Clip File: Are Mainstream Media Covering 21st Century Freedom Riders Fighting For Health Care Civil Rights & Ending Wars?

"There are heroes in America -- people who are doing today what the Freedom Riders did in the 1960's -- challenging unjust laws and face arrest for taking a stand. In the 60's they were fighting for racial equality. Today, they fight against inequality in access to health care and against an out of control military adventurism and wars that shouldn't have been started and that should not be continued....

"Imagine how much less effective Martin Luther King jr., Rosa Parks and John Lewis would have been if there was no media coverage of their civil disobedience. Believe me, they planned those acts carefully to maximize media coverage.

"Media coverage amplifies the effectiveness of the protests. Police threats and intimidation make it harder for the media to cover protests and cover the arrests. That sabotages the effectiveness of the demonstrators who are literally putting their freedom on the line, going through the process of getting arrested, handcuffed, put in a police van or bus, fingerprinted, mug-shotted, fined and sometimes charged with crimes -- usually charges that are unsupportable and ultimately dropped.

"Now, with major decisions being made about whether or not to continue the Afghan war and whether or not to give health care to all Americans, it is time of incredible opportunity to employ the non-violent political strategies used so effectively by MLK and Ghandi. And the mainstream media can help or throw away this opportunity."

The rest of the story: Are Mainstream Media Covering 21st Century Freedom Riders Fighting For Health Care Civil Rights & Ending Wars by Rob Kall (OpEdNews 2009-10-08)