Somerville News Coverage of MS-13 Arrest

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I think that the Somerville News piece about the recent MS-13 arrest did an unusually good job depicting the grey area of morality that is so often ignored by the media in their coverage of criminals. I know that such an opinion is commonly viewed by the masses as bleeding-heart, or liberal-guilt, or what have you, but I can honestly say I am proud to be part of a community that recognizes the human side of all people, and I feel this article is an excellent example of that. I do not know specifically what actions Morales was responsible for as a gangster, and I do not question that MS-13 is a very powerful and dangerous entity; but because of this article perhaps a few more people also reflect on the fact that no-one is only a thug.

I would welcome your thoughts.

Comments

[androidqueen.livejournal.com]

You are absolutely right. Paranoid was a bad choice of words there which does diminish the situation.

I don't disagree that fear of deportation is a huge and paralyzing fear. But I still can't equate an immigration raid to causing fear for fear's sake. It's certainly a reporter's job to report what she sees, but I also think it's important that a reporter think about the connotations of the words she uses. Nobody in the U.S. uses or reads the word "terrorized" without thinking about other events (particularly recent events, particularly events that happened almost 6 years ago) associated with that word. I have a hard time believing that this journalist can not distinguish between "living in fear" and "terrorized." The former reports the news. The latter implies that this state of fear was caused intentionally. This may very well be true. Not being aware of INS's motivations, I have no way of knowing. But without any evidence to support that claim, I think this implication (which would be quite appropriate in an editorial!) is inappropriate in a news article.