Originally Posted By Mr X Yikes. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...embedded" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...embedded</a> You can watch for youself, it's pretty shocking. But in a nutshell, Helen Thomas basically tells the Jews to go back to Germany. I generally like her, at least I like the fact that she holds Presidents' feet to the fire which so many reporters are afraid to do (and I think it's gutsy that she dares ask about Israeli nukes, that ridiculous "open secret" everyone knows about but aren't allowed to talk about). But this? No. Not cool. Not okay. Methinks she has jumped the shark. Time to retire!
Originally Posted By Mr X Please reply to THIS topic, and not the other, nearly identical one. Thanks.
Originally Posted By imadisneygal This link takes me right to the YouTube main page and not to a specific video. Can you help me find the video?
Originally Posted By Mr X Oh, weird. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQcQdWBqt14&feature=player_embedded" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...embedded</a> Sorry 'bout that.
Originally Posted By Mr X Warning, the comments section (sadly, as usual) should be avoided...nothing but nasty stuff. The video itself is within community standards of LP though.
Originally Posted By Labuda Ok, you know I love you, X, BUT... I don't see the big deal when you mention that she says people should "go home" - yes, she mentions Germany, but she also mentions the US. Now, should Israel exist? I honestly don't know - I know it became a country in the 1940s, but I'm woefully ignorant of the circumstances and why Israel is at war with Palestine.
Originally Posted By xrayvision Who cares what she said in the first place. She's an very old school Washington press woman who has no clout in making her words happen. No ethnic cleansing nor exodus is going to happen due to her insensitive and inappropriate statement. She was wrong and one should disregard her ridiculous comment as senile then move on.
Originally Posted By Labuda Ok, so. I was apparently wrong to think you were over-reacting here, X. According to CNN, Helen Thomas is now retiring as a result of her comments.
Originally Posted By ecdc It does show an odd sensitivity about our country. We get outraged at words but not actions. IIRC, the White House called Israel's raid on the Gaza aid ship, "troubling" while they called Helen Thomas' words "reprehensible." So innocent dead people, including Americans, is "troubling" but saying something bad about Israel is "reprehensible." Got it.
Originally Posted By barboy2 ///It does show an odd sensitivity about our country. We get outraged at words but not actions./// With assessments like that, concerning basic USA idiosyncrasies, maybe you and I see share more in common than I first thought.
Originally Posted By xrayvision Ecdc- I agree with some of your statements. I don't like nor tolerate anti-Semitism just as I don't condone racism or other acts/word of hatred. With that said, I do get concerned about Israel's use of military aggression in situations that (from an outsider's perspective) seem unprovoked, including last weeks aggression against Turkish ships. I don't understand the rationale for that attack.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "So innocent dead people, including Americans, is "troubling" but saying something bad about Israel is "reprehensible." Got it." Certainly her opinion was very poorly stated. However, I do agree with the sentiment that Israel needs to have a bit more respect for its neighbors. I think that the US and Europe have coddled them for far too long. For instance it's widely believed that they possess undeclared nukes and yet no one in the western world seems to mind. It's more than a bit disappointing that the Obama administration hasn't denounced Isreal's recent actions.
Originally Posted By ecdc There's no question what Helen Thomas said was stupidly put. But an entire career of holding Presidents' feet to the fire is now over because of one inartfully expressed comment? We are the most hypersensitive, childish, pathetic culture ever.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan And yet, Ann Coulter makes a career out of saying stupid, offensive things.
Originally Posted By xrayvision >>And yet, Ann Coulter makes a career out of saying stupid, offensive things.<< As does Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson and recently Senator Jake Knotts. The 1st amendment protected them. I equally disliked Thomas' remarks (writing them off as senile as I do Pat Robertson's inappropriate comments), yet she has to quit while the others aforementioned kept their day jobs even after making equally offensive statements. Was it her White House gig , which country and culture she offended, or her sex (female) that made the difference this time? Because I don't see the difference between her comments and other public comments made daily by people of influence that are highly derogatory toward U.S. ethnic races or groups. The comments get written off (for various reasons) and we move on. I don't care if she leaves or not, as she's enjoyed a long career. I just think it's hypocritical for her to be forced to resign after something she said while Senator Knotts stays in office and Rush stays on the air.
Originally Posted By xrayvision Add Rev Jesse Jackson and Hillary Clinton who've made public comments that were stupid/offensive towards another race or religious sect and still kept day jobs.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper While it is easy to lump all "newspeople" into one category, I think you have to consider the differences between a Limbaugh/Robertson/O'Reilly type versus a member of the White House Press Corps. Frankly, I don't consider Limbaugh or O'Reilly newspeople. I consider them "entertainers". (Though, how entertaining depends on your persepective I suppose.) I still think the White House Press Corps is made up of journalists and Thomas was not doing journalism when she made those remarks, she was giving opinion.
Originally Posted By gadzuux The decision rests with her employer - Hearst - not the white house. She was also terminated by the 'speaker's bureau' that represented her. To her credit, ten years ago she abruptly and publicly resigned from UPI after 57 years (!) when it was purchased by the Reverend Moon and his 'Unification church'. From wikipedia - which already has noted today's resignation in their bio ... >> On May 17, 2000, after 57 years with the organization, Thomas resigned from UPI the day after the announcement of its acquisition by News World Communications Inc., a company founded and controlled by Unification Church leader Reverend Sun Myung Moon. She later described the change in ownership as "a bridge too far". Less than two months later, she joined Hearst Newspapers as a columnist, writing on national affairs and the White House. <<
Originally Posted By gadzuux >> Thomas was not doing journalism when she made those remarks, she was giving opinion. << She was asked for her opinion, and she gave it. I don't agree with her opinion, but does that mean that members of the white house press corps are not permitted to speak their views? In her case, she's considered more of a 'columnist' than a 'reporter'.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I would guess that there are certain standards a member of the WHPC have to live up to either as expected of the White House of the employer. If one of those standards has to do with sharing personal opinion on national issues then there is certainly a cause for a reaction in this case.
