NPR's Daniel Schorr Blames The Internet For Ft. Hood Shootings

from the maybe-time-to-hang-up-the-microphone dept

Fri, Nov 20th 2009 10:57am — Mike Masnick

I recognize that NPR news analyst Daniel Schorr is well into his tenth decade of life, and plays the role of the "senior statesman of journalism" on NPR at times, but as a bunch of folks have sent in, he seems to have totally lost it with his recent piece suggesting the internet should share some of the blame for the Ft. Hood shootings done by Maj. Nidal Hasan. The reason? Hasan apparently communicated via email with an "extremist cleric" whom he had met years ago (in person) at a mosque in Northern Virginia. One wonders if they had corresponded by telephone, if Schorr would be questioning if AT&T was to blame. Or, if by pen and paper, if Bic was at fault. Of course, Schorr doesn't even know what was in the emails sent between the two, so his speculation is based on even less than nothing. However, even if his worst fears are true, and the cleric somehow pushed Hasan to carry out his attack, the fault remains with Hasan, and potentially the cleric. Not the internet.

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Filed Under: blame, daniel schorr, ft. hood, internet, nidal hasan, shooting

39 Comments

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Lucretious, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:03am

I recognize that NPR news analyst Daniel Schorr is well into his tenth decade of life.....

Right, so cut the guy some slack. Had he been in his 70's or even 80's, but c'mon Mike....jeezus.
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Ed Woychowsky, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:04am

Put the blame where it belongs...
The fault can be traced back to the concept of language. Without language it would be impossible to spread abstract ideas, or even any ideas. For example, it would be impossible for an idiot on NPR to blame an electronic forum. This is especially true when the aforementioned idiot clearly does not understand any technology beyond flint knapping.
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:15am

Re: Put the blame where it belongs...
I concur!

Henceforth, we shall strip lawbreakers of their ability to use language in any form whatsoever... that'll fix 'em.
: P
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:26am

Re: Put the blame where it belongs...
Ha! I just used the internet to look up "flint knapping" and I am better for it.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:34am

Poor guy. I bet the Nursing Home's TV is stuck on FoxNews again.
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ChasW, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:41am

Re:
Its okay because he's old?
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:42am

I bet a lot of Daniel Schorr's tubes are clogged by now.
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Chucklebutte (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:54am

...
It wasn't me! It was the Internet and peppermint schnapps.
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Austin Bankruptcy Lawyer, 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:57am

I'd have to agree that blaming a form of communication for these awful events is pretty short sighted. In his advanced years, however, maybe Schorr is losing his sight.
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thublihnk (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 11:57am

Let's abolish the radio so that he, and people like him can't spout their bullheaded opinions.

LOGIC.
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interval, 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:05pm

I've been listening to NPR for decades, and that includes Schorr, and over the years he's become such an old crank. Both he and Andy Rooney might want to consider retirement as no one really gives a fig what either think.
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duane (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:05pm

he's sort of right
The same thing that makes the Internet great is what makes it suck -- connections, undreamed of connections.

Sure, it's great when entrepreneurs in underdeveloped countries can use the Internet to get micro-loans or gender-confused teens in small, close-minded towns can actually find acceptance and not sink into a shame spiral that ends in suicide.

But, the Internet also makes it possible for people filled with hate to learn new and better ways to propagate hate and to act on their hate. These people also can find acceptance. These people also can find funding. None of that is as possible without the Internet.

Obviously, the Internet isn't solely to blame or even mostly, but like the telephone and the automobile, the Internet has transformed our culture and society. Some for the good, but some for the bad too.
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Big Mook, 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:06pm

Re:
President Obama, is that you again?
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Blame Al Gore, 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:12pm

So it is really Al Gore's fault then right?
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Some Other Guy, 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:30pm

Re:
I realise that some people will think that the reference is a bit gerontophobic, but let's face it - a very large number of people in their 90s do in fact have declining mental faculties.
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Ken Hutcherson, 20 Nov 2009 @ 12:58pm

Re: Re:
No, I am Pastor Hutcherson. Offering services as a "Spiritual Business Consultant",, at your service..!
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Big Mook, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:01pm

Re: Re: Re:
I don't understand. Is it Obama or Schorr that's gay?
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Derek, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:13pm

I wouldn't say he's exactly blaming the internet
I don't think Daniel Schorr is exactly completely blaming the internet for it.

Here's the link to the story (which you should have provided).
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120545573&ft=3&f=2101143

However, he does ask the question if it should share some of the responsibility. He doesn't flat out blame the internet but he does leave a suggestion. It's silly since you should never blame the tool but blame who is actually responsible.
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Ken Hutcherson, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:16pm

Re: Re: Re: Re:
Neither. But the good pastor recommends that you spend time more productively. Like maybe reviewing the Bible.
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Mike Masnick (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:36pm

Re: I wouldn't say he's exactly blaming the internet
Here's the link to the story (which you should have provided).

Um, we did provide it. It's the blue highlighted stuff in the post...
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Mac, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:40pm

Re...
The blame should lie squarely with the guy who did the shooting and killing.

Nobody squeezed the trigger for him.

This is all just a very lame excuse from someone who has no concept of personal responsibility.

When I was much younger, I got conned into going into a church of scientology. They started their crap with me and

I had to literally fight my way out of there.

I don't blame my friend for 'turning me on to it' nor do I blame the scientologists that I had to fist fight.

I blame myself for not doing any homework on these people, their methods, philosophies, conduct, etc. so forth and so on.

I take responsibility for my actions and the world would be a much better place if everyone else took responsibility for theirs.
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:41pm

Wait, wait...
Does anybody think they are going to make fun of him on the NPR show "Wait wait...don't tell me"? This is exactly the kind of material they gravitate to.
Hypocrites?
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:47pm

Re:
Age is not a defense for ignorance. Someone needs to explain to Daniel how the series of tubes actually works so he can understand that the internet is just a tool. Just because someone uses that tool for evil doesn't make the tool evil.
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Dark Helmet (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:52pm

Re: Re...
Mac, picturing you fighting hordes of deranged scientologists ala Neo and the Smith clones in the Matrix brought one hell of a smile to my face....
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 1:54pm

NPR's Daniel Schorr Blames The Internet For Ft. Hood Shootings

Yet fails to put the blame where it belongs. On the guy that did the shooting and the political correctness of American society that allowed this human filth to continue to work amongst our men and women in the military.
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Brutus Beefcake, 20 Nov 2009 @ 2:21pm

He shouts "Allahu Ahkbar" while killing people
And we aren't supposed to mention THAT.

Ignoring the elephant in the room.
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Blatant Coward (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 2:37pm

Hmmm...
This killing spree brought to you by the letter A and L and the number 6.
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Terrorist Jones, 20 Nov 2009 @ 3:06pm

Re: Re: Put the blame where it belongs...
"Ha! I just used the internet to look up "flint knapping" and I am better for it."

Ha! Me too! I just learned how to fashion a razor-sharp edged projectiles for my next mass-murder. Pack 200 of these babies into a vest-bomb, head to the nearest Supermall and Kablooey! Instant Body Count!

Take that, Infidels! Your "internet" will be your undoing, you capitalist christian dogs.

How'd I do, Mr. Schorr?
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 20 Nov 2009 @ 3:25pm

Wtf?
Were all of the *other* Ft. Hood shootings ALSO caused by the Internet? Because this isn't the first shooting there and it won't be the last. Guys at Ft. Hood won't even sleep by the windows because of the violent sprees there, quite a few of which happily ended with no bodily harm, but another crazy soldier.

How do I know this? I have had quite a few friends stationed there over the years, and I've visited on many an occasion. Anybody from the Kileen area who says they were surprised by this event is lying.

And, no, it wasn't caused by the Internet.
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Scrotal Revenge, 20 Nov 2009 @ 3:36pm

Re:
I agree. In fact, I don't give a flying fucked dumbass lickshit cumstained monkey dick what either of them think.

Fig?
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Anonymous Coward, 20 Nov 2009 @ 3:38pm

Re:
PooTube.com
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Nov 2009 @ 8:03pm

Blaming Bic would be more analogous to blaming the keyboard manufacturer instead of the Internet, or Apple instead of AT&T.

Blaming the ISP would be closest to blaming AT&T or blaming ... the US Postal Service.

Closest to blaming the Internet would be blaming the telephone network itself or the concept of a postal service.
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Almost Anonymous (profile), 23 Nov 2009 @ 9:29am

Re: Re: I wouldn't say he's exactly blaming the internet
Not to derail, but:

In reference to a document I had submitted for approval, I once had a boss ask me why I had text that was underlined and blue highlighted throughout my document. I laughed because I was sure he was joking.

He was not joking.
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Almost Anonymous (profile), 23 Nov 2009 @ 9:34am

Re: Wtf?
"""
And, no, it wasn't caused by the Internet.
"""

Unless you want to make a case that internet-juice is leaking out of the wires and infecting the soldiers with evil thoughts?

In all seriousness though, I'm shocked that this information has not been examined, at least not through any media outlet I use. How many incidents are we talking about?
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Nov 2009 @ 1:12pm

Are any of you common-sense-thinking folks really surprised by such stupidity coming from yet another lefty NPR news analyst? Some will be familier with the irresponsible comments made by some in congress, who have leveled blame for Hassan's actions, on guns and on how more gun control is needed... ON AN ARMY BASE! Did you get that? (sigh)
The predetermined area of the massacre was a gun free zone and thus, the victims were UNARMED. It was a 5' female Police Officer (armed) that took Hassan down. But I digress, it's just the same old song - let's blame the internet, let's blame the video game, let's blame the gun. *** Blame the finger, not the trigger!
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Anonymous Coward, 23 Nov 2009 @ 8:41pm

Get a life, Fox News shill above me. Saying this is a lefty thing is a stretch even for those with brains rotted by Fox.
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Cybertelecom, 24 Nov 2009 @ 6:51am

If We Make Plumbing Illegal, only criminals will have plumbing!
I bet the shooter also used plumbing! Ergo Plumbing contributed to the shooting. Ergo we should make plumbing illegal everywhere!
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david, 5 Dec 2009 @ 9:20pm

dumb people
This is rediculous. THis article points to oh wait not even a single fact. It simply states one dudes opinion. If you actually listen to the words he speaks you might have a different opinion. Dan is one of the most well respected journalists alive and his words should never be taken out of context. I think that he simply is bringing up the point that communication of this nature is something to be concerned with. He never says "the internet is to blame" that just some asshole putting words into a well respected man's mouth. USE FACTS OR HIS WORDS YOU IDIOT>>>>MIKE
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Rose M. Welch (profile), 7 Dec 2009 @ 3:26am

Re: Re: Wtf?
Sorry, I didn't check this comment for a response. :P

Anyway, I certainly couldn't count the total number of incidents (I live near Ft. Sill, not Ft. Hood), but I know of at least half a dozen with serious injury in the last eight years, not counting incidents involving vehicles. It's frequently enough that the soldiers stationed there don't think anything of it and won't sleep by the windows in the barracks.

Remember, though, that Ft. Hood has the main in/out processing center for overseas tours, though and we all know how great the military is about making sure that our soldiers are mentally sound. (That adjective was sarcastic, of course.)
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