In El Paso, there has been only one news source and it has exhibited an unconscionable lack of journalistic ethics. The poor journalism normally the mainstay of the inferior publication has crossed into an overt political advocacy whose purpose is to protect the status quo and, some argue, its commercial position.
The average media observer relies on the faith that any news publication will mitigate bias with objectivity and fairness. They expect these values will mitigate brazen ideological slant. Unfortunately, this is not the case. In order to justify their attack on basic democratic principles, the publication has had to resort to creating and maintaining a master bias--a set story line of relationships in the city with set characters who act in set ways.
The debates unfolding in the city become victims to this master bias and it becomes impossible for journalists to see their narrative is simply one way, not necessarily the correct way of viewing people and events.
The master bias goes something like this: There is a class of people that have a privileged position by virtue of birth or inheritance. This class of people's continued success demands respect and the community must yield to their development agenda because they are self-interested actors.
This self-interest is inclusive of those that work for them. The second part of the master bias goes something like this: Anyone not of the privileged class who challenges the status quo, positions of authority, or financial policy choices made by it, is a direct threat to the stability of the system and, therefore, must be immediately silenced or put in their place. If that is not possible, then it is necessary for the good of the community to use any means available to censor the offending viewpoint or civil action.
The recall process is an excellent and instructive case in point. A previous recall attempt challenged a regime led by educated elite. The publication in question immediately attacked the organizer of the recall attempt, issued a number of lead editorials impugning the reputation of the organizer and refused to provide equal time to allow defense against the attacks. The latter is important as it violated the values of fairness, objectivity and balance.
The police were used to intimidate the recall organizer and a breathtakingly poor reporter began to write fiction.
A second regime was challenged by a recall attempt and the city undertook the preposterous act of suing itself in order to kill a certified petition.
The current regime which is controlled by the protégés of the prior regime has undertaken a similar set of actions consistent with the master bias. Instead of respecting a recall process sanctioned by local, state and federal constitutional law, they immediately issued a lead editorial asking to kill the petition, constructed cartoons describing petitioners as vultures, issued an editorial describing the organizer as abusing the system and supported the criminalization of petitioning local government.
The police chief has been rendered the black-hooded executioner of those challenging the status quo. The policy of putting photographs of innocent until proven guilty citizens and subjecting them to humiliation and ridicule while refusing to identify police officers similarly accused is only one example of the Orwellian tyranny of pigs:
--All animals are equal. Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Napoleon stood up and, casting a peculiar sidelong look at Snowball, uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard utter before. At this, there was a terribly baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the farm. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. In a moment, he was out of the door and they were after him. Snowball is a dangerous character and a bad influence who harbors idealistic delusions of equality. If catastrophe befalls the farm, from the collapse of a windmill to a below-par crop, blame Snowball. All animals are equal but some are more equal than others. Napoleon meanwhile makes all sorts of blunders but animals continue to praise his policies because they have been trained to do so. Thanks to the leadership of (progressives) how excellent this water tastes! -- paraphrased from Animal Farm by George Orwell
The statement by one elected official is stark and compelling in its illustration of the master bias crafted by the elite and its print media mouthpiece. The city representative emoted angrily, "Why do people allow (this author) to reinvent himself?" She was greatly offended that some people have broken through the master bias and begun evaluating events from an objective point of view.
To Howard Barton, the following needs to be said: The great work that you have undertaken is worthy of honor. It is no easy task to obtain the signatures of almost 1,000 people. There is great empathy for you as you undergo the character assassination of which you are now victim by ideologues masquerading as journalists and, what is essentially a newsletter for the status quo.
Mr. Barton, you have the thanks of all Americans that believe in our constitution and the American way. You are not alone.
Regrettably, El Paso will now have, it would seem, the added burden of passing additional Certificates of Obligation without voter approval to build larger jails in order to accommodate what amount to political prisoners.
The only thing, you have to worry about over the next few months, are the thought police. They are no doubt constructing a foolproof strategy to respond to the formal request from a sitting representative to accomplish the modern day equivalent of burning you at the stake so that you never dare to challenge the status quo again.
It should be noted that it is no wonder students in El Paso schools are failing. El Pasoans have now seen it all: the spectacle of two retired school teachers who can't read. One claims that you visited her, not once, but twice and in both instances she was unable to read what she signed. Another claimed that she did not read a petition at all. Both were educated, English-speaking and presumably not suffering from mental disease or defect. One wonders what pressures were wrought upon them to lead them to renege on their decision to oust their representative on pain of public ridicule: Shame on the henchmen executioners; Shame on the newspaper; Shame on the representative; and Shame on two school teachers who proudly argue their illiteracy.
A final note to readers of the object of my review regarding the story that my pen would be mothballed to pursue a fight with a minor blip on the political radar, I offer a paraphrase of a quote of author Mark Twain --The report of my demise has been greatly exaggerated.
Thankfully, El Diario de El Paso and the Border Observer are providing a journalistic balance essential for the restoration of citizen rights in our city.
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This perspective first appeared in Border Observer, Jaime O. Perez, Editor