ANSWER Writes Op-Ed Sets San Fransisco Chron. Straight

[BayCityProgressive]

This op-ed was published in the Chron. after the paper received hundreds of angry letters and calls about their HORRIBLE coverage of the march 18th protest. They underestimated the crowd size by over 10 times and atributed quotes to people that were not real. I am glad ANSWER stood up to them and pressured them to publish their op-ed. ANSWER is now starting a campaign against the corporate media.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/03/26/EDGC7N72TT1.DTL&hw=war+protest+crowd+count&sn=001&sc=1000

WHILE TENS of thousands of spirited anti-war marchers were still entering the San Francisco Civic Center on Sunday, March 18, ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism) Coalition organizers got word that a Chronicle reporter covering the event had already determined that only 3,000 people were present. The San Francisco march was part of a worldwide day of protest against on the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Mainstream media undercounting of progressive demonstrations is nothing new, but this one had a magician's touch. With just a few keystrokes, a reporter made 90 percent of Sunday's crowd disappear, hundreds of whom have since expressed their outrage. Typical was the comment by one angry participant: "The Chron's numbers were only off by about 1,000 percent."

[Atman]

1. Too bad a more credible organization isn't blasting the Chronical

Sorry, but ANSWER is likely just upset that ANSWER didn't get more publicity for itself. What was their pet theme this time? "Free The Border Guards?" Or maybe "Free beer and wings after the march."

My ranting aside, I hope they meet with some success in this endeavor. Sooner or later, they're bound to do something right.

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[BayCityProgressive]

2. typical

perhaps when you get a more successful organization started people will take you seriously. They sponsored the rally in DC and put no other issue out there but Iraq until a rally after the march which you were free to walk away from. It is a COALITION and people are there for different reasons. When I go to UFPJ rallies there is no shortage of socialist papers ect either. The people on UFPJ steering committee include to communist party USA. Some people here would be better writing for the Chron than out in the streets.

[Atman]

3. Which march on DC do you speak of?

Not the one which was ONLY covered on CSPAN, and ONLY featured THREE HOURS of "Free Mumia" speeches and endless attempts to get the crowd to join in on schoolyard chants? I saw that one...fat lot of good it did, right? ANSWER hogged every last second of available coverage for it's own pet causes.

You call my response "typical." You might want to think about WHY it is "typical." Because a lot of people are tired of ANSWER, and several here on DU have even questioned whether or not they're even a legit organization, or just one funded by certain government sources in an attempt to assuage the anti-war crowd and keep their energies harmlessly focused in the wrong places.

Just sayin..."typical?" For a good reason.

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[devilgrrl]

4. You've got it Atman...

couldn't agree with you more. Count me in as another DUer who is skeptical of ANSWER's motivations.

[Atman]

10. What is equally "typical" is the "you organize something better" response

As if that is the only choice. "Let ANSWER waste our time, or YOU organize something yourself!" That's certainly helpful, isn't it? I'm not pretending to be able to organize a million people marching on Washington, I am just a concerned anti-war American who has some serious questions about ANSWER's methods and tactics, and convenient lack of coverage anytime they sponsor anything. If they're so great at organizing, they'd make sure every network and news outlet had front-row seats and staging areas to cover the MARCHES and not their "Free Mumia" rallies.

Hell, I'm having a hard enough time organizing my thirtieth high school reunion this fall...but I'll be sure we have photographers there covering the reunion, and not make the whole event about my own personal issues.

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[BayCityProgressive]

13. tHE mEDIA

Doesnt cover protests by UFPJ or vigils by MoveOn.org either. it isn't the organizers fault that the media is biased. I am part of a moderate anti-war group in Michigan and we have had 70 people right outside of the local papers office before and still not been covered at all. The media in this country is totally complicit.

[Atman]

16. Do you count CSPAN as "the media?"

Just curious. You brush off their coverage as simply being a broadcasting decision. That is absurd...the largest anti-war rally since Viet Nam is going on right in CSPAN's yard, and they couldn't find one spare camera, or even 60 seconds of air time with which to inform their viewers. So who is the CSPAN "media" organization, and who is pulling THEIR strings?

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[mike_c]

5. "...funded by nefarious sources..."

:rofl:

Check under your bed, dude-- there might be COMMUNISTS under there!

[BayCityProgressive]

7. you can

give them tax deductable donations..so not too shadowy I would assume.

[devilgrrl]

8. or rightwing operatives...

:rofl: isn't that a laugh riot? The anti-war crowd being taken for a ride by a CIA funded operation? :rofl: Too funny!

[Atman]

11. Learn how to read, dude!

First of all, I had edited that word while you were writing your oh-so-enlightening and thought-provoking response...I changed it to "certain govt organizations." And the reading part you missed...I commented that several posters on DU have offered up that hypothesis; I haven't been one of them. But being an ANSWER apologist, you probably knew that, and were just attempting to distract the readers.

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[BayCityProgressive]

14. ANSWER apologists?

LOL. So are you a Chron apologist then?

[Atman]

18. LOL!

Yeah. That's it.

What is your official roll witin the ANSWER organization? You seem to use all of the exact same tactics to keep the attention focused where YOU want it, while avoiding the issue.

Oh, and uh...LOL.

:eyes:

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[BayCityProgressive]

20. Just an anti-war protester

who disagrees with you. You use so many strawmen it is pathetic. By that token I can ask you what roll you have with the corporate media. What have I avoided answering? i think I have been pretty clear in my posts.

[Atman]

22. Point to the strawmen I've used.

I've simply stated what I personally witness re: the coverage of the DC march. I've set up no straw men. You can certainly ask anything of me you'd like, and I'll answer you -- I have no connection to the corporate media.

Was that so hard? Is so absurd that one would question whether you have a formal connection with ANSWER when you so vehemently defend them and use ridiculous "red baiting" smears?

:shrug:

.

[BayCityProgressive]

25. Strawmen

lets see, you have attacked me personally aby quesitoning "who I work for", brought up funding of the group, misrepresented what happend at the march ect. I am not affiliated with ANSWER in any way except that i receive their e-mails alerting me of future actions. You can ask questions about the funding and mission of almost any group. You accuse me of possibly working for them since I defend them...well by that token I can also ask why you so vehemntly oppose them and who is funding you. We obviously will nto agree on this issue and have very different views about the actions of osme in the progressive movement. We will just have to agree to disagree.

[Atman]

29. Sorry, those aren't "straw men"

A straw man is a false argument which is made for the deliberate purpose of knocking it down. How on earth does "who you work for?" or any of your other examples meet that criteria? I can't knock them down...you can simply tell me a real answer, or even a lie, I won't know the difference. Nothing you point to is a "straw man." You might be uncomfortable that I ask the questions, but that's something else entirely. It's certainly not a straw man.

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[BayCityProgressive]

6. Perhaps cspan

decided to cover only the rally AFTER the march...which most people did not attend. If so, that speaks of CSPAN not ANSWER. also, I was there and there was not 3 hours of Mumia...there was one speaker on Mumia. It is "typical" because people trust sources such as the Chron over progressives out in the street trying to make change. The corporate press blasts ANSWER, UFPJ, BLOGS, CHAVEZ, pro-palestine activists, MOVEON.ORG ect ect...they will attack anyone who doesn't push their agenda. UFPJ is not focused on only Iraq either. Focusing on one issue is short-sighted. Many things need to be corrected or we will end up in another situtation similar to this in iran, Venezuela, Cuba or anywhere else the empire would like to attack. Both movements tie poverty issues here with the Iraq war as well. It is good to compare what we are doing in Iraq and our response to Katrina. UFPJ I guess will also be attacked by progressives because this summer they are having a march in DC to end aparthied in Palestine. If you want people to join a coalition you need to let them speak their minds as well. ANSWER may not be perfect, but they sure as hell have done more to inform people why we are at war with Iraq and organize against it than the Democrats have done. Progressive Democrats don't seem to mind them either. McKinney, Rocky Anderson, Jesse jackson, Lynn Woolsey, Maxine Waters, Dennis Kucinich, John Conyers and others have all spoken at their rallies.

[BayCityProgressive]

9. Also

as for ulterior motives...i thought you just said that they bring up multiple controversial issues? If so, then they aren't really hiding their motives are they? They plainly state on their website they are against all imperialism and they believe both parties are pro-war and want to be independant from them...you may not agree with that..but they aren't hiding it.

[Atman]

12. You need to dig into their history and genesis a bit deeper

Don't rely on who they tell you they are. Google is your friend.

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[BayCityProgressive]

15. yes

they were started by left wing minority groups and socialists I know this. So was UFPJ.

[BayCityProgressive]

17. Also

maybe you are not trying to do this...but red baiting is a stupid thing to do. Socialists and communists, although always a minority in the US...have been instrumental in much progressive change in this country. It is easier to red bait though.

[Atman]

19. "Some say you're red baiting."

Jeez dude, are you also a FOX reporter? Or maybe you wrote Katie Couric's questions for the Edwardses.

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[BayCityProgressive]

21. I don't thin k I said that

anywhere in my post. but way to change the subject with another strawman.

[Atman]

23. You may not think so, but you did.

Quite clearly. You might want to read your post again.

And look up "straw man" while your at it.

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[Atman]

24. Hey, anyone else have anything to input? Cuz this is going nowhere.

:shrug:

If I just wanted to get flamed by a BayCity, we could do it via PM, I suppose.

.

[cali]

26. Yep. I agree with you completely

and I couldn't care less about Mumia. Why are they so hung up on that anyway?

[BayCityProgressive]

27. yup

your posts have been really civil. Glad you can take the moral high ground.:eyes:

[EFerrari]

28. ANSWER did a great job here on March 18 and I'm happy

they confronted the Chronicle.

Oh, and FREE THE CUBAN FIVE!

lol