Two Short Ones From UPI…

-By Warner Todd Huston

Today, I have two short United Press International stories that each have bias in them, but aren’t worth a long, drawn out fisking of their own. So I’m combining them into one Newsbusters report. The first UPI report characterizes a Dutch anti-Islam cartoon as having been “found most offensive,” as if it were universally accepted that it is, indeed, offensive and the second is a ridiculous report that is treated as “news” when it is really nothing but meaningless nonsense dressed up as news — the second having the ulterior motive of stirring hatred against the eeevil “rich.”

First up is “Cartoonist honored for Mohammed portrait” where UPI reports that the Danish artist who drew the “controversial cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed with a bomb in his turban” has been honored with the Sappho Award by the Danish Free Press Society. This is all good news but the UPI couldn’t help but slip in some of their own bias against this brave artist in the last two paragraphs of the report. (my bold emphasis)

Farshad Kholghi, a Muslim actor who belongs to the society’s Internet publication, presented the award, saying he is “proud” of Westergaard.

Why the scare quotes around proud? Why does the fact that the man was proud of the cartoonist for braving death threats with his cartoon need to be doubted or unduly highlighted by quote marks? Should we have cause to doubt that Mr. Kholghi is “proud”? Is “proud” not to be believed?

Next was this:

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Bush’s ‘Sour’ Economy is Killing America’s Horses!

-By Warner Todd Huston

Well, now I’ve seen just about everything. UPI is trying to convince us that Bush’s “sour economy” is killing horses all across the nation. Bad, bad, mean ol’ Bush! Why does he hate the pretty horses so? I know it’s hard to believe, but UPI is seriously trying to claim that the economy is killing the noble beasts in theirs headlined, “Horses suffer as U.S. economy sours.”

ZIMMERMAN, Minn., Jan. 31 (UPI) — The operator of a horse-rescue organization in Minnesota said the number of neglected horses needing care has gone up dramatically as the economy slows….Drew Fitzpatrick … told the St. Paul Pioneer-Press Thursday the economic downturn has been tough on horses bought when times were good.

Yes, it’s the economy, stupid.

But, as one continues to read the short piece, one might find that it is less the “sour economy” that is killing horses and more the stupidity of people who haven’t a clue what they are doing when they buy the horses in the first place that is responsible for this equine elimination.

Wade Hanson of the Humane Society said calls about neglected horses are running at 15 a month, while about 15 horses are dying needlessly a year. Both neglect cases and deaths have quadrupled, the report said. Hanson said many newly rich people bought spreads in the country and added horses without knowing much about them. “They thought they were going to be ranchers,” he said….”They are so clueless.”

Buying a horse for the kitch factor is not a good idea. Horses are very, very expensive to keep alive. There are numerous annual vet bills and other constant care, trailers and trucks with which to pull them are needed, not to mention that they need to eat every day, curiously enough. And horses eat like a …um… horse. Anyway, they are not cheap and shouldn’t be treated as pets frivolously purchased.

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