An example of just how the media just doesn't understand the military.

I was scanning my daily list of blogs: Black Five and OPFOR among others, and I discovered a posting at the Blackfive about Sacramento Bee reporter Bobby Caina Calvan and his recent blog post that just boiled my blood. Now I'm not going to rehash what other have said but after a title wave of negative comments this reporter rather then apologize for his comments, decides to take the cowardly way out and deletes his whole blog pretending like it didn't happen. Well thankfully many people had to foresight to copy the entire posting to include the comments.

The best archive I have found can be found at Doc Weasel's blog at Bobby Caina Calvan article

Let me just say that in my humble opinion this is prime example of not only the cowardliness and shear arrogant better that you attitude of some in the media, but also a perfect example of just how well the media DOESN'T understand the men and women in the military. Rather then realize that this solider is simply doing his job as ordered, this reporter thinks that not only can he circumvent the safety and protection procedures (set up to protect others including him) because he is a reporter, but that somehow the rules shouldn't and don't apply to him. Does he take a step back and say hum there might be a better way, like following the rules? NO and in his own words he "decides to get pushy" with a guy who is only doing his job protecting people inside the Green Zone in Iraq.

Also rather then apologize when when called to the carpet by readers of his blog, he tries to make edits to his original post and delete comments that don't agree with his opinion. After a while the negative comment tide is such that he decides, rather then simply taking a look in the mirror and saying "you know I might be in the wrong here" and issue an apology, to delete his blog in its entirety. What a coward.

For any readers in the Sacramento Bee distro area (which includes my home town of Fairfield) I would ask that you: 1) visit Doc Weasel's sight and read the archived posting and 2) if you are of like mind and agree with myself and others to write or call the Sacramento Bee and let them know just how displeased you are with this reporter. Heck you don't have to be in the Sacrament Bee distro area, as this guy said (rather pompously in my opinion) "he works for Knight Ridder", so you can write/call you local Knight Ridder paper and let them know what you think of this guy.


Ish