Comments on: Journalist Tells of Harrowing Protest Experience in… Israel? http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/07/14/journalist-tells-of-harrowing-protest-experience-in-israel/ Beating Them With Their Own Sickle And Hammer Thu, 18 Mar 2010 01:09:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: David Bar-Cohn http://www.stoptheaclu.com/2009/07/14/journalist-tells-of-harrowing-protest-experience-in-israel/comment-page-1/#comment-121267 David Bar-Cohn Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:34:14 +0000 http://www.stoptheaclu.com/?p=24798#comment-121267 Of course you're right that spitting is not in the same ballpark as murder. But two things: 1) Blame ABC and other media for their coverage -- don't belittle Anne Barker. She's entitled to report on the vile brand of humiliation she was subjected to. 2) If "newsworthiness" was a question of how things rated on the scale of evil, nothing would ever be reported besides murder and genocide. This is how human consciousness works -- we're disturbed by things that touch us personally, not necessarily by those things which are objectively the most reprehensible. I'm sick from all the murder and bloodshed in the world. That's obviously priority one. AND, as a religious Jew I'm frankly disgusted at the behavior of my so-called coreligionists. I offer my sincere apologies to Anne Barker for what she experienced, supposedly in the name of Judaism. It's not my Judaism, nor is it the Judaism of the vast majority. But needs to hear that from more Jews. Normal, good-willed people need to make their voices heard. Of course you’re right that spitting is not in the same ballpark as murder.

But two things:

1) Blame ABC and other media for their coverage — don’t belittle Anne Barker. She’s entitled to report on the vile brand of humiliation she was subjected to.

2) If “newsworthiness” was a question of how things rated on the scale of evil, nothing would ever be reported besides murder and genocide. This is how human consciousness works — we’re disturbed by things that touch us personally, not necessarily by those things which are objectively the most reprehensible.

I’m sick from all the murder and bloodshed in the world. That’s obviously priority one.

AND, as a religious Jew I’m frankly disgusted at the behavior of my so-called coreligionists. I offer my sincere apologies to Anne Barker for what she experienced, supposedly in the name of Judaism. It’s not my Judaism, nor is it the Judaism of the vast majority. But needs to hear that from more Jews. Normal, good-willed people need to make their voices heard.

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