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Sunday, May 27, 2007

MSM Protecting the ACLU? Where's the Headlines?

Just when you think the mainstream media cannot be less responsible than already demonstrated, cannot be more liberally biased than already evident, and cannot possibly flaunt their arrogance with any more vigor, another ACLU headline shows up missing.

Here's what I see as irresponsible, liberally biased and completely arrogant:
Charles Rust-Tierney,
** A former Virginia Chapter ACLU Chapter President
** An ACLU Board Member until the day of his arrest
** An employee of the Washington, D.C. Public Defender Service (since 1990) working exclusively with mentally ill clients
** Actively advocated, on behalf of the ACLU, to DISALLOW the use of computer blocking-software to protect children against pornography in Public Libraries.
** An Arlington, VA Youth Coach (President of the Arlington Little League)
** A spouse or ex-spouse of a present ACLU New York attorney, Dian Rust-Tierney
** Expected to plead guilty via a plea agreement on June 1st

...and was investigated by ICE, Homeland Security's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, read it here, arrested and charged for possession of child pornography. Here's what the judge said about Rust-Tierney's charges and the evidence that supported the charges:
U.S. Magistrate Judge Theresa C. Buchanan was not swayed, saying the images found on Rust-Tierney's computer were "the most perverted and nauseating and sickening type of child pornography" she has seen in 10 years on the bench. Defense attorneys Peter D. Greenspun and Jonathan Shapiro appealed her detention order and will try again today to win their client's release on bond.
This from The Federal News Radio:
Among the items found on Rust-Tierney's computer was a six-minute video that prosecutors described as "a compilation of some of the worst child torture and rape scenes" that police have seen in their various investigations of child exploitation, all set to music by the rock band Nine Inch Nails.
This from ABCnews.com:
The videos described in the complaint depict graphic forcible intercourse with prepubescent females. One if the girls is described in court documents as being "seen and heard crying", another is described as being "bound by rope."
Back to irresponsible, liberally biased and arrogant: there is miniscule reporting on this. ABC.com, Fox News, The Washington Post, some AP. Everyone seems to be reporting the same few details, except O'Reilly, who went ballistic with the lack of coverage - called it A Journalistic Cover-up.

If the argument for lack of press attention is that Rust-Tierney was no longer an ACLU Chapter President, (served 2002-2005), he was an ACLU board member until the day of his arrest (or some reports say he resigned the day before). He actively represented the ACLU AGAINST protections for our children as they use computers in public libraries. His wife, or ex-wife, is employed by the New York City ACLU office,...and these charges are not just ordinary pornography charges. Homeland Security busted him! If I understand correctly, this was a global effort to round-up perverts doing just what Rust-Tierney is alleged to have done.

This is about children - this man worked with children!


There's more. This is the true arrogance of the MSM. You may have read this at Stop the ACLU, or my reporting here and here (including O'Reilly video) or that of numerous other bloggers, but you haven't seen it in the MSM (at least that any of us can find and we've been looking), other than the NJjournal.com. Inset text - my quick summary:
The present and long-time President of the ACLU, Nadine Strossen (also a Professor at the New York Law School), employs as her Chief Aide a man convicted of Child Endangerment. Steven C. Cunningham (Steven Christie Cunningham, I believe), was permanently disbarred in the State of New Jersey for online chats with a supposed 12 year old boy. He retains his license to practice law in the State of New York. I have called Strossen's office numerous times, as well as her attorney, to confirm that Cunningham is still her Chief Aide. The answer is always a no comment, but I have reason to believe he still holds the position. Read the update and details of my last phone call here.
There's ABSOLUTELY NO PRESS ON THIS.
It is a total blackout.


The missing headlines...I cannot help but contrast the easy, loud and constant headlines written about Abu Ghraib - before charges were filed, when it was just a rumor. Here's just three to jog your memory, and really, I'm sorry to do so, because it has all been "so done" before.

If we can have the following written about our military before a court trial, why do we not have the same beating of drums to inform the public of the despicable charges outlined above - regarding a man well-known in Washington D.C. social circles?

The Washington Post.com printed Sworn statements by Abu Ghraib Detainees and warned that the "statements are by alleged victims of sexual assault." January 2004

The New Yorker: Torture at Aub Ghraib: American soldiers brutalized Iraqis. May 2004

Charges from Seymour Hersh at an ACLU EVENT, "Children Raped at Abu Ghraib July 2004. Here's just a few words from that:
Some of the worst things that happened you don't know about, okay? Videos, um, there are women there. Some of you may have read that they were passing letters out, communications out to their men. This is at Abu Ghraib ... The women were passing messages out saying 'Please come and kill me, because of what's happened'...
Perhaps there were videos, arrests made, charges filed, convictions handed-down on the rape of children. I missed them if so. Didn't miss the news on it though. July 2004

Convictions were reported in September 2005.

It seems that the importance given to the ACLU, the credence afforded them by many, and the wide-reach of ACLU power, would demand at least a statement from ACLU President Nadine Strossen.

Cross-posted at Maggie's Notebook