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The silence is deadening and shameful. Two of Al Gore’s reporters (his online Current TV network), Laura Ling and Euna Lee, have been held captive for over a month by North Korea.
In that time, the former Vice President has not spoken a word of protest, his site is deleting comments from readers, they’ve posted a guard at their San Francisco studio to keep out the press, and not one article has appeared on his own journalists in their news section.
You will see, however, an article on the CIA interrogator's use of waterboarding technique on U.S. captive Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the admitted planner of the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Current’s two journalists, Ling and Lee, face up to 10 years in labor camps ---hard labor. They were arrested by the North Korean authorities on March 17, after travelling through northern China to the North Korean border to do a story on trafficking of North Korean women.
They may not have even been in North Korea at the time of their arrest. North Korean border guards probably crossed the Tumen (the river that forms the border) while Ling and Lee were filming on the Chinese bank, according to Reporters without Borders.
Where is outrage. Where is Al Gore. And why is his online TV station suppressing readers’ comments, refusing to report the story about his own reporters, and posting guards to keep the press out.
Current TV states their mission on their home page (bottom right). “Current is about what's going on in your world: all the things you and your friends are actually interested in -- that you won't find on any other news site or cable TV channel.”:
Clearly, the fate of their reporters is of no interest to Current or Al Gore.
Comments
You state: "Clearly, the fate of their reporters is of no interest to Current or Al Gore." To that I say: 1. Clearly, you have ZERO understanding of international hostage situations. Gore is staying out of this and letting our government handle it, as anyone with a functioning brain realizes is the right thing to do. He doesn't want to jeopardize the safety of the hostages by involving himself. Besides, I'm sure if he did say anything, you would write that he is interfering where he shouldn't because... 2. Clearly, you are one of the tiresome, right-wing haters of all things Al Gore, so nothing he does or does not do is right in your eyes. You probably think global climate change is a myth, correct? I can spot you flat earthers a mile away. Go sing your hate-filled song to someone who is actually gullible enough and/or hate-filled enough themselves to buy it. As for me, I see Al Gore for the admirable hero he is.
Al gore is a liar and a coward. Now that’s an inconvenient truth.
I echo the same sentiments as Edna above. Vice President Al Gore has the safety and safe return of the two reporters at heart. I have no doubt about that. International hostage situations are obviously a very delicate situation. A person can't just go half-cocked on something like this. Perhaps if you weren't so quick to judge Al Gore, a man who has done nothing but serve his Country admirably, you would be able to draw the same conclusion!
First off, Ben, please seek counselling for your drug problem because you are having delusions. I also LIVE in Oklahoma, so I have a right to tell the REST of you 'corn shuckers' that POINT ONE. Al Gore has NO CONTROL over international affairs. THAT job belongs to Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton. Current Reporters are NOT the FIRST to be held hostage or imprisoned nor will they be the last. At least CURRENT Reporters had enough GUTS to go there for the TRUTH than rely on FAULTY INTELLIGENCE and the RUMOR MILL! So why don't you go back to sniffing the emission fumes eminating from Inhofe, or ask Dr. No why there are NO ABORTIONS in Oklahoma.
Art - I sometimes agree with you, but you are way off on this one. This is a cheap shot at Al Gore. You would be better talking about his KWH usage, or flying on private jets. But this is bogus.
I have to agree. This is just yet another 'cheap shot' taken at Al Gore's expense, like the KWH usage, the private jets, the whole ball of 'earwax'. We have real problems with the economy, so why bring up the Ghost of Al Gore?
Ben, as Jack Nicholson once said, it is you that "can't handle the truth!!" Al Gore is a good and honorable man. It's just that so many people, particularly those in the oil industry, cannot handle the truth about global warming, so they result to smearing Al Gore and trying to discredit him at every turn.
My only concern is for the reporters.
Why didn't their producers get a permit?
If they were under direct employment by current, then somebody high up should've made a statement.
I hope they get released.
Mr. Bruzzone is the former Chairman of the San Francisco Republican Party. You are fooling nobody Mr. Bruzzone. And, by the way, your facts about a guard, for example, are an out an out lie.
Why would anybody expect anAL GOREtentive to lift a finger to help these two?...he has yet to apologize to the American people for trying to steal the 2000 Presidential election in Florida
Mr. Baker, if you follow the link regarding the posted guard you'll read SF/Weekly's attempt to enter the building as press. Please read then judge..
Its amazing to me how many of you Kool-aid drinkers just can't admit this is a F'd up situation with respect to how Current is handling this. Ok ok, you love and respect Al Gore. We can debate global warming... oh, sorry, its Climate Change now... We can debate why Al Gore would have a MASSIVE carbon footprint to call his own. What we can't debate is Current not being insanely vocal about this story right now. Ling has turned in some incredible work for them. She risks her life and freedom for them and for us to get these stories. Mr. Bruzzone is 100% right when he asks where the outrage is? Forget Gore. Where is the outrage from the White House? Where is the outrage from we the people??
Edna, Global climate change is a reality. What has yet to be proven is if it is a man-made phenomenon. Global climate change occurred before humanity invented combustible engines. Please explain why. I trust you will have a well researched and thoughtful dissertation at the ready since you, unlike we neanderthal "Flat-Earthers", know the ins and outs of climate science.
I admire Al Gore too, but for his ability to con people like you to the tune of a personal fortune over 100 million. I can't argue with success like that!
OH NO! They are going to sentence a REPORTER to 8 years in prison in Iran! Quick FLYING MONKEYS! Try to BLAME AL GORE FOR THIS!
Don't worry; I'll be posting the video on YouTube with an exclusive "I survived stepping in North Korea" T-shirt offer!
Art, thanks for covering this move by Current to pretend they live on a fictional plane where everything is business as usual for Laura Ling and Euna Lee.
This has been nagging at me for weeks, and I'm glad to see you reporting on it for your Examiner blog.
"Clearly, the fate of their reporters is of no interest to Current or Al Gore." Really? That's a little disingenuous, don't you think. What would you have him do? Clearly, any direct pressure on N Korea will not bode well for those Current TV reporters. As a matter of fact, according to Times Online, "The US State Department has said that it is making every diplomatic effort to free the two women and Mr Gore is said to have contacted Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, to ask for her assistance. The US has no embassy in North Korea..." It's not hard to imagine that the State Department probably advised Al Gore to make no comment regarding the situation.
1. Baker, interesting point you bring up about the author, Mr. Bruzzone, being a former Chair of the San Fran Republican Party. I, and I'm sure many readers of this article, did not know that and it surely confirms my take on the article, which is that he is simply a Gore-basher doing his thing.
2. To Robbins Mitchell: Gore did not try to steal the 2000 election, that was Bush and the Republican Party who tried and SUCCEEDED in stealing the 2000 election. They are excellent at law breaking. Gore has NOTHING to apologize for and everything to be proud of for the admirable way he handled every step of that election process, always putting the rule of law and America first.
3. Balsac, no need for me to present you with a dissertation on climate change, because the facts--a huge, overwhelming quantity and quality of them--are in, the debate is over, and you are perfectly capable, I assume, of studying up on the subject yourself. I normally relish a good, substantive argument, but I've long since given up on engaging with the flat-earthers because, as I said, the debate is over on this, and also you all don't want to be confused with the facts, so why tax myself on trying to convince you of them? Do your own research or wait until it becomes too obvious for even you to deny, which, tragically, probably won't be too long from now.
It's amazing that the writer is being attacked just because he is a Republican.
To the attackers: if you had truly spend the time to read the article and follow the links, you would find that both Gawker and San Francisco Weekly had posted stories about this first.
Before you judge, please also read the article by Phil Bronstein of the SF Chronicle: Where's the Web 2.0 Freedom of Information (and Al Gore) for the Journalists Captured in North Korea? (I cannot post a link here, but you can google it.)
To see if for yourself, go to Current TV and post a comment regarding the case of Euna Lee and Laura Ling to see if your post would be deleted...
Please, this is not a Republican or Democrat issue. The issue here is we have two American Journalist who were being detained in North Korea, the worst place on the earth, and the public should have a right not only to know about it but to voice their opinion. They were working on a story for Current TV and Current TV is enforcing a blackout on any mention of this issue on their website.
Have you ever seen another news outlet who would go out of the way to delete all postings by readers on a legitimate issue? One that involves journalists of their own? What happened to freedom of speech?
How shameful can we be? Why is there no movement by any agency to try and help these courageous reporters? Where is Al Gore, Hilary or even Mr President! Will they just pretend this has not happened? That is it we are just monkeys, can't hear, see or speak. Makes me proud!!
Thank you Laura. There is a candlelight vigil for the safe return of Euna Lee and Laura Ling to be held Tuesday, 6:30-8PM, in front of Current TV, 118 King St., San Francisco. Let's all be there to show support for these two American journalists!
For more information: please google the FaceBook group: Detained In North Korea : Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, please help. (Sorry, I cannot post any links here.)
Update: The candlelight vigil in San Francisco has been combined with the one in Sacramento. So it will not be held in SF tomorrow.
The political ranting and character assassination on this page is an indication of the myopia and sheer naivete of certain individuals who choose to post here, the author of the article included. If one cannot take into consideration the nature of the present social and political climate in North Korea, then perhaps they do not truly grasp how fanatical and volatile that country is. Its people practically beg to die for the "Great Leader" (who is himself likely near death; not exactly a stable situation).
Even the most basic critical thinking skills should reveal that Current and Al Gore have almost certainly been asked by the properly interested parties to keep quiet until further notice. The fact that they choose to comply indicates to me that they realize silence is the best course of action at the present time.
I pray for the safe and fast return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. It breaks my heart to think of their suffering and fear. I am also grateful for those in government who help ensure and continued safety of the United States by being smart enough to when to remain silent. If our leaders and media carelessly and selfishly reacted in the same way some people have done on this page, we would probably never see Ms. Ling and Ms. Lee again.
I hope the two hostages will be set free soon!
Al Gore will not even debate real scientists about his baloney. His carbon credits is a scam to make money. Trees need Co2 to grow so some carbon is good! The earth is warming and cooling and is cyclical and humans aren't making that much of a difference. Maybe China is and we can't do anything about that because they own us. Tell Gore to make them change into Greenies first! America is doing an excellent job being green and going bankrupt.
Cheap shots never stopped a liberal. How can something be explained to anyone that dosn't want to understand?
Thank YOU for the good reporting!
I noticed this uneccessary abduction(they should have had proper Visa's, according to Franklin Graham who doesn't have problems traveling in sensitive areas in N Korea) The scarey "Gore-man's" silence on the matter is yet another "Inconvenient & undeniable TRUTH" for "His Majesty's" much soiled diaper to remain soaking in desperately needed sunshine and fresh air...Apparently the hundreds of millions earned from Google and Apple and Daddy Gore's Occidental Oil and Coal have choked out every bit of oxygen...'round Al's bassinette...
Al testified in Congress, "You jest don't know meee, dew yeeewww...?" Well, nope we don't, but we are getting an idea... and you, Al dude, are getting to know us...Cap that!
Edna, your defense of Al Gore is typical for loons of the left. This lummox rails against the oil companies yet owns considerable shares of Occidental Petroleum of LA, as I do. Eat your hear out! Re: 2000, that was settled by the Supreme Court, so live with it, lib. Your view of so-called climate change is the usual lock step mantra of the left, all bogus. Many scientists have spoken out against the snake oil peddled by Gore, who continues to waste energy at outrageous levels. You are arrogant to believe that man can alter nature, the sun's energy, and gravity. Explain to everyone how California's 12% unemployment rate will be improved by Gore's naive and reckless adherence to a myth. Have a nice day.
Did I just read that Mitch Koss will be hawking t-shirts!?!what a jerk. Clearly the wrong person escaped that day! I would hope that you would campainging to help get these two ladies back on US soil. not trying to make a quick buck at their expense. Same on you!
sorry ment to say, SHAME on you
YOU AND YOUR TV SHOW HAD BETTER BE PICKING UP THE BILL FOR THIS RESCUE. WE HAVE ENOUGH TO PAY FOR IN THIS COUNTRY WITHOUT US PAYING FOR A GORE MISHAP. HE IS ALREADY COSTING US BILLIONS!
Now what do you have to say, Mr. Bruzzone? Obviously Mr. Gore was quite involved in their rescue, but he couldn't talk about it publicly for fear of jeopardizing the mission. Welcome home Laura Ling and Euna Lee!
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