S.F. Man Says Beheading Video Is a Hoax

[TenPercenter]

I got an email alert from MSNBC late Saturday eve, titled "MSNBC Web site shows beheading of American in Iraq". The article was quite long, and described the events in the tape in detail. It listed the words of the man in the tape before he died. He pleaded for us (America) to leave that country, and that more Americans would die this way if we did not leave. This was the general "air" of the article.

A few hours later, I got another MSNBC alert, to the SAME URL, that had a four sentence article leading "SAN FRANCISCO - A video aired Saturday that purportedly showed an American being decapitated was a hoax." (see it here) (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5629119/) The original MSNBC story is gone. I never saw that story on the other networks, although tried to find it.

Here is the full story from the AP website: AP ARTICLE (http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AMERICAN_BEHEADED_HOAX?SITE=PAAPA&SECTION=HOME)


Ten

[Cyrus]

The poll is flawed. The wording is unclear and biased. (Where are all the folks that jump on me for my "biased wording" whenever I put out a poll? I take comfort in deluding myself that Malmuth holds me to a higher standard. /images/graemlins/cool.gif) The errors of orthography are just an irritant.

You ask in your poll "Do you think this type of activism helps America and it's citizens?"

This wrongly presumes that the hoax was an effort of activism (http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=activism). However, the intentions of the man were clearly stated (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5629119/) as follows :

[ QUOTE ]
Vanderford, 22, said he began distributing the video on the Internet months ago in hopes of drawing attention to his one-time campaign for city supervisor. When his political aspirations waned, he thought the video would serve as social commentary.

"It was part of a stunt, but no one noticed it up until now," Vanderford said. "I did this for a couple of reasons. One is to attract attention. But two is to just make a statement on these type of videos and how easily they can be faked."

[/ QUOTE ]

It would be better to ask the question in something like the following manner:
DO YOU THINK THAT MR BENJAMIN VANDERFORD IS
(A) A CLEVER YOUNG MAN?
(B) AN IRAQI SPY?
(C) AN IDIOT?

You'd be surprised by some answers.

[TenPercenter]

Nevertheless, you answered "yes" that you think that what this man did "helps America and it's citizens?" Why did you answer this way if you think the question is flawed? Or were you justifying your "yes" answer? That may sound adversarial but I'm serious. I'd like to know what you think since so few people have taken part in the poll.

Ten

[TenPercenter]

[ QUOTE ]
This wrongly presumes that the hoax was an effort of activism.

[/ QUOTE ]

I say this man used a demonstration of a beheading in support of a cause [US withdrawal from Iraq]. We'll just have to disagree on that.

Ten

[Cyrus]

"Nevertheless, [why] you answered "yes" that you think that what this man did "helps America and it's citizens?" Why did you answer this way if you think the question is flawed?"

Did I? I honestly do not remember pressing any button. If I did, I must've been trying to see the results of your poll, out of curiosity. I would've pressed one at random.

I truly have no opinion on the matter other than it was a childish hoax perpetrated by a stupid person who only wanted to get attention. (As he admitted.)

A hoax, by the way, which must have been extremely disconcerting to families of people who were really executed in Iraq.

[TenPercenter]

[ QUOTE ]
Why did you answer this way if you think the question is flawed?"

Did I? I honestly do not remember pressing any button. If I did, I must've been trying to see the results of your poll, out of curiosity. I would've pressed one at random.


[/ QUOTE ]

Please. Please! You pressed one at random? /images/graemlins/smile.gif One of the "two" buttons, at random. Hehe.

and your other statement:

[ QUOTE ]
which must have been extremely disconcerting to families of people who were really executed in Iraq.

[/ QUOTE ]

So you're telling me that showing a faked American beheading is good for America and it's citizens, but then you said the above statement., I can't figure it...

Ten

[Cyrus]

"Please. Please! You pressed one at random? One of the "two" buttons, at random. Hehe."

It's your choice to believe me or not, it's no hair off my balls, either way.

I will only say again that in order for anyone to view the results of your poll, one had to press a button. I think I pressed one and if I did, it was at random. (I'm ready to switch "my button" to another choice, if you want me to and if technically possible.)

Why would you think I would not stand by my convictions, if I had indeed made a conscious choice in your poll? That poll was flawed, my man. At least by ten percent. /images/graemlins/cool.gif

"You're telling me that showing a faked American beheading is good for America and it's citizens, but then you said [the hoax must have been extremely disconcerting to families of people who were really executed in Iraq]. I can't figure it."


Let me explain (again) : I never said that the hoax is "good for America". I did say that this was a stupid and cruel hoax, IMO.

But I also did say that, IMO, the hoax must have been extremely disconcerting to people who lost loved ones from kidnappers in Iraq. Imagine if your father or brother had been decapitated in Iraq and then you turn on the TV and see that idiot from California smiling and saying he did it to get "public exposure"! Wouldn't you feel disgust and anger? I know I would.

(By the way, Ten: When you copy & paste your poll question, you run the risk of repeating ad nauseam all its grammar mistakes. No big hair off my balls, again, but I'm just saying, since you so keen on busting 'em. /images/graemlins/cool.gif)

[MMMMMM]

"Please. Please! You pressed one at random? One of the "two" buttons, at random. Hehe."

One might reasonably suspect this is the way Cyrus answers all polls on this forum.

[Cyrus]

"One might reasonably suspect this is the way [randomly] Cyrus answers all polls on this forum."

I don't live in Florida. It only looks that way.

/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[nothumb]

I'm with Cyrus; I don't think we can call this activism.

If someone did something like this with the serious hope of swaying foreign policy, I'd call them seriously misguided and more than a little bit unstable. First, because there are no shortage of hostages being taken anyway. Second, because Bush doesn't read newspapers and only losers like Al Gore pay attention to the internet. And third, because anyone seriously investigating the video would find out that the man executed most likely did not exist.

NT