Here's what I read this morning, after attempting to ignore the distraction ('omg they're lynching Newsweek, and the press, in general!') that the press is throwing up onto the news cycle, hoping it'll stick:
Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker said the magazine had already explained in this week's issue that the military has special guidelines for handling the Koran. He also questioned the administration's sharp rhetoric, saying: "Are they making the story in the Arab street that the administration is trying to silence reporters about these sensitive issues, and is that going to keep the unrest going?"

Look, idiots, it's not about the press or about what the White House says about the press. I pointedly ignored commenting on Whitaker's opening line of his Editor's Desk piece yesterday that everyone's calling a "retraction" because it's self-vindicating ("Did a report in NEWSWEEK set off a wave of deadly anti-American riots in Afghanistan?" Who, us? No, we're reporters, once it's written it's not our responsibility what happens to it.)

Even the sans-headed chickens on AirAmerica were talking about it. Now, I'm forced to address this sound and fury w/o meaning. Hi. You people are missing the point. It's nice you want to have a debate about ethics in journalism. For journalists, it's topic number one ('Are we being repressed, is our self-proclaimed title as defender of an amendment of the constitution being tarnished?') - yes #1, not "#2, after the truth" - it's journalists' self importance. I'm aware that this discussion's going to take place as a subtext to everything. Oh, hand on forehead, yes, the poor, maligned, under-assault press. Give me a break. That's the role they've taken, heaped upon themselves. They're legally protected dissent. Being covered in the muck they rake is their birthright and we're constantly reminded of what a burden it is to bear.

Secondly, if the US government's attempting to fan the flames of media self-hate in order to distract from the US military's actions (unconfirmed and pussyfooted about by Newsweek, of course) that's a second slap of complicity. Duh, the US military's got some definiate issues to discuss on the couch with themselves about how they handle the ripples/waves/tsunamis their actions may cause, but pretending the megaphone (press) is the root issue isn't cutting it. I can only imagine what the foreign press is thinking about this - American media masturbates and licks wounds while American government points and laughs at them, conveniently ignoring the damage caused. War on Terror my ass.

Thirdly, let me make something eminently clear: Desecrating a holy book won't break anyone but yourself, foo. It's some paper with some words on it to most people. Christians don't regard it highly, nor Jews. That's self-evident. So there're reports and other reports of detainees/Qur'ans being wrapped in Israeli flags, detainees being smeared with fake menstrual blood, detainees being kicked in the head when praying. That may make you feel like Lundy Ugly but muslims, having read history, not to mention those detainees who took up arms without a uniform, know that abuses of them and their religion will happen. It's not something surprizing or unexpected. It's not something that'll break their resolve or their religious belief. Embarassment isn't torture, people, no matter what the PC and moral relativist crowd might think. Embarassment is, though, like on the playground, something that bounces off of me and sticks to you. Unfortunately, in this case, I'm an American, so Lundy Ugly and the wookiefighting that the press is doing with themselves and all the stupid tactics used by the military to "break" detainees sticks right back on me/us and Americans look like the dunderheads.