American Morning
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Swine flu remained top of the mind for most American Morning viewers. Many were wondering “at what point would the border with Mexico be closed” due to the pandemic, while uninsured viewers were concerned about access to healthcare in the event they contract the virus.
- Richard: Realistically at what point would the border with Mexico be closed if the U.S. won't close it during a Pandemic that can potentially kill a lot of Americans?
- Unknown: There are a mess of individuals who are concerned about the H1N1 Flu not only due to its potential fatality, but really because we are uninsured. For instance, I am a grad student, cannot afford health insurance, and am very poor. Will the US allow the flu to spread simply because poor individuals do not have the money to seek treatment? What are people like me to do if we suspect contamination? Is there protection for us to (and believe me, I'm washing my hands like never before).
- Edna: Will the governments provide Tamiflu to people who can't afford it? Why don't we just close all U.S. schools for the summer give the kids an extra month of summer break and help stop the spread of the virus?
Should President Obama close the borders to prevent further spread of the H1N1 Flu? Do you believe that such an action would help stop spread of the virus? How would such an action affect you and your family?
With President Obama’s First 100 days behind him, response to Republicans’ grading of Mr. Obama was negatively received. Others were angry that Mr. Obama continued to place budget blame on former President G.W. Bush.
- Isieis: The C- rating given by the GOP did not surprise me, but the B- rating given by the American people did surprise me. No doubt, negative media influence over the last 100 days was a factor. CNN’s guests and so-called experts who give their opinion or assessment have definitely influenced Americans, but it does not mean that they are RIGHT about President Obama and his Administration. I gave President Obama an 'A.’ The reason: I took into consideration his SINCERITY, his GENUINESS, and his WILLINGNESS to accept blame. No other President in history has had so much on his plate coming into office. The GOP has no right to even criticize him based on their performance over the last 8 years during the Bush Administration.
- Gina: Obama was in Senate since 2006; sorry but, it was a DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS & SENATE that FORMED this Budget. This idiotic conclusion is OBAMA’s; he voted for it when he was still a Senator! We are not stupid! It is Pelosi that is stupid!
Do you believe, as viewer one states that media influence is to blame for President Obama’s B- rating by the American public? Is President Obama incorrect in placing blame on former President G.W. Bush for the budget crisis? Give us your thoughts on these issues.
Controversy over the torture memos heated up, as discussion moved to where blame should be placed. Many believed the soldiers and camp commander should be held responsible because they should not obey “illegal” orders.
- P: Those memos released about the interrogation techniques do not exonerate the Abu Ghraib soldiers or the camp commander. The memos exonerate interrogators. Those guards were supposed to be just that. They are not trained as interrogators and even though they may have seen interrogators do similar things, or may have even been instructed to do so under certain circumstances, they were acting on their own accord, and outside of the scope of their orders, and are therefore responsible for their actions.
- Julie: Regarding the torture interview with Colonel – During basic training, soldiers are informed that they should NOT obey illegal orders. Every person in the military and up the chain of command is aware of the Geneva Conventions, which is a treaty we signed. So, there should be no question of the wrongness of what was done at Abu Ghraib. Yet the Colonel claims that the soldiers should be exonerated for torturing. This does not make sense to me. What should happen is the MORE people need to be punished for their crimes....I would have liked the interview to include this information and ask why, if the Colonel believes orders were given, that the soldiers shouldn't be punished for obeying them-since they were illegal. Thank you.
Where should blame be placed, in the former Bush Administration, for approving the torture, or in the ranks of those who carried out the interrogations and guarded the prisoners? How do we as a society address such issues going forward?
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Heya Arizona! You are sure that you're happy there, are you? I have some friends located in Phoenix. Thier families have been robbed a few times where they had to "chase" the Mexican robbers themselves!! I feel so bad for the American people in your state and stand my ground that SOMETHING NEEDS DONE SOON! Do what my friends did. They took advantage of thier constitutional rights to bear arms just to be able to protect thier homes and families from these savages. I lived in the state of TX for a while and it was quite concerning back then. I could not imagine that it would have gotten much worse, but once again the American people were wrong in believing that our govt. may actually take care of it's people! NO! They didn't. WE the People have to PAY to take care of these people!! How is it that this became our problem? The borders should have been closed years ago, and remain that way!! And, take a good look at our tomato industry right here in the states! Because of Mexico, and the tomatoes that thier country sends into the USA for sale, our industry has to be plowed over! I will grow my own from here on until OUR TOMATOE INDUSTRY is producing the foods that I am about to eat! I have serious concerns about the care of thier produce, and I REFUSE to eat ANY of it nor serve it to my family! We have to figure out, as a people, how to take our country back! We need someone in office who ACTUALLY CARES about the AMERICAN PEOPLE and has the GUTS it will take to actually change it! And, we aren't closing the borders? Total stupidity!! Arabs are already all through the southern regions of Mexico, and are working thier way to the border now! I read that on CNN blogs by the American citizens that were traveling there! Are we ever going to start taking care of the Americans until we are strong enough to start helping other countries! THE BORDER NEEDS SHUT! If anyone want to go with the Mexicans when they are sent back home, then they can go with them! Then close the borders! Problem solved! Maybe God will protect our people when obviously our officials don't seem to!
People in the Southwest are NOT stupid Tim. Stolen identities, rapists, murderers, you name it, we have it, and most, if not all, are illegals. In 1986 when Reagan gave amnesty, Kennedy, et al., put together an immigration law and Kennedy said this will never happen again. This Government did nothing to secure our borders and again we have over 20 millioin illegals in this country. So, do we give amnesty again and say this will never happen again, and then in 10 years we are back where we started. I know of only one person who is following the immigration laws on our books and that is Sheriff Joe Arpaio. But, he gets criticized and LaRaza and the ACLU say he is racist. You can't be racist when all of the above are being caused by illegals. So to all you so-called smart people. Go, jump. Close our border now and thereafter secure it and prosecute anyone coming across illegally and fine companies and jail CEO's who hire them.
Oh boy!! Was that ENGLISH?? I did not even understand much of that last statement!! This is all we need here! Open borders!! I wish they would take the time to learn and understand our language before telling our country how it should be run! The Bush administration really has nothing to do with this at all! Unbelievable!! I wish he would have built up the Tamaflu, but he actually took on alot of issues that our country did not need to (once again) put thier noses into! Bush has NOTHING to do with this flu!! ITS A FLU! If the sky now decides to fall there, little star Jason, I assure you, it would not be at the fault of the Bush(or any other) administration! Heck, it came from MEXICO! HELLO??? There is where it was originally found. There is where the MAJORITY of deaths are located. There is where it spread due to lack of education and medical treatment!
Yes i think is the fault of the bush administration because bush administration have many thing to resolute but not take the good way prefer do war and not do more about real fact and real issue ....give a ways whit dumb yard for obama administration .....i know it ....now is time for do whats the bush administration not do ....restructure the america .)your little star jason
FLU BUDGET: Obama must spend 50 million of his 1.5 billion on soda can protection. An infected store clerk will pass on millions of flu fomites when he scans your can. then you place the can on your lips to contract his illness. Not to mention a sneeze would contaminate 100s of cans in the store's cooler.
Many countries place a yogurt caps on soda cans. Why are Americans still exposed to this infectious threat?
Obama must spend a 50 million of his 1.5 billion on soda can sealing! A flu stricken convinience store clerk can pass on millions of bacteria / flu fomites by touching your soda can to scan it, not to mention an infected sneeze in his drink cooler.
They are just doing thier jobs here,Tim! They report the news! I just want to know where the 3 missing viles are that were stolen from the CDC( just days before our visit to Mexico) Where are they?? What virus was in the viles? (swine flu by chance?) Who took them?? ( U need classification to enter the building!) You also need ID to remove a vile from the CDC. SO....where are they?? Why was the records NOT LOOKED AT and there has been no explanation, nor arrest! I think that this is only the beginning... I would hate to think that when they release that information to the public( if ever) it may just end up having been the swine flu. OH MY
I agree tim some what. But if your dissappointed with CNN then what about Faux News that's been regularly referring to it as "the new ""Black Death"" etc.?
Excellent! Another reason for racists in the Southwest to clammor for the construction of the Great Wall of Mexico. All stupid people need is a few words like CRISIS and PANDEMIC with plenty of EXCLAMATION POINTS to give themselves permission to irrationally freak out.
The coverage of the H1N1 Flu has been irresponsible, sensationalized and gratuitously frantic at the expense of simple information that will slow its spread and prevent a run on canned goods and hand sanitizer. There's nothing worse than watching On-Air talent that has no basic understanding of influenza or how infection affects the body asking repeptitive inane questions and learning nothing. Really disappointed in CNN.