Why Are We Back In Iraq?

(John Byrne at The Raw Story has an exclusive interview with Melissa Beecher, a real journalist who was plagiarized by fake journalist Jeff Gannon at Bobby Eberle's fake news service Talon News/GOPUSA.)

Jeff Gannon's plagiarism of the wire services and mainstream media outlets is one thing, but stealing the work of a hard-working real life journalist is inexcusable.

Melissa Beecher wrote a story for The MetroWest Daily News and The Daily News Tribune (and the Community Newspaper Company which is owned by The Boston Herald) on June 13, 2003 which received some attention but not the kind of attention that Jeff Gannon the plagiarist has been bestowed with. In response to a "You Got Plagiarized By Jeff Gannon" e-mail that I sent, Ms. Beecher informed me that she "was the only reporter at this "event" and reported on a first-hand experience." Jeff didn't acknowledge her as a source for his "copy-and-pasted" story, and that's about the worst journalistic sin anyone can commit (next to Judith Miller's lies dictated from unnamed government sources which helped lead to the illegal, immoral invasion of Iraq).

On June 17, 2003 Jeff Gannon's stolen goods "Homeschooling Parents Threatened With Loss of Children" ran on Talon News, the portal to GOPUSA.com, travelled all across the Web to conservative Websites, and it is still archived at Mens News Daily (though probably not for much longer). Here is a link to Melissa Beecher's "Home-schooling standoff in Waltham." Jeff Gannon was so sloppy that he completely plagiarized the last sentence in this post:

Jeff - "A homeschooling Massachusetts family clashed with workers of that state's Department of Social Services last week when the agency tried to force their children to take a standardized test."

Beecher - "A legal battle over two home-schooled children exploded into a seven-hour standoff yesterday, when they refused to take a standardized test ordered by the Department of Social Services."

Jeff - "At 7:45 a.m. Thursday, DDS workers and police came to the Waltham, MA residence of George and Kim Bryant to transport the couple's two children George Nicholas, 15, and Nyssa, 13, to a hotel to administer a test to determine their educational level."

Beecher - "George Nicholas Bryant, 15, and Nyssa Bryant, 13, stood behind their parents, Kim and George, as police and DSS workers attempted to collect the children at 7:45 a.m. DSS demanded that the two complete a test to determine their educational level."

Jeff - "Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld said, "We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace, we will not physically remove the children."

Beecher - ""We are simply here to prevent a breach of the peace," said Waltham Youth Officer Detective James Auld. "We will will not physically remove the children.""

Jeff - "DDS worker Susan Etscovitz adamantly told the Bryants, "We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit.""

Beecher - ""We have legal custody of the children and we will do with them as we see fit," DSS worker Susan Etscovitz told the Bryants in their Gale Street home."

Jeff - "The Waltham couple was ruled unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children."

Beecher - "The parents have been ruled as unfit because they did not file educational plans or determine a grading system for the children..."

Jeff - "Kenneth Pontes, area director of DDS said that it is possible that the children will be removed from their home, but that would be a last course of action."

Beecher - "Pontes said that a possibility exists that the children will be removed from their home, but that was a last course of action."

Jeff - "The Framingham Juvenile Court issued a court order at 1:00 p.m., and the Bryants drove their children to the hotel. But the children refused to take the test."

Beecher - "After a court order was issued by Framingham Juvenile Court around 1 p.m., the children were driven by their parents to a Waltham hotel. Again, they refused to take the test."

Jeff - "The Bryants believe that the city and the state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests."

Beecher - "The Bryants contend that the city and state do not have the legal right to force their children to take standardized tests."

Jeff - "Both sides agree that the children have not been abused mentally, physically, sexually, or emotionally..."

Beecher - "Both sides agree that the children are in no way abused mentally, physically, sexually or emotionally..."

# posted by Ron Brynaert : 3/31/2005 12:49:00 PM