Letters to the Editor
jjppmd
Published Letters: 30
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Imus
[Read the article: No more whining excuses]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The firing of Imus represents an example of 2 undeniable phenomena of the current American Zeitgeist: 1.white hyperguilt and 2.chronic black victimhood.
While Imus' comments were indubitably in bad taste and poorly chosen, so is much of the material he has used regularly for oh, about 30 years. So why this incredible overreaction, when comparable comments about other ethnic groups go regularly unnoticed? The answer of course is the knee-jerk reaction to anything negative about blacks uttered anywhere. The ensuing campaing, led by the likes of such stalwarts of morality as Al (Tawana Brawley) Sharpton, and Jesse (how many girlfriends?) Jackson, is nothing short of world-class hypocrisy. And far from defending blacks, this now routinized uproar does nothing but demean blacks, by implying that one inapprpriate remark by one white guy can damage the entire black community.
While Imus may have said many racist,sexist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Catholic things over the years, I actually don't believe he's either a racist or bigot. He actually is one of the cleverest, most inventive, and actually broad-minded individuals ever to grace the airways, in his own dysfunctional way. Remarks like these should indeed be condemned and then ignored! The extreme overreaction only serves to perpetuate the image of blacks as consumed by their own defeatism. Much more helpful would be for real black leaders to come forth and decry the really destructive elements in current black culture, including the worship of rap and prison culture, teen pregnancy, drugs and gun violence.
The truth may be painful, but it's the only way to begin fixing these very pressing andf real problems.
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The good, the bad, and the ugly
[Read the article: The 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]First of all to Jonah-- thanks for an entertaining and well-researched piece. Although not Jewish myself, I found the list very interesting for the obvious reason that Jews are usually known for their impressive accomplishments in non-athletic fields, e.g. science, medicine, arts,etc.
What I found equally interesting was the reaction to it. I've noticed that nearly anything about Jews brings out a contingent of folks who seem unusually and generally inappropriately upset by anything which portrays them in a favorable light. It's impressive and even amusing to see the logical and literary contortions exercised in a labored attempt to find something ostensibly objectively offensive about such an innocent piece, and it's amazing how much effort some have put into these twisted syllogisms.
Given the lack of logic or cogent argument offered by any of the article's critics, I reluctantly have to conclude that the truth of the matter is that there remain a number of closet anti-Sems out there, who get their rocks off by going to nearly any length to convince others (and I suspect themselves) that there is something wrong with virtually any positive reference to Jews.
So for those folks, including the apparently self-hating Sugarman, and the courageous bigots like "Anonymous", I can only say: spend as much time examining your real motives as you do trying to find fault with a group which has probably contributed more per capital to American progress than any other-- and as a Gentile, I have to say that's the irrefutibe truth which deeply troubles these deeply troubled individuals. They need to get a life.
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anon
[Read the article: The 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's more than a little ironic that the courageous "anon" who for some deeply felt reasons is strangely offended by this benign, even tongue-in-cheek article about Jews goes to elaborate although ultimately nonsensical pseudo-reasons why he dislikes the topic so much. Yet when one casual mention of Southeners is made(and a resonating one at that),he is shocked and offended! How incredibly hypocritical and shallow--anon.needs to get some counseling about his inner feelings and prejudices including their possible origins, and why he has such trouble coming to terms with them. And a little assistance with logical thinking and writing wouldn't hurt either...
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p.s.
[Read the article: The 18 best Jewish ballplayers of all time]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To Antiochat: amusing and well-written letter. It stimulated me to link to your others which are excellent as well!
pps: to Anonymous-- some spelling lessons wouldn't hurt either: it's "judgment"!
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more Kuriya-isms
[Read the article: It's OK to vote for Obama because he's black]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]if I had even the slightest doubt what an idiot Kuriya is before, this piece confirms it. He is so terminally addled by his fashionable if poorly reasoned uber-liberal thinking, that almost nothing he writes has the virtue of either compelling logic, or even adequate journalism for that matter.
Joining the slavish crowd of Oblahma-worship without compelling reasons pretty much makes exactly this point about Kuriya--a knee-jerk leftist who really feels much better about himself , now that he has come out for a black person!
Nevermind that this candidate hasn't any semblance of credentials to assume what's arguably the world's most powerful position; that's not important to profound fashionistas, of whom Kuriya is almost a caricature. Many of us are in amazement at the rush to support a Oblhma, since his blackness for many rational folks is neither a reason to support or not support him.
And his conspicuous unwillingness to condemn Islamic radicalism and fascism is very concerning, with regard to his willingness to take on our greatest security challenge.
It's possible that for Kuriya, given his idiotic rantings about the Middle East situation, andhis apparent overweening sympathy for the bomb-makers of Gaza, may find OBlahma's weakness on Islamofascism as a big positive!
There are many of Salon's readers with whom I've spoken who truly wonder why in the world a respected publication like yours would keep this very shallow thinker on your otherwise esteemed editorial staff!