Al Jazeera Pounces on Farrakhan's Event

It comes as no surprise that Al Jazeera would highlight dissension among Americans.

That "news" outlet, much like the U.S. mainstream media, loves to point out Americans criticizing America. For instance, this past summer, Senator Dick Durbin became the darling of Al Jazeera when he likened the detention center at Guantanamo Bay to Soviet gulags.

Under the caption, "African-Americans protest inequality," Al Jazeera provides an eight image photo gallery.


In sum, Al Jazeera underscores that America is bad.

Anti-Americanism is good.

I don't mean to suggest that the entire gathering was necessarily anti-American.

Some positive messages were relayed. Hopefully, the event may spur some people to organize to assist others in taking responsibility for themselves and energizing their communities.

What about all the irresponsible comments made by leaders addressing the crowd?
I couldn't find anything on Al Jazeera's site referring to the wackiness and the goofy conspiracy theories spewed by some of the speakers at Saturday's Millions More Movement.

I suppose Al Jazeera, the media outlet recommended by 4 out of 5 terrorists, can't be expected to provide a balanced account of what went on at the event.

Disturbingly, all-American network ABC ignored some of the more off the wall rhetoric coming from African-American leaders, too.This Week with George Stephanopolous reported on the Millions More Movement, but not a word about the claims reiterated from the podium that levees in New Orleans were sabotaged by the U.S. government was mentioned.

As part of the "Voices" segment, Russell Simmons was given the spotlight.

Ten years after the Million Man March, hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons helped organize the sequel. The Millions More Movement filled the National Mall Saturday. The message: Change is coming.

Russell Simmons: America has to be equipped for the fact that it will one day be a minority country, very soon. It's moving toward where the people have to learn to love and appreciate each other. But the good news is that young people are not accepting their parents' ideas.

The Millions More Movement is going to be an amazing, amazing movement.

Certainly, I can say that that first Million Man March changed my life. We learned about how we can help others uplift those who are in struggle. And that brings you up, right?

To have people go back and join their church or synagogue or mosque and commit, you know, again — or recommit to their purpose, which is moving toward God. These kinds of things [have] tremendous benefits.

We have to wage a real war on poverty and ignorance. When the people speak up, the politicians work for the people. And so I think the message is that poor people are coming together and that they may become a power that you have to deal with. They may vote in a bloc. They may recognize their similarity instead of, you know … . Race used to be a way, a good way, to divide the poor or divide people.

If it's God's work and it's the right thing to do, and the number of people, if it's a couple hundred thousand or a million, it's still an inspiring day, it's still a call to action, it's still a success story — at least in my eyes."

As I've said before, a lot of good could come from the Millions More Movement.

However, since Louis Farrakhan, Malik Zulu Shabazz, Al Sharpton and others chose to speak in misleading terms with the potential to divide and cause unrest, the opportunity for Saturday's gathering to be part of a positive movement to address the real problems in the country was lost.

What a waste!