Bos. Herald: Conservative That Prevents a Suicide, 'Does Indeed Have a Heart'

Bos. Herald: Conservative That Prevents a Suicide, 'Does Indeed Have a Heart'

By Warner Todd Huston (Bio | Archive)
February 6, 2009 - 09:56 ET

How do you turn a hearwarming tale into just another excuse to call conservatives heartless, mean ol' hatemongers? Just ask Jessica Heslam from the Boston Herald who, right in the first sentence of her story, decided it would be fun to take a slap shot at a conservative that helped save a woman's life, this week.

Boston's conservative radio host, Howie Carr, helped a women decide against committing suicide on his morning radio show on Thursday when she called in distraught about her dire economic situation. Appealing to her concern for her own family, Carr convinced the woman not to kill herself by telling her the story of his own grandfather's suicide that Carr said his family never got over.

So, how did the Boston Herald's Jessica Heslam turn this story into a slap at conservatives? Check out how she began her story:

Howie Carr does indeed have a heart.

The hardboiled WRKO radio host and Herald columnist tried to dissuade a female caller - distraught over the bleak economy - from killing herself, divulging that his own grandfather committed suicide during the Depression.

Carr "has a heart"? Should we expect he doesn't just because he is a conservative talk show host? What sort of thing is that to say about a man that helped a women from killing herself? It certainly seems that the Herald just trivialized this woman's life with such offhanded treatment of Carr, doesn't it?

Sadly, the Boston Herald couldn't even tell this simple tale of a life saved without taking a shot at conservatives.

(Photo credit: Boston Herald)

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What?

February 6, 2009 - 10:19 ET by CPT_Claw

I would have though they'd be screaming for the authorities to prosecute him for practicing Psychological Counseling without a license.

And they did not do an investigative report on whether he was telling the truth about his grandfather?

Of course, all of that may be coming. They are just saving it for the Sunday edition.

And how would Jessica Heslam had shown she had a heart?

February 6, 2009 - 10:23 ET by JohnMcGrew

Just offer this suffering woman a handout of someone else's money?

Just another example of how the far-left really doesn't get it.

If Humpty Dumpty was hard

February 6, 2009 - 10:27 ET by eaglewingz08

If Humpty Dumpty was hard boiled instead of a bleeding heart, the King's Horses would have been able to put him together again. The Boston radio host deserves commendations for his assistance to that woman. Will the Boston Herald, which has such bitterness towards conservatives, show its liberal heart by giving that woman a well paying job during these trying times? (I doubt it liberals are only generous with OTHER people's monies, never their own)

Howie Carr

February 6, 2009 - 10:37 ET by Pha Pha

Let me clear up this. I am not sure is Jessica is a loony leftie or not. I have not read anything that would make think she was.

Howie also writes for the Herald and compared to the Globe is much more conservative. I believe she was being funny, because the libs in this city always accuse Howie of not having a heart.

I live in this crazy democratic city and Howie is one of the only voices of reason in it.

How many more Mr. Speaker?

February 6, 2009 - 10:40 ET by shirtsbyeric

How many more Mr. Speaker? How many more!

Whose Heartless?

February 6, 2009 - 10:55 ET by flyingmonkey

Considering that liberals support a culture of death, I find it hard to believe that Jessica Hesslam would think she has the moral high ground to judge who does or doesn't have a heart.

You voted for a baby killer Jessica! It's you who have no heart.

I've got a different take

February 6, 2009 - 11:34 ET by celator

I've got a different take on this story. I listen to Howie almost every day, and he is a true conservative.

Howie likes to kid about being a hard-hearted conservative--it's sort of an inside joke with his listeners because the local libs call him that (as they do all conservatives).

The truth is otherwise. Howie's done many acts of kindness on the air and off the air, and his listeners know it--and are in on the "hard-hearted conservative" references.

Now the other part of the story. Howie writes a column for the Boston Herald (a conservative newspaper, more or less). He's a peer of Jessica. She really is taking a punch at Howie's wacko liberal critics on the column and the readers understand that. It's a sort of "Howie's critics will be surprised to hear that he has a soft heart" story. Tongue in cheek sort of thing.

To be sure, if one isn't in on the backstory, it's very easy to take a shot at Jessica. She should have made the backstory more obvious.

For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.

Different take

February 6, 2009 - 11:41 ET by Pha Pha

Well said......

Thanks. I tried to give

February 6, 2009 - 13:59 ET by celator

Thanks. I tried to give some context to the story. Bet neither Howie, who's no doubt laughing about all this, and Jessica, never thought the story would be on Newsbusters. ;+}

For liberal Democrats and the Old Media, everything is crisis, chaos, calamity and catastrophe. That justifies stealing your property and liberties.

Irony

February 6, 2009 - 12:11 ET by rammingspeed

The white hot hatred bursting from the Left is mind bending in its pervasiveness and its irony. The Left are the good people, tolerant of everyone (al Qaida, Hamas, Hesbollah) and rooting for one human to help save another's life. No questions asked, or are there?

Jessica Heslam is putrid. She is a hate monger of the first order and deserves to be called out at the highest journalistic levels. Instead, she'll be celebrated for her clever kick at a conservative radio talker.

After all, the Fairness Doctrine has to be promoted at all costs.

I think they really do

February 6, 2009 - 12:28 ET by motherbelt

I think they really do think conservatives have no heart!

I remember a few years ago an article about Tom Delay, I think it was in the WaPo.

They treated it as a real aberration and a stunning revelation that Delay and his wife spend a lot of their time and money taking care of needy children and indeed several foster children!

They made it sound like that was completely out of character for a conservative. A real "who'da thunk it!" reaction.

I didn't think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows. -Bart Simpson

Liberals Believe Government the Solution

February 6, 2009 - 13:41 ET by deerjerkydave

To liberals government is the solution. They believe that government is responsible for charitable causes. To conservatives government is the problem. They believe that government is not responsible for charitable causes.

Based on this definition, Jessica Heslam is clearly a liberal with a liberal bias in her work.

Utilizing government as a charitable organization is wrong on so many levels. First, it acquires its money through coercion. Next, government chooses what is morally needed for those funds, not the taxpayer. Next, politicians can buy votes based upon what "charity" they bestow upon the public. Lastly, politics degrades to a point where politicians fight over who can give more riches to the public (health care anyone?). The net result is a centralized moral authority which is not much different from the formation of a state religion. All of this creates a vicious cycle which does not have a happy ending.