All the Spin That's Fit to Print

Our media is no longer a "News" media, it is a bad news media. So when I came upon the following headline at Baltimoresun.com, I was more than a little surprised.

U.S. Muslims well assimilated, content with life, poll finds

Wow. That is good news. No, that is great news.

Or so I thought. I read further...

Muslims in the United States are better assimilated and more concerned about religious extremism than their counterparts in Western Europe and elsewhere in the world, according to a poll released yesterday by the Pew Research Center.

Ok, I’m liking what I’m reading...

It indicates a mostly immigrant adult Muslim population that is hardworking, educated, relatively affluent and, despite shared concerns about post-9/11 discrimination, generally content with life in the United States.

Good...good...

The poll found that those younger than 30, despite having deeper American roots, are comparatively accepting of religious fundamentalism and far more likely to think of themselves as "Muslims" before "Americans."

Muslims in their 20s were also found to attend mosque more than older adults and to be more sympathetic to extremists.

About a fourth of young Muslims think suicide bombing in the name of Islam can be justified, at least in rare circumstances, compared with 9 percent of Muslim adults older than 30, the poll found.

Doh! And I was just feeling like I could sleep a little easier at night.

Hmm, only "a fourth of young Muslims" believe it’s okay to blow up elementary schools...not such good news after all, I guess.

Seriously, what in the hell? "Muslims well assimilated"? "A fourth of young Muslims think suicide bombing in the name of Islam can be justified"?

That is one heck of a spin job. I think my head needs casters.

Makes me wonder what the headline would have been if instead the research showed "a fourth of young Catholics think blowing up abortion clinics can be justified"? Probably wouldn’t have been quite so cheery, I'd bet.

Ahh, but maybe it was just BaltimoreSun.com. Surely other news media would be a little more honest.

Pew Study Sees Muslim Americans Assimilating-NPR

Poll: American Muslims reject extremes-USA TODAY

Muslims 'well integrated' in US-BBC NEWS

Muslim Americans in line with US values-Financial Times

Survey: U.S. Muslims Assimilated, Opposed to Extremism-Washington Post

I’m not quite sure the reason for the template here...maybe multiculturalism or simply fear of reprisal, but I thought maybe I would join up with this new more positive spin on the news with some headlines I would like to see.

A Measly One Sixth of Americans Now Without Health Insurance Study Finds...So What’s All the Fuss About?-New York Times

Let’s Hear it for the Rich! Top 5 percent of Taxpayers Bear Half the Federal Income Tax Burden-ABC NEWS

A Mere 1 Degree Rise Over the Last Century? Al Gore Shut Your Mouth!-CNN

Study: Women Live Seven Years Longer Than Men. Hillary Upbeat About Future.-Los Angeles Times

Adult Stem Cells Actually Cure Stuff...Embryonic, Not So Much-Rolling Stone Magazine

Poll of Immigrants Shows Illegals Not Real Worried About Breaking Another Law-Salon.com

9,728 Insurgents Dead so far in Iraq-Boston Globe

Dealing with Ahmadinejad’s Nuclear Ambitions Easier with Saddam Deposed from Iraq, Panel Finds-NPR

Feel free to comment with some headlines of your own!