"The Newsroom" on HBO became a quick favorite last year when it entered prime time television - at least it did so in our house. It's a drama series about a newsroom (go figure) and the processes, verifications, sources, lies, deceit, etc, that the staff must go through before Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) goes on air to report. He's a top news personality and being the first to break a big story is of course the goal. There's an episode from last year, the first season - where they are about to go live with a breaking story and the crew has not yet confirmed a lead or source. As you watch, Will is struggling with what to do: Tell the story, albeit minus confirmation and get the ratings, or be honest with "the people" and take it in the rear from the boss for responsible reporting. It's a show with love triangles and back stabbing of course, but it's also a show with integrity.
I didn't really follow the shooting of Monica Quan (Al Sharpton of MSNBC called her Michelle Quan on air yesterday... you know, the ice skating champion?) or her fiance when it broke. In fact, I didn't read anything about it until last Thursday when Dorner shot at 3 police officers, killing one of them and then fleeing. (I should say "allegedly" but... I mean, at this point... really?) I briefly read whatever there was on CNN.com and then on Friday - delved into "the manifesto". Honestly, I thought the first 11 pages read pretty "sane." The last several where he mentioned a bunch of TV personalities and celebrities - felt like they had been later added by him. As if he had calmly, over time, written the information about his processes, firing, etc and then, when it came time for him to carry out his plan (I guess?) he just started randomly adding things to it. Regardless - I didn't jump on his bandwagon, but I was leaning toward believing he had been a victim of the LAPD for being a "whistleblower". So there's that.
So then - like the "Laci Peterson" story and the O.J. Simpson chase - I found myself following the goings on - only this time, not on my rear on the couch with the television on, but rather on the Twitterverse. I read many of the posts and shook my head - a lot. So much drama and reaction and people who know someones cousin, whose sisters best friends' uncle works with the nephew of a girl who knows a guy Christopher Dorner used to play racquetball with. That kind of stuff. Pshhh...
I told The Dad about it on Saturday - he hadn't read anything and barely heard anything about any of it at that point. I knew if The Dad read it and told me that it was just that side of me that fights for vindication and the little guy, people being wronged and to not read anything more - that I would feel embarrassed for being so gullible. But he read it amidst everything that was then (Sunday) currently airing about the forces leaving Big Bear, believing Mr. Dorner had now fled into Mexico with the help of an accomplice, and started posing questions much like I was. We both wholeheartedly agree the guy was not doing any good - but at the same time, neither was the LAPD (shooting, without any warning at 71 and 46 hispanic <?> women delivering the newspaper.).
I was really NOT going to write anything about this - until this morning when I read that "they" had found his wallet and drivers license in the burned out cabin. Okay - they found his wallet at the Mexican border with his ID's - specifically at the San Ysidro Point of Entry, the Los Angeles Times reported - AND the police did not dispute, last Thursday, or Friday.
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| See Section 7, Paragraph (b.) |
They did NOT enter the burning cabin for several hours because it burned so hot. Again - if he was burned beyond recognition - how did his wallet and ID's stay in tact? And how did he retrieve them from the authorities down by the mexican border?
I was heading out yesterday afternoon to mail a few valentines packages and picked up my phone and saw some tweets that they had found Dorner. I made the mistake of turning on the TV and watching... I was watching as ALL of the news helicopters were asked to leave the area, stop filming as the suspect might be aided by their position and on air filming. But at the EXACT same time, the son of the cabin owner had called and told the stations that there was no cable, phone or internet access at the remote cabin. And really... when 200 police officers have you surrounded, are you going to be watching TV?
There's so much of this that doesn't make sense and we will never know. We do know, however, by the many many people listening to scanners - that they set fire to the cabin. There was an official tweet that has since been pulled that stated a sniper killed Christopher Dorner, shooting him in the right temple shortly before the billowing black smoke filled the air.
What was so apparent was that every station and news website clearly wanted to be the first to air "BREAKING NEWS" and most of them didn't care if they aired false or unconfirmed information. Shouldn't we, with technology, schooling, improvements to everything that exists as time goes on - be able to get solid, honest, news reporting?
Furthermore, Al Sharpton, who sounded inebriated in the broadcast yesterday - spoke to a Dr. Jenn Berman who stated that Dorner was now a madman. He had gone over the edge and would shoot, kill anyone "at this point" - of that she felt certain. Though he did not shoot the people he tied up, whose car he stole... nor did he shoot the man whose truck he carjacked. Yes, frighteningly enough he pointed the gun at the car, but according to the carjack victim, Rick Heltebrake, Dorner told him he wasn't going to hurt him, he just needed his truck. Heltebrake said he asked if he could get his dog out of the car and Dorner told him he could. I believe this shows his intentions clearly, were to only engage in "battle" with law enforcement.
He killed people and should have either been apprehended and served the rest of his life in prison or on death row, OR killed in gun battle. Instead - what many considered would happen - happened. He was killed. Perhaps by sniper, likely the fire set to cover that all up, and like the glove planting in the O.J. case all of those years ago - someone, planted a second wallet and ID in a burned out, collapsed cabin, next to a burned beyond recognition body believing that everyone in the entire world watching wouldn't remember the first wallet and ID AND that magically, those things alone survived the intensely hot fire. We the people, according to the LA law enforcement, are all THAT stupid.
For a guy that was smiling in every photo you've seen, a guy that returned $8,000 in cash found on the side of the road, who held degrees and service awards and was advised by a friend NOT to apply with the LAPD - who then became a whistleblower for all that he felt was still wrong (after the supposed department cleanup after Rodney King) - he died a hunted man's death with his mother watching at a bar, eating chips and salsa.
Honest, legitimate reporting long gone. Right to a trial by a jury of ones' peers? Laughable. Oh... and that million dollar reward? The woman who broke free and called 911 doesn't get it. The man who was carjacked and called authorities doesn't get it. Why? Because Dorner was not "captured and convicted". Which must mean they never had the intention of letting him live. They knew they'd get out of having to pay the reward simply by expiring him.
It's beyond unfortunate he felt this was his only recourse. It's awful he took innocent lives. It's embarrassing the LAPD shot at innocent people without making sure they weren't, in fact, remotely resembling the suspect OR his vehicle. It's ridiculous, apparently, for us to expect accurate reporting. It's hard to trust law enforcement when the way and timing of the house fire and the commands for the "burn" are glaring. Every single aspect about this, including the top commando who wouldn't leave his house for a week... It's just all "icky".
This is the world we live in.
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