15,000 children not named Jon Benet died in Congo last month.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

Of course, they're not white celebrities and unworthy of notice.

http://www.theirc.org/news/latest/inside-congo-an-unspeakable.html

[malaise]

1. Don't expect them to be named either

Their deaths won't help MSMs ratings.

[savemefromdumbya]

2. Jon Benet coverage covering up Bush's illegal wiretapping ruling?

[StClone]

3. Let's make this clear to Lurkers

We are not saying that the Corporate media is consciously running 24/7 JB Ramsey to cover up the Bush bad news stuff. They are rather running garbage that gets attention/ratings at the expense of important news stuff.

[savemefromdumbya]

5. hmmmm

[Spider Jerusalem]

9. So, who's to blame, really?

The media, for running sensationalistic stories that are in terms of any actual meaning irrelevant, or the people, for being largely wilfully ignorant of world events and caring more about sensationalism, celebrity scandal and the murder of the week than real news? That sword cuts both ways.

[leftchick]

4. rich white celebrities

exploiting their children for vicarious thrills.

[physioex]

6. That's right.....

No one here thinks what happened was not a tragedy. But we need to get real and focus on the more pressing issues......

[The Straight Story]

7. And how many threads have there been about them here

not counting yours?

Is DU reflective of US pretty much on things like this?

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Black babies with flies on their lips

They don't count, silly.

:sarcasm:

[Retired AF Dem]

10. Benet's were celebrities?

I never heard of them before the murder.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

11. why do you hate America so? JohnBenney is so much more impotent

besides, she was a child abused by mom to become a puppet on stage. What mom ever brainwashed those 15,000 in Congo? huh? HUH? So there.

[Miss Chybil]

12. This does not make JonBenet's death any less tragic.

Although, I get very frustrated with the fact the media only pays attention to tragedy that happens to rich, white girls, it still doesn't make the rich, white girls "less" victims. The sad fact about news is it needs to be unusual to be news, otherwise, they couldn't fit it all into their "24/7 repeat the same story 24/7 operation." (I am being slightly sarcasic here.)

Common people have a tendency to die at a regular rate, due to violence, illness, starvation, what-have-you, this fact makes their deaths non-news. Since rich, white people are considered to "have-it-all," living their fairytale lives, - never mind mom is an alchoholic and dad just found out he has cancer - or, the fact sissy's baby was born with a congenital heart defect and she probably won't make it - they seemingly want for nothing and care for less. They have insurance and live in gated communities and drive the safest cars. They take their kids to the dentist every six months and they always, (almost), show up for parent-teacher conferences. They wear the finest clothes, eat the healthiest foods, sometimes they are quite "beautiful." They have THE life - the "American dream." So, how could anybody who "has it all" end up the victim of domestic violence, drug addiction, low self-esteem, not much common sense, a sick, sadistic freak, or simply, perhaps, a boy who got out of hand? How could that happen to THEM? You expect such things on the bad side of the tracks, but not on nob hill, right?

This is what makes it news - rich, white, beautiful girls are never expected to have anything bad happen to them. They are on top of the world and have so much further to fall than starving African babies. Nobody dreams of becoming a starving African, but many people dream of becoming rich and beautiful - some might dream of being white, (remember Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye?") This is why all the sensationalism. Is it "right?" Probably not. Is it human nature? Most definitely.

[Catchawave]

13. I sent this thread to KOlbermann's staff.....

because I can just imagine "hooded producers standing off camera holding machine guns to his head" as he reports on this story. :evilgrin:

As Jon Stewart snarked last night, this story gave the media oxygen. As tragic as this child's death was, how many children have died in America due to lack of health care and basic necessities, like loving guardians?

Locally, a pregnant woman performed a "self-abortion" by shooting herself in the stomach and killing the full term fetus. http://home.hamptonroads.com/stories/story.cfm?story=107380&ran=157597

She's pregnant again :cry: