THE DOUBLE STANDARD - AT 11:22 A.M. ET:  We've had a few things to say in recent days about the remarkable double standard that exists in the nation's media and among some of its "cause" groups.  The latest example, of course, is the silence of so many on the left, especially "feminists," regarding David Letterman's crude "jokes" about Sarah Palin's daughters, and about Sarah Palin herself.  (He also insulted airline attendants.)  Letterman gets a pass because he's on the "correct" side of politics. 

A careful reader alerts us to some stories surrounding another double standard.  When abortion doctor George Tiller was murdered, the press gave saturation coverage, and some commentators suggested that "right wing" talk radio and talk TV might be to blame for the killing.  But when an American soldier was murdered outside a recruiting station by a Muslim extremist, on American soil, coverage was minimum, and we were immediately told that this was another "isolated incident."  Nothing to see here, folks, nothing to see, despite a number of "isolated incidents" involved Muslim extremists in the years since 9-11.

But, as our reader notes, there was more to the story.  A few solid journalists did start investigating, including a team, commendably, from ABC.  The ABC reporters recalled the convictions of three Muslim extremists for terror-related crimes, and reported:

All three terrorists worshiped and socialized at a small mosque in Columbus, Ohio, and, according to David B. Smith, an attorney for Faris (ed note:  one of the convicted men), were part of a larger group of jihadists and extremists who frequented the mosque.

The FBI now is investigating reports of links to that same mosque by Muslim-convert Abdulhakim Muhammad who allegedly shot and killed one soldier Monday and critically wounded another in a drive-by attack on a Little Rock, Ark., recruiting station, ABC News has learned.

I haven't seen that anywhere else.  I'd like some answers.

Another story noted by our reader, from the Ohio State University newspaper:

A female Ohio State student was trying to catch a bus to class Tuesday afternoon when she became the victim of a random stabbing.

Police say the 20-year-old student was walking down Stinchcomb Drive near Buckeye Village at 12:55 p.m. when she was stabbed by 34-year-old Wael W. Kalash. Witnesses said Kalash had been walking up and down the street exhibiting "bizarre" behavior before the stabbing occurred.

"There's no connection between the victim and him other than she was at the wrong place at the wrong time, it was a completely random act," said Det. Jay Fulton of the Columbus Division of Police homicide unit.

Connection:  This guy worshipped at the same mosque targeted in the ABC story.  Hmm.

We certainly don't mean to suggest that all mosques preach terrorism.  Indeed, there can simply be coincidences here.  But this is worth investigating.  It is worth the same kind of time the news outlets devoted to probing the associations of Dr. Tiller's alleged killer.  That's what journalism is about.

We thank our astute reader, who asked that his name be withheld.

June 12, 2009