Frontpage Reprints Apparently Bogus Anti-Muslim Piece
I guess it was a slow day for hate over at Frontpage Magazine.
Down on the bottom right, sort of "below the fold," they have run an op-ed piece entitled 'Do You Love America?' by Captain John Maniscalo, American Airlines Pilot.
I've been trying to say this since 9-11 but you worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. ... How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim-Americans and the Arab/Muslims in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children?
And on and on it goes: misinformation, oversimplication and outright paranoia - mean tripe that's par for the course over at Frontpage.
But what makes this so amusing is that it's not only old "news" - first appearing in 2002, some say - but that it's apparently bogus as well.
According to Snopes.com, this piece's veracity cannot be determined. American Airlines does have a pilot by that name, but the article first turned up as a letter to the editor in the Gazette of Hyatsville, MD - written by a Kevin Daly.
However, as they point out, who's to say that Mr. Daly didn't see Captain John's letter and submit a less vitriolic version to the paper? it wouldn't be the first time someone C&Ped something they liked and passed it off as their own opinion.
(The letter in question is no longer archived at the Gazette. However, A Skeptical Blog did a comparisson of the two letters. They also lay blame for the changing on a particular site, but I'll leave my readers to decide for themselves what's up, there.)
Meanwhile, Break The Chain did a little more homework. Though they don't mention the Daly letter, they did get a response from American Airlines.
Michelle Simmons, customer relations representative for America Airlines, told BreakTheChain.org that they are investigating the matter, but have not yet found the letter's source.
"We are currently investigating whether this is an Internet hoax. We do have a pilot with the same name working for American Airlines who has indicated that he did not write this message. Regardless, let us assure you that the comments expressed in this article do not, in any way, represent the views of American Airlines.
"On September 12th, our Chairman issued a statement to all American employees specifically stating that we would not tolerate hate of any kind at our Company. That statement remains true today."
If only Frontpage would adhere to a similar code of conduct. But, as I pointed out not long ago, it seems to be their stock in trade, guaranteeing that whatever relevant things they might have to say will be lost in the mud.
Meanwhile, we'll just have to chalk this up to the usual level of journalistic "eksellance" we've come to expect from Frontpage, where they're not only apparently too cheap to hire enough fact-checkers for David Horowitz, but too cheap to commission entirely new Islamophobic screeds, and having to pick them up off the internet, instead.
(I'm sure David will call that a "Cheap Shot." Oh well...)
Down on the bottom right, sort of "below the fold," they have run an op-ed piece entitled 'Do You Love America?' by Captain John Maniscalo, American Airlines Pilot.
I've been trying to say this since 9-11 but you worry me. I wish you didn't. I wish when I walked down the streets of this country that I love, that your color and culture still blended with the beautiful human landscape we enjoy in this country. But you don't blend in anymore. I notice you, and it worries me. ... How do I differentiate between the true Arab/Muslim-Americans and the Arab/Muslims in our communities who are attending our schools, enjoying our parks, and living in OUR communities under the protection of OUR constitution, while they plot the next attack that will slaughter these same good neighbors and children?
And on and on it goes: misinformation, oversimplication and outright paranoia - mean tripe that's par for the course over at Frontpage.
But what makes this so amusing is that it's not only old "news" - first appearing in 2002, some say - but that it's apparently bogus as well.
According to Snopes.com, this piece's veracity cannot be determined. American Airlines does have a pilot by that name, but the article first turned up as a letter to the editor in the Gazette of Hyatsville, MD - written by a Kevin Daly.
However, as they point out, who's to say that Mr. Daly didn't see Captain John's letter and submit a less vitriolic version to the paper? it wouldn't be the first time someone C&Ped something they liked and passed it off as their own opinion.
(The letter in question is no longer archived at the Gazette. However, A Skeptical Blog did a comparisson of the two letters. They also lay blame for the changing on a particular site, but I'll leave my readers to decide for themselves what's up, there.)
Meanwhile, Break The Chain did a little more homework. Though they don't mention the Daly letter, they did get a response from American Airlines.
Michelle Simmons, customer relations representative for America Airlines, told BreakTheChain.org that they are investigating the matter, but have not yet found the letter's source.
"We are currently investigating whether this is an Internet hoax. We do have a pilot with the same name working for American Airlines who has indicated that he did not write this message. Regardless, let us assure you that the comments expressed in this article do not, in any way, represent the views of American Airlines.
"On September 12th, our Chairman issued a statement to all American employees specifically stating that we would not tolerate hate of any kind at our Company. That statement remains true today."
If only Frontpage would adhere to a similar code of conduct. But, as I pointed out not long ago, it seems to be their stock in trade, guaranteeing that whatever relevant things they might have to say will be lost in the mud.
Meanwhile, we'll just have to chalk this up to the usual level of journalistic "eksellance" we've come to expect from Frontpage, where they're not only apparently too cheap to hire enough fact-checkers for David Horowitz, but too cheap to commission entirely new Islamophobic screeds, and having to pick them up off the internet, instead.
(I'm sure David will call that a "Cheap Shot." Oh well...)
posted by J. Edward Tremlett at 3:36 PM
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