Colo. city official cancels Al-Jazeera barbecue

[Newsjock]

Source: Associated Press

The city manager of Golden, Colo., has decided to withdraw his invitation to let the Al-Jazeera news network broadcast from a barbecue in his backyard on the final night of the Democratic National Convention.

City manager Mike Bestor has apologized for any divisiveness he caused in the city of about 18,000, about 15 miles west of Denver.

Bestor made his decision after a City Council meeting Thursday at which residents complained the event with the English-language service of the Middle East news network would be disrespectful to veterans and active U.S. soldiers.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/08/23/politics/p050523D38.DTL&tsp=1

[glowing]

1. Freedom of the press really doesn't mean much in this country.. There goes another amendment

[HillbillyBob]

2. What BullS***

We have DishTV and watch news from world wide..
What is disrespectful is how our own news corpses, edit, spin and hide facts.
The English Speaking Al-Jazeera Net seems to broad cast pretty factually accurate stories, especially if you watch their cast, then go look at fauxnoise, then go look at the other ogliarchy spun nuwz.
The real disrespect comes from Boosh-Cheneyburton using our gallant service people for their personal and corporate profits.

[madrchsod]

3. shows a lot of disrespect for the millions of people

who are just like us, people who want the to see how other people live. is there a difference between a family backyard "bbq" in our nation and the rest of the world?

i don`t think so....

[Sabriel]

4. There's one difference

People at that BBQ can be fairly sure they won't be hit with an errant air strike.

[madrchsod]

8. i guess that`s not a strange comment these days...

how many civilians were killed in the last few days in the Afghanistan.....

[The Family Guy]

19. Have you ever BEEN to the middle east?

That is an extremely uninformed remark. Amerikan barbecues are quite an alien thing.......

[onager]

21. They are not alien at all.

I lived in Saudi Arabia for 2 years, and am typing this from Egypt, where I have lived for 3 years. So I have damn sure "been to the Middle East."

The poster put "bbq" in quotes, so I think the reference was to "big dinners held outside," which are common here. And before some anal-retentive type butts in--Yes, I know Egypt is in Africa. But the residents themselves usually refer to the whole region as "MENA"--Middle East/North Africa. As in, "MENA Press Service."

My work commute takes me thru a whole string of little farm villages near the Nile Delta. Many big events are held outside, usually under tents, such as wedding parties. And more sadly, funerals are always held outside under a big tent.

I always know when someone has died in a village. I see long lines of women carrying huge silver platters on their heads, loaded with food and drink. That's quite an amazing sight. And exactly what my family and neighbors did back in the American South when someone died--carry food to the bereaved household.

Near my apartment, a big American-owned hotel hosts an event every Thursday called the "Beachside Barbecue." (Thursday is the start of the weekend for most Egyptians, like Friday in the West.) Anyone with the price of admission is welcome, and quite a few Egyptians attend. Pork is not served, of course, since Egypt is 95% Muslim. Alcohol is available.

In Saudi Arabia, at least where I lived (Jeddah), a lot of the male socializing was done semi-outside, in beachside places called "casinos." These were open-sided cabanas where you kicked off your shoes, smoked shisha, drank tea or coffee, and solved the world's problems.

[madrchsod]

27. thank you.....

[The Family Guy]

31. Ok, so you make my point.

No, they don't have BBQ. Not at all, unless you change BBQ to pork less outside dinner where the women do the cooking. A typical American BBQ has the man doing the cooking, and is loaded with pork. Not really the same feeling, nor the same atmosphere in a middle eastern gathering at all. Oh, and I don't see how an American Hotel having a BBQ makes it any more arab or egyptian. Thats like saying that a luau in Times Square makes poi a Manhattan treat.

[muriel_volestrangler]

5. Al Jazeera is funded by Qatar, a US ally

Bet they feel really chuffed to be told to piss off. Looks like Bestor still has his head stuck in the early 2003 Bush propaganda.

[rfranklin]

7. No, he was harassed by a bunch of dittoheads who are ignorant...

If you read the story the cancellation was after "citizens" raised a stink at a council meeting.

[muriel_volestrangler]

9. Since it was his own backyard, it was his decision

and he had the opportunity to educate the mouth-breathers who complained. Instead he listened to 5 year old propaganda, given to him by his fellow citizens this time.

[jrockford]

6. I'm not surprised. Saddened, but not surprised. n/t

[LynnTheDem]

10. That's also why we're #53!!! We're # 53!!! USSA! USSA!

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1027/dailyUpdate.html

[amagusta]

11. Al Jaz is better than any news channel in the U.S.

One advantage of living in the Gulf is the ability to get Al-Jazeera's comprehensive coverage-- commercial free.
Too bad it's virtually banned in the U.S.A.
A country with so much power should be better informed.

[The Wizard]

14. What power?

Bush has compromised our military, bankrupted our economy, looted our treasury and ruined our reputation. The grand experiment at representative democracy has been ground into the dirt by Bush and his fascist puppeteers.
Second rate medial care, corporate/fascist media, and the dumbest electorate in our history has reduced the United States to a second rate power. We are good at blowing up things and poor at ethics and humanitarian causes.

[Xipe Totec]

12. Disrespectful to veterans and active U.S. soldiers

Disrespectful because?

Because freedom of the press is offensive to soldiers?

Because soldiers hate all Muslims?

The mind reels...

[baldguy]

13. But Fox News is still there.

How disrespectful is that?

[drm604]

15. Well of course it was cancelled!

Al-Jazeera is brown people who are foreign and stuff!
:sarcasm:

[Festivito]

16. We fight for democracy over there so we don't have to share it over here.

If I have that straight.

Can you believe some people would stand up and say things like that?

[raystorm7]

17. Al Jazeera + Al qaeda? OMG! they must be brothers :p

[Doctor Cynic]

29. So is Al Gore.

[The Croquist]

18. His canceling was stupid and I don't see the point

I don't see why it was worth broadcasting but that's Al-Jazeera's decision. If they still want to do it I'll invite a bunch of friends over (both libs and Cons). For Iowa I had tee-shirts with my friends candidate on it.

Richardson 2
Clinton 1
Dodd 1
Obama 1
Cynthia McKinney 1
Romney 2
McCain 0

I did it several times for the primaries and we had some lively discussions.

[tannybogus]

20. I'm surprised the RW wasn't all for it because of the headline.

It sounds like they're going to put some reporters over the coals.

I didn't think they read any further than the headlines.

Live and learn.:evilgrin:

[Karenina]

22. Amis are doomed by their own

TERMINAL STUPIDITY.

[No Elephants]

23. Dumb!

[supernova]

24. What a shame

Could have been a great opportunity to show Americans doing something normal.

[LatteLibertine]

25. Disappointed

and not surprised.

[winston61]

26. What a chickenshit-

Is he a repuke?

[DeadEyeDyck]

28. It is too bad

that this convention is going to be so rehershed and staged. Reporting like Al-Jazeera is just what we need. Who else will be silenced? Rolling Stone? Mother Jones? Lady's Home Journal?

[buckrogers1965]

30. Sure hope that the BBC isn't going to be their either

I hear they are some o them "thar fer-ners" too!

Amerika! F*CK YEAH!

( And I know it is getting tough to tell people talking like this and meaning it from people who are using satire, this is satire. )