The Deceptive Apology: Williams in Iraq

Image: Wikipedia

Brian Williams apologized on Wednesday, February 4, for the story that he was aboard an aircraft that was shot down by enemy fire during the 2003 Iraq War invasion. Rhetorically, the Emmy and Peabody Award winning, anchor and managing editor of the 'NBC Nightly News' attempted to correct his falsification of facts without admitting to lying.

Transcript of Williams' apology:

On this broadcast last week, in an effort to honor and thank a veteran who protected me and so many others after a ground-fire incident in the desert during the Iraq War invasion, I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago. (Emphasis mine) It did not take long to hear from some brave men and women in the air crews who were also in that desert. I want to apologize. I said I was traveling in an aircraft that was hit by RPG fire. I was instead in a following aircraft. We all landed after the ground-fire incident and spent two harrowing nights in a sandstorm in the Iraq desert. This was a bungled attempt by me to thank one special veteran, and by extension: our brave military men and women — veterans everywhere — those who have served while I did not. (Emphasis mine) I hope they know they have my greatest respect. And also now my apology.

The question is whether an apology is an apology if the statement is woven around a lie? Did Williams make a mistake in recalling what happened when he was a passenger on that helicopter? Is it possible for one to mistakenly recall being the direct target of enemy fire and their aircraft forced down in a war zone as Williams claims in his apology?

Williams' faulty memory disclaimer demonstrates a lack of respect not only for journalism but viewers and veterans alike. His rhetorical maneuvering suggests that neither are savvy enough to recognize his strategy to minimize his "recollection" of the facts. 

Was telling the lie about his 2003 experience the "bungled attempt"? Or, was using a veteran and by extension, as Williams states, all veterans, to bask in the reflected glory of the wartime soldiers the "bungle"?  Or both?

Williams on 'David Letterman' telling the RPG Helicopter Story in 2013 (2:46 marker):

Regardless of Williams' motives, the seasoned journalist is guilty of telling and retelling a false story and publishing it on a major news outlet. Would he have apologized if he had not been called out by a war veteran who was there?

Veteran's Post to the 'NBC News' Facebook Fan Page:

We will never know.

What is certain is that Brian Williams should be disciplined by NBC and the journalism profession just like other liars, such as Jayson Blair ("retired"), who deceive the public.

---

'Let the Fire Burn'--Out of Sight, Out of Mind.

Watch The Philosophy of MOVE on PBS. See more from Independent Lens.

"Let the Fire Burn" had one of the shortest runs of any of the Independent Lens documentaries that I have watched on Kansas City's local PBS station, KCPT. 

The film sheds light on the May 13, 1985 destruction of 61 homes (let me say that again--61 homes) that resulted in the tragic deaths of 11 people, including five children! It was discovered that authorities decided to “…let the fire burn” after Philadelphia police dropped military-grade explosives onto the MOVE-occupied rowhouse in that neighborhood.   

Coverage of the hearings following the massacre are equally tragic and telling of the pure, unadulterated racial hatred that fostered the killings--bone chilling, even for those for whom this film is a mirror up to their own, though perhaps private, animosities.  

I called the station to find out why the film was aired only a couple of times in its first month of showing, and why the film could not be accessed on KCPT's website even though the link to the film says "view full episode."  

Well, that was yesterday. Today, the link has been removed altogether. 

Yesterday, the head of KCPT's online content (I don't recall her exact title) told me that the film did not load because "they probably didn't have rights to either the film or parts of the film."   

What?!   

Who is "they" and how could KCPT possibly air the film in the first place if the proper rights had not been secured by "those people" before airing it?   

If you were unable to catch "Let the Fire Burn" while it was on *public television*, it is now accessible behind the gate of Netflix. SMDH   

But, never fear, you can still watch the Jayson Blair story on KCPT. In that film, racial stereotypes (both white and black) are maintained and perpetuated.   

Repeating specific stories influences public perception in a specific direction. Limiting access limits knowledge and understanding.   

Though I enjoy much of the programing on public television, and KCPT in particular, I will not bite my tongue regarding their participation in the perpetuation of racial stereotypes and pubic ignorance to appease particular audiences.  

There, I said it. 

---