A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Riot!

Egypt is in the middle of a civil uprising.  Our television news teams are tripping over each other to cover this momentous event.  There are huge implications to US national interest and foreign policy.  The specialist’s the various channels are finding to comment on those implications are now wearing thin on what ground breaking insight they can provide and networks are counting on the front line reporters to give us a sense of the chaos.

Last night on CNN their ace reporter Anderson Cooper was hunkered down in a dimly lit living room commenting on getting beaten by the crowd while he attempted to film.  He then went to a feed from another reporter who was also hidden away but still in the square, and they exchanged comments on the gunshots they each heard.

Tonight Christine Amanpour, on ABC, was interviewing Hosni Mubarak and reporting back to Diane Sawyer about what was going on in the Mubarak household.  It was important in this interview to make sure the audience knew that CA was accosted too, and while not taking the round house left of AC she was pushed and shoved in a most uncivil manner.  Maybe it’s just me but it sure seemed like Ms. Sawyer was holding back with the tough questions like “Did Mr. Mubarak see Anderson Cooper last night, and wasn’t it courageous of him to send his colleague down to the square?”

I hope for all the men and women struggling to gain a responsive government they are able to make the changes they want with the minimum amount of bloodshed.   It should be a good civics lesson for us.  We must always recognize and protect our rights for peaceful civil protest, even by minority opinions, and the dangers of deifying or demonizing individuals who are charged with serving us the people.