"There's No Crying in Baseball!"
Category: News Commentary...
Posted Friday, April 16, 2004 at 10:19 AM [GMT-6]

I'm rapidly running out of options for morning news programs. Having ditched Katie & Co. some time back, we've been tolerating Charlie and what's-her-face on ABC, but after this morning, I'm through with them, as well.

Gibson was interviewing General George Casey, the Vice Chief of Staff for the US Army. The focus of the interview was the Army's decision to extend the tour of duty for many troops stationed in Iraq. Gibson's leadoff question lowered the bar considerably for journalistic standards as he asked the General "isn't this unfair?"

Unfair? Unfair? Where do they get these guys? That question brought to my mind the quote that serves as the title to this post, taken from the excellent movie, "A League of Their Own." Beleaguered coach Tom Hanks is attempting to explain baseball to one of the players on his team of women, said player sniveling after a tongue-lashing given for bad play.

In similar fashion, Gen. Casey attempted to explain to an obviously simple-minded talking head that war is not about fairness, and every soldier understands that his or her duty is to the mission.

Gibson dug his hole even deeper by persisting with a question about "broken promises" in regard to when the troops were told they would get to return home. Again, the General patiently explained that there were no promises made, and, further, none expected by the troops.

Gibson's performance epitomizes the situation most of the mainstream media seems to have become rooted in: an inability (refusal?) to acknowledge that there is a war going on...not a police action, not a response to civil disobedience, not a training exercise, and certainly not a political tactic crafted for election purposes. Gibson, like so many others whom I can no longer tolerate on-screen, Just Doesn't Get It.

I was, however, pleased when Gibson tried to end the interview and the General insisted on getting in one last word (more of a paragraph, really). He ended by thanking those Americans who continued to support the troops and their mission, and by challenging us to extend our support and caring to the families of those troops. This was his way of reminding us that our attitudes and actions at home have effects -- good and bad -- on our troops in Iraq. Unfortunately, those who most needed to hear that probably weren't listening.