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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Jan. 27, 2004
/ 17 Shevat, 5765
Keeping Those Preconceptions Shiny and New
By
James Lileks
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Every week there's a news story that energizes the hard-core faithful, and it usually follows the same trajectory. First: proof of boundless perfidy on the other side. Stage two: muted reaction to a clarification, followed by stage three: "Yes, BUT!"
The last part insists the story is somehow true on a metaphysical level, and thus accurate. A famous minister may not have called Sponge Bob a g-dless proselytizing sodomite, but he probably doesn't like gays, so the story's sort of true. It's a means of keeping your preconceptions as shiny and new as the day you formed them.
This week's Fresh Screaming Outrage regards the decision of the University of Oregon to remove a "Support the Troops" magnet from a campus truck.
Imagine the scene! Hundreds of angry students rocking the truck, shouting DEATH TO AMERICA, no? Burning flags, the driver chased off campus by giant papier-mâché puppets of President Bush with blood dripping from his mouth, etc. Campus administrators, in this easily conjured scenario, caved quickly because they felt in their hearts that it would be wrong to let any expression of patriotism sully the Elysian fields of academia. Perfidy, you think. Just what you've come to expect.
Tempting, but alas, the truth is a little less thrilling. Now we have step two, the muted reaction to the clarification. Facts: One guy had the magnet on a state-owned truck. No riot. One person complained. One.
There are two ways an organization can respond:
A) "We will convene a committee to prepare a policy on the matter, as well as solicit an opinion from the philosophy and art departments on whether a metal magnet shaped like a fabric ribbon is inherently surreal and thus exempt from standing policy. The commission will also address whether left and right turn signals endorse Western notions of rigid dichotomies, and should be replaced with Chinese ideograms depicting the magnetic poles. The commission will also accept comments in an open forum which will inevitably be hijacked by that smelly grad student who has a thing about boycotting grapes; what is he, 50? So moved."
B) You're offended, you say? Well, life must be one continuous scrape of the ol' emery board on your gums, eh? Get a life. I hear they're expecting a big shipment sometime today. NEXT!
You can guess which one a university would choose. Nearly any modern organization curls up in a ball the moment someone pronounces himself offended — as though everyone has the right to coast through life without snagging his sleeve on a contrary idea.
In this case, the University of Oregon released a statement saying it supported the troops — honest, it did — but state vehicles were no place for personal messages. Hard to argue, really. If anything, a university should have "How's My Driving?" with the phone number displayed in some complex algebraic equation. And nothing more.
Yes, BUT. It seems a bit disingenuous for the university to insist it scrupulously avoids mingling public money and private opinion. From art departments to visiting lecturers, universities provide a fecund and humid hothouse for personal opinion, and one can safely say that most would make William F. Buckley cock an eyebrow in distaste.
Universities regard themselves as the guarantors of free thought, keepers of the flame of civilization, but they are often remote from the societies they purport to serve, crimped by PC orthodoxies, and disinclined to understand the culture that sustains them. Town vs. Gown. Nothing new. But at least in the old days the distinctions were less severe — Beethoven vs. Elvis, Picasso vs. Rockwell. Not Chomsky vs. Bush or Smart vs. Evil.
In the end, though, these overreactions teach us important lessons, just like an episode of Barney. You can be a Christian without being an anti-SpongeBob "homophobe." You can be a Democrat at a university and support the troops.
Next week's flame war topic: a high school biology teacher asks his class to consider the philosophical implications of the Big Bang.
Or, as the e-mail in your box will put it: Jesus-freak wingnut tells class the world was created in six days. To the barricades!
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in uplifting articles.
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JWR contributor James Lileks is a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Comment by clicking here.
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© 2005, James Lileks
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