'd prefer it to be after... so fine... I made a mistake.
Zack:
Israel had everything to do with invading Iraq... at least the first time. But not for the reason you think. Geopolitical stability was the reason... not dominance, per se, but I guess you can consider it that. Israel is alone in an unfriendly part of the world, we are their ally.
23 - SFC SKI
Thanks for the response, Temple.
I had a mch longer response, but it boils down to this:
The American public does need to know what is going wrong, it also needs to know what is going right, with equal emphasis.
I agree that the DOD and the Administration don't make it any easier at times.
24 - MDE
Here are three recent reports on conditions in Iraq:
IRAQ: Increase in TB cases worrying, doctors say
Pollution Chokes the Tigris, a Main Source of Baghdad’s Drinking Water
Unending health disaster for Iraqi kids
So where is the positive news to balance this out? Maybe there just isn't much positive stuff going on to report.
Mark
25 - MDE
The link to The New Standard" above doesn't seem to work. Here's the report:
"Pollution Chokes the Tigris, a Main Source of Baghdad’s Drinking Water
by Dahr Jamail (bio)
Water from the Tigris River -- consumed by Iraqis in Baghdad every day -- is contaminated with war waste, and much of it goes untreated despite obligations of a US company to reconstruct vital facilities.
Baghdad , Jun 6, 2004 - With reconstruction of a highly inadequate water treatment and distribution system at a near standstill throughout much of Central Iraq, some residents of Baghdad are left with little choice but to drink highly polluted water from the Tigris River. Aside from a newly formed Iraqi non-governmental organization that is focusing on the cleanup of one section of the river, not much is being done to improve Baghdad residents' access to potable water, and US contractors appear unable or unwilling to help.
While many areas of Baghdad have access to drinking water from a few of the functional treatment plants, millions of residents remain without a clean, reliable source. All too many of these unfortunates turn to the rotten banks of the Tigris, which snakes prominently through the heart of Baghdad collecting toxins as it flows."
Mark