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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
Sept. 18, 2009
29 Elul 5769
Racist!?
By
Roger Simon
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
When Kanye West rushed onstage and grabbed the microphone away from Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards the other day, was he being a racist? Or was he just being rude?
Me, I thought he was just being rude. In any case, he apologized. And life moved on.
When Serena Williams yelled at a line judge at the U.S. Open Saturday night, was Williams being a racist? Or was she just losing control of her temper during a hard-fought match?
Me, I thought Williams was just losing control of her temper during a hard-fought match. In any case, she apologized. And life moved on.
When Joe Wilson yelled at President Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress last Wednesday, was Wilson being a racist? Or was he just being an incredible jerk?
Me, I thought he was just being an incredible jerk. But others thought he was being a racist. (After the incident, he called his wife, and she asked him, "Joe, who's the nut that hollered out?" And he said, "It was me." And she said, "No, really, who did it?")
In any case, Wilson apologized. But life has not moved on.
First, the House of Representatives demanded that Wilson apologize again, and when he refused, the House passed a "resolution of disapproval" against him.
I watched the House debate figuring that at least one or two of the representatives would denounce Wilson for racism. But not a single one did. Steny Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland who is the House majority leader, said he knew Wilson and, "I have found him a man of measured conduct" in the past. Hoyer said he was "surprised" by Wilson's behavior.
Jim Clyburn, a Democrat from South Carolina, who represents the only majority-black district in his state, had every opportunity to call Wilson a racist but didn't even hint at it. Clyburn said it was all a matter of civility. "There are certain things that you do and certain things you don't do," Clyburn said. "And when you do the things that you don't do, the proper thing is to show contrition."
President Obama, who could have used Wilson to create a "teachable moment" on race in America, did not. Instead, Obama said he "appreciated" Wilson's apology, though Obama did think the incident was an example of the "coarsening of our political dialogue."
It looked like things would move on. And then came Jimmy Carter, who seems to believe that if something is worth stating, it is worth overstating.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he's a black man," Carter told NBC's Brian Williams.
I think it is impossible to disagree that some of the animosity directed against Obama is racist. You can't look at some of the disgusting signs that people have carried at protest marches and listen to some of the deplorable things people have said and believe otherwise.
But Carter has decided that "an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity" is racist. How he quantifies that, I don't know.
I do remember that the extreme right wing also hated Bill Clinton, a white guy. Clinton was accused of being a cocaine smuggler and having murdered his friend Vince Foster and all sorts of other dastardly things. (And this was way before Monica.)
Also, having been in college in the late '60s, I do remember the extreme left wing hating not only some Republicans, but some Democrats, too. ("Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?" was not a love song.)
So extreme feelings can be based on things other than race. And people can act rudely and not be racists.
But Jimmy Carter sees it differently when it comes to the attacks against Obama. He says extreme attacks against Obama "have been influenced to a major degree by a belief that he should not be president because he happens to be African-American."
He could be right. He could be wrong. But as Jason Zengerle, a senior editor at the New Republic, wrote, if Carter "wants to help Obama, he should just shut up."
Why? Because Carter is describing an America that Obama says does not exist. Certainly there is racism in America, but Obama has always insisted that it is not as big a deal as some think. (And he was, after all, elected president. Let's not forget that as we scourge ourselves.)
Obama officially took issue with Carter through White House spokesman Robert Gibbs. "The president does not believe that the criticism comes based on the color of his skin," Gibbs said. "We understand that people have disagreements with some of the decisions that we've made."
So is it not race, but merely disagreement over decisions? Or does race still lurk? Along with rudeness. And extremism. And a coarsening of the political dialogue.
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© 2009, Creators Syndicate
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