Jake Tapper: Thanks for Trying?
by Zephyr on Jan.17, 2009, under Atheism, Politics
Yesterday, I posted that Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper was falsely reporting that Michael Newdow was trying to prevent Barack Obama from saying “so help me god”. It’s important - very important - to recognize the difference. One is an argument against altering the constitution. Another is an argument for restricting a man’s Freedom of Speech. I don’t want to make blanket statements, but atheists, of all people, are more likely to understand and appreciate first ammendment rights, including free speech. It is inappropriate and irresponsible to inaccurately report that. Well, Jake’s changed his post to (almost) fix the problem.
The atheist groups have no problem with President-elect Obama uttering the phrase himself if he wants to, they say. Their problem is Roberts saying it first, as if the phrase are part of the official oath.
“If President-elect Obama (as a black man fully aware of the vile effects that stem from a majority’s disregard of a minority’s rights, and as a Democrat fully aware of the efficacy his Republican predecessor’s ’so help me God’ oath additions) feels that the verbiage formulated by the Founders is so inadequate that he needs to interlard his oath with a purely religious phrase deemed unnecessary by the first twenty presidents, Plaintiffs have no objection at this time,” they say. “The President, like all other individuals, has Free Exercise rights, which might permit such an alteration.
“No such Free Exercise rights, however, come into play on the part of the individual administering the oath to the President,” they assert.
So they seek to prevent Roberts from making the heavenly acknowledgement, though Roberts’ attorney says that Obama wants to say it.*
via: Courts: PEBO Can Say ‘So Help Me God’ As Part of Official Oath on Tuesday*
It goes a long way to fixing the problem, but it doesn’t correct the very first paragraph of the post, which inaccurately still states that Newdow was attempting to prevent Barack, himself, from saying those words. Please. We need responsible reporting, not inaccurate reporting. I picked Jake’s post to pick on because it was the first one to show up in my Google reader under that particular news search. That news has now been reported in several places - all inaccurately. Seriously, and this goes for all journalists - get it right or find another job.
More places getting it wrong:
CNSNews - WRONG: “…demand that President-elect Barack Obama be barred from saying “So help me God”…”
Associated Press - WRONG: “Judge won’t order Obama not to use ‘God’ in oath”
OneNewsNow - WRONG: “…suit recently to prevent Barack Obama from using the phrase ”so help me God…”
Opposing Views - WRONG: “…group of atheists who said President-elect Barack Obama’s reference to God…”
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