To the Editors of The New York Times
I wrote my first ever actual letter (okay, email) to the editors of The New York Times today:
To the Editors: Upon seeing the headline, "Israeli Raid in West Bank Imperils Talk of Truce" in my inbox this morning, I proceeded to read the article.
I am extraordinarily disappointed in the article and the journalists.
The lead, "Israeli undercover troops killed four Palestinian militants in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday, shattering a five-day lull in violence and threatening Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire," is particularly incredible.
Only yesterday, the Times published another article by the same journalists: "Rocket Endangers Palestinian-Israeli Respite." The lead in that article stated, "Gazan militants fired a rocket at the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Tuesday, fracturing a tenuous lull in fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, which escalated sharply in late February and early this month."
So how is it that the Israeli action could possibly shatter a "five-day lull in violence," if only one day ago, Gazan militants fired a rocket at Ashkelon?
In addition, the article from March 12th does not even mention the blatant murder of eight innocent civilians while they were studying Jewish texts, yet it apparently tries to compare the death of one innocent Israeli civilian with the deaths of "120 Palestinians, including many civilians." The article also does not mention the fact that Palestinian terrorists insist on using their own people as human shields, thereby creating terror among their own people as well.
I hope that you will reconsider publishing such blatantly biased articles in the future.
***
It's also just plain, bad journalism. They took the same lead and used it two days in a row, swapping out a coupla words. I never would have noticed, except that I was so ticked off at today's article, that when I saw the link beneath it to yesterday's article, I figured I might as well see what these morons had to say.
***
I'm really struggling with my right-wing vs. my left-wing tendencies at the moment.
On one hand, I desperately *want* to believe in the idea that people are good. I want to believe that people want peace. I want to believe that if we could just come to some agreements, the fighting could stop.
But on the other hand, the more realistic hand as I see it, I don't see one tiny shred of evidence that it can happen.
I'm just tired of fighting myself, and I'm tired of feeling guilty for wanting to live in the land that G-d gave us without worrying about rockets and suicide bombers and traitors.
I was at a taping of a Jewish television show the other night, and the host said something like this:
It's like the Jews are saying, "If we talk and make some agreements, we'll have peace."
And the Palestinians/Hamas people are saying, "No, we don't believe you have the right to make agreements, because you don't belong here at all."
And the Jews: "Okay, so we'll talk, and we'll split the land, and we'll have peace."
The Palestinians: "No, we don't think you understand. We want you out of here completely."
Jews: All right, so we'll talk, and we'll split the land, and heck, you can even have half of Jerusalem."
Palestinians: "What part of 'we are going to push you into the sea' don't you understand?"
***
When I was in Haifa, and leaning right, I had a friend who was able to sort of keep me in balance. He was a great debator, and he made me really think. And he used to tease me that if I made aliyah, I was going to become a settler, become totally right wing, and become anti-America, because that's what happens to Americans who make aliyah.
He wasn't all wrong.
I haven't become a settler yet, but I could totally see myself doing it. I haven't become totally right wing, but I can see myself going that way, too. I'm not even close to being anti-America, though, and I hope I don't get that way.
***
I did 10.4 kilometers on Monday, and 10.5 yesterday. Tomorrow I am shooting for 21 kilometers including warm-up and cool-down.
My awesome mom is sending me a package of running stuff that I ordered, including new running pants and a new sports bra. Mine have served me well, but they're pretty darned tired at this point (they're seven years old!), and my one pair of running pants without holes in it is way too big and meant for cold weather. I hope the package gets here in time... but even if it doesn't, I'll be stoked to have the stuff so I can keep running for fun, even after the race.
To the Editors: Upon seeing the headline, "Israeli Raid in West Bank Imperils Talk of Truce" in my inbox this morning, I proceeded to read the article.
I am extraordinarily disappointed in the article and the journalists.
The lead, "Israeli undercover troops killed four Palestinian militants in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday, shattering a five-day lull in violence and threatening Egyptian efforts to mediate a cease-fire," is particularly incredible.
Only yesterday, the Times published another article by the same journalists: "Rocket Endangers Palestinian-Israeli Respite." The lead in that article stated, "Gazan militants fired a rocket at the Israeli coastal city of Ashkelon on Tuesday, fracturing a tenuous lull in fighting between Israelis and Palestinians, which escalated sharply in late February and early this month."
So how is it that the Israeli action could possibly shatter a "five-day lull in violence," if only one day ago, Gazan militants fired a rocket at Ashkelon?
In addition, the article from March 12th does not even mention the blatant murder of eight innocent civilians while they were studying Jewish texts, yet it apparently tries to compare the death of one innocent Israeli civilian with the deaths of "120 Palestinians, including many civilians." The article also does not mention the fact that Palestinian terrorists insist on using their own people as human shields, thereby creating terror among their own people as well.
I hope that you will reconsider publishing such blatantly biased articles in the future.
***
It's also just plain, bad journalism. They took the same lead and used it two days in a row, swapping out a coupla words. I never would have noticed, except that I was so ticked off at today's article, that when I saw the link beneath it to yesterday's article, I figured I might as well see what these morons had to say.
***
I'm really struggling with my right-wing vs. my left-wing tendencies at the moment.
On one hand, I desperately *want* to believe in the idea that people are good. I want to believe that people want peace. I want to believe that if we could just come to some agreements, the fighting could stop.
But on the other hand, the more realistic hand as I see it, I don't see one tiny shred of evidence that it can happen.
I'm just tired of fighting myself, and I'm tired of feeling guilty for wanting to live in the land that G-d gave us without worrying about rockets and suicide bombers and traitors.
I was at a taping of a Jewish television show the other night, and the host said something like this:
It's like the Jews are saying, "If we talk and make some agreements, we'll have peace."
And the Palestinians/Hamas people are saying, "No, we don't believe you have the right to make agreements, because you don't belong here at all."
And the Jews: "Okay, so we'll talk, and we'll split the land, and we'll have peace."
The Palestinians: "No, we don't think you understand. We want you out of here completely."
Jews: All right, so we'll talk, and we'll split the land, and heck, you can even have half of Jerusalem."
Palestinians: "What part of 'we are going to push you into the sea' don't you understand?"
***
When I was in Haifa, and leaning right, I had a friend who was able to sort of keep me in balance. He was a great debator, and he made me really think. And he used to tease me that if I made aliyah, I was going to become a settler, become totally right wing, and become anti-America, because that's what happens to Americans who make aliyah.
He wasn't all wrong.
I haven't become a settler yet, but I could totally see myself doing it. I haven't become totally right wing, but I can see myself going that way, too. I'm not even close to being anti-America, though, and I hope I don't get that way.
***
I did 10.4 kilometers on Monday, and 10.5 yesterday. Tomorrow I am shooting for 21 kilometers including warm-up and cool-down.
My awesome mom is sending me a package of running stuff that I ordered, including new running pants and a new sports bra. Mine have served me well, but they're pretty darned tired at this point (they're seven years old!), and my one pair of running pants without holes in it is way too big and meant for cold weather. I hope the package gets here in time... but even if it doesn't, I'll be stoked to have the stuff so I can keep running for fun, even after the race.
posted by M at 20:43
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