Dan Rather’s cry baby words on CBS leaving him in the dust reek of an expectant spoiled brat. He should have the dignity to accept this fate, substantially attributed to his careless commit of a pinnacle journalistic sin. When Rather gave confident, thoughtless report to false war documents received from an inadequate, unreliable source, he gave up any ability to garner trust in himself as a respectable journalist and reduced America’s trust in the media as a whole. Most people know to view the news media with a grain of salt. While it should always be as Fox News says, “We report, you decide,” that is usually not the case. Especially with CBS and reporters like Rather who have always pulled out hard knocks to those they dislike and soft taps those they do in interviews and reporting.

But now he expects to be treated like television royalty by CBS after this unethical reporting? I ask you, why would any sane person want to get their news from someone who said, “I think you can be an honest person and lie about any number of things.” (O'Reilly Factor May 15, 2001.) And this is just one of the many unbelievably ignorant comments he has made on national television. Rather violated public trust during a critical time in a way that could have altered the history of this country. Luckily, it was found out and only created good “what-not-to-do” learning material for J-school undergrads. Anyone taking Journalism 101 learns that fabricated or even sensationalized news is unacceptable.

A journalist’s integrity must triumph extraordinarily because they have a vital duty to fulfill, an authentic obligation to the American people. Call me crazy, but I think he should have been fired that day and charged with a crime. A colossal unethical decision calls for a colossal punishment and I think Rather got off pretty good because of his news celebrity status. Anyone can do something they regret, but an honorable person would humbly step back, not demand continued respect and more responsibility in the same arena. Rather should be embarrassed, but he has no shame and whines about not being treated as his apparently god-like journalistic status demands. A respectable champion of any profession requires some air of humility to sanctify that status. Rather is the opposite and his unattractive temper tantrums don’t make him any more popular amongst the rationale public.

Sadly, Dan Rather will be remembered as one of the greatest American journalists of all time. He may have, at one point, been a good reporter but he took that passion and talent and twisted it towards a political agenda that ultimately hacked his career ending to a sad pulp. “Rathergate” will certainly not be forgotten, and I suppose you can’t wholly discount the newsman he was for so many years, but sometimes a single decision can compromise everything. A man can live a supposedly good, moral life for 75 years but if at some point he decides to do something unforgiveably immoral, those good 75 years are no longer very valid. Seeing as how polls show that the media is overwhelmingly left-leaning and liberal mindset tends to oversight “petty” dishonesties (reference liberal god Bill Clinton), Dan Rather will still be an icon of great American journalism. Let’s hope the future of journalism doesn’t follow this beaten path.