Every once in awhile one stumbles across web pages or sites that are rather like a fine meal. My first thought was, dive in! My second was…wow, who do I need to share this with? CriticalThinking on the Web doesn’t require a university degree or even a strong interest in thinking skills. I don’t know whether to start with Baloney Detection or Argument Mapping.

Western Journalists in Iraq
How Saddam Hussian Manipulates The U.S. Media is a painful piece of truth in the New Republic Online.
I think Franklin Foer sums things up well at the end, and I suspect his magazine won’t be given ‘access’ any time soon. What stands out is that the journalists and crews have to make impossible choices.

A TV journalist told me about the time he interviewed a respected Baghdad politico on camera. The journalist was
shocked by his subject’s candid criticisms of the government. But as the reporter left the interview, his minder told him, “I can’t tell you what to do. But if he says that on camera, he’ll be in severe trouble–and so will I.” Worried about putting lives at risk, the journalists never aired his footage. Even innocuous conversations can result in reprisals. Witt, who traveled to Iraq last spring, says, “Most journalists don’t want to put anyone at risk. The potential price is too horrible.

Either you get your tongue cut out and then you’re executed, or you’re just executed. You have your choice.”

Link via Andrew Sullivan

Zigzaging
A day in the life of a parent in the Washington/Maryland/Virginia area

Family of Origin, Family of Choice
Looking back….looking forward responds to the question I asked in the post regarding Sand In the Gears essay on parenting.

Zig or Zag?
I nearly got hit by a car today. I trotted off this afternoon to meet a friend for coffee. It was a beautiful fall day. I pray when I walk. It’s a natural extension of putting one foot in front of the other for me and I was praying for the Philippines.
A couple of bombs went off in that country today. People were hurt and killed. It won’t get much coverage or concern because no westerners were killed or hurt that I’m aware of. So I was praying that God would send His people. You know, us people that have more resources than we know what to do with, us people…you know, the ones that are followers of Jesus Christ. Those people.
I had the green. So did the guy who nearly made me a major dent in his bumper.
Fortunately my fight/flight/freeze response tends to be fight or flight first. If it had been freeze, I think I’d be lying in a hospital bed right now in a lot of physical pain. Or my family would be making hard phone calls. The driver had his music cranked way up and wasn’t paying attention.
Yes, I had a momentary adreneline hit. I am fearfully and wonderfully made, and I’m very grateful for it, particularily in micro-seconds like potential collisions. I resumed my trek toward my destination.
It wasn’t my day to die. It wasn’t my day to face physical pain. It wasn’t my day to wrestle with fear. It wasn’t a good-bye day. I had coffee with my friend and walking back I prayed for people told to zigzag.
I can look into the distance with a reasonable degree of assurance that no sniper is lurking. I can enter that coffee shop with a reasonable degree of assurance that there is no bomb. I still can zig when someone who zags isn’t paying attention.
I am so grateful I know a God who lovingly pays attention. He orders my steps and my days. He walks with me. And I have done nothing to deserve that.