Funny how the world works: The NYT broke the story June 30 that the DSK case is falling apart and suddenly major media, press and tabloids are filled with “scoops” and “inside information” as to why this case stinks and how rotten the accusing Maid is. These reports are available at CNBC, AP, Reuters, New York Post, the New York Daily News, and I only named a half a dozen.
My question is: Where was all this digging back in mid-May when the story first broke? Where were all these inside info of the incompetence of the Manhattan DA that is running this DSK case? Why didn’t we see a month ago any reports that the Maid in the case – who was sold as a ‘poor immigrant, and devout Muslim’ – was in fact a slut (with “service” on the side) who lied in the past about being raped in her African home country and who works as a front for drug traffickers and money launderers? Why do we have all these reports from the media only a month AFTER a man’s professional life went through a major ruin?
My questions to the Media and Press are: Why are you ready to give headline and front page coverage to a case before a person is convicted? Why are you running film when zealous and self-serving Prosecutors and Cops are giving someone a perp-walk before that person was found guilty? Why didn’t you grill and torture the Manhattan DA back in mid-May as to how credible his source is? Why didn’t you dig up information of the accuser and splash that on the front pages in the place and space of the face of DSK? Why didn’t you grill the Government as to why a person – officially “innocent until proven guilty” – cannot have bail almost a full week until after his arrest?
You may claim that DSK may have escaped. Well, em er… Why should he at all been apprehended before the accuser’s story is fully fact-checked? Is DSK some fly by-night guy? He came and went from the USA multiple times a year. Why not take him down after you have your facts a month or two later. You may be stupid to think that someone with responsibilities as IMF boss won’t return to the USA out of fear of being arrested. Fine. Good. Would it not be good enough that the World Court or Interpol should be alerted after you have your facts 6-8 weeks later? Why the rush to drag DSK off a plane? Why the rush to keep people behind bars without bail for days and months? Confiscating a person’s passport and placing an ankle bracelet should be way more than enough if that person isn’t convicted yet. Why do we treat people as world-criminals when the are just hours before or after being charged with a crime?
On May 19, the week of the DSK arrest, I tweeted this: “Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been indicted #DSK You Are Innocent Until Accused!” a few days earlier, on Sunday May 15 the first day of DSK’s arrest news, people were already asking that he step down as head of the IMF. I however tweeted, “Wo wo. Why should IMF Boss Strauss-Kahn resign? As of now he is NOT proven guilty on any unethical charges!” In a May 17 Tweet, I asked what every reporter who is out there “for the truth” should have asked: “In a country where ‘Innocent Until Proven Guilty’ is said with such frequency, why can’t #DSK be out on bail?”
THE REASON why people in this country are seen as guilty even before any chargers are presented to a Judge; the reason why people in the USA are Innocent Until Accused, is due to the Media/Press giving full scale coverage to prosecutors! Whatever a prosecutor says or claims is good enough to make news without a challenge. Instead of journalists ignoring these publicity-hungry press conferences where prosecutors act as Judge and Jury too, the reporters rush to get a good seat in the room. Instead of reporters asking Law Enforcement officials why they keep tight hand-cuffs on defendants and schlep them around all day chained to others like dunkies when these people were barley charged, the Media runs in the evening with tape of these infamous Perp-Walks.
Reports wrote constantly that “prosecutors say they found DNA in the hotel room.” This implied that something “ahhmm” took place. Well great! You can find DNA in my bedroom too. Now what? You want to arrest me too? So my questions to the Media/press are, now – after you destroyed a person – you come with all your “inside information” to tell us as to why DSK is perhaps not guilty? Now you are rushing to press with all your great “scoops”? Only now you are asking the DA why in hell he didn’t complete a full investigation before sending people to drag down DSD from the plane like a convicted and known criminal? Take all your reporting and shove it where its dark! Ok?
Regardless if DSK did commit something illegal or criminal, it is still unjust and communist-like how this person was treated! We don’t need a ban on Perp-Walks, nor do we need “five lessons” based on the DSK case as to what we should know for next time. Instead, my dear journalists when any criminal case breaks and prosecutors announce a press conference just don’t go! Next time officials give a person – not yet convicted – the perp-walk, shut your cameras! When you are “forced” to report a story – like of an IMF Boss being schlepped off the place like Jews in the 1930’s – aim your ammunition at the DA as to what are the basis and backing of his investigations! Put prosecutors under pressure and give them hell every time they are looking for publicity! Do this for three months, and prosecutors will think twenty times before taking down people based on faulty evidence or just blowing cases out of proportion with drama for their personal childish ego.
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