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I have rarely read a columnist who I find to be so right on so many issues but so dead wrong on so many others.
One of Jeff's latest columns, History's oldest hatred, March 11, is a commendable piece on anti-Semitism. It is quite good and I recommend it. He uses the recent Holiday of Purim to explain how, although the name anti-Semitism itself is a bit problematic, hatred against Jews, simply for being Jews, is a Historical reality that will not go away. What he also focuses on is that the "hatred for simply being a Jewish person" is rarely connected to what these people do, but is more a part of perceptions, or passed down negative feelings that people have toward Jewish people - in their psyche.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/11/historys_oldest_hatred/
But two previous columns infuriated me.
Where's Global Warming? (March 11) and
This is not a nation of cowards, Mr. Holder (February 25)
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/03/08/wheres_global_warming/
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/02/25/this_is_not_a_nation_of_cowards_mr_holder/
In his piece, Where's global warming? Jeff reminded me of a segment Rush Limbaugh once did on his television show years ago. Rush sent a guy down to the street in the dead of Winter with a microphone to interview people. As they walked by on this frigid day, the interviewer would ask provocatively, "So what do YOU think of Global Warming?" You can imagine the responses, but thy ranged from "Global Warming My A$$!" to "I have your global warming right here!"
Now on one level I get what Jeff is saying. If there happens to be a year when the trend goes in the opposite direction, maybe we should know about it , just as we hear when a year goes in the other direction. But here is where I go beyond disagreement and to the area of calling a penalty on him for dangerous commentary. His column is akin to saying, "Sure go ahead, smoke, my grandfather smokes and he is 95!" Jeff is totally wrong because he is thinking of ONE year the same way that the scientists think of DECADES AND CENTURIES. The trend in those areas - the only ones that really matter - DO deserve the heightened focus to get us to change our energy habits. ONE year of a colder winter is not worthy of any excitement because those single years also exist all over the centuries and decades that show the trends OVERWHELMINGLY going in the other direction.
His comments also reminded of me of something that happened just about a year ago. As a fitness person, when similar idiotic statements are made in that world, I get just as upset. When a study showed that the amount of Water people "should" be drinking a day was not quite as high as once thought, the news ran with it as if we had all been duped and that you really didn't need to drink water at all. Not that the average person had really even gotten the message that drinking more water can be SO much better for you than if you didn't, but this was press pushing people in the opposite direction. This was the opposite direction for where people in the fitness industry had been trying to drag them, kicking and screaming for years. That is what you are doing Jeff with your climate column Jeff. Yes I guess we should know about a single year of a colder winter, but when the decade trend is in that direction, then write a column criticizing the people who are trying to save our planet.
As for Jeff's other column, This is not a nation of cowards, Mr. Holder, I couldn't disagree with Jeff more. The reasons are actually very similar to the reasons I give above. While I don't know if we are a "nation of cowards" there are MANY issues we do not face as honestly and productively as we should. Race, and things like anti-Semitism, are just two of them. As a former teacher, I can tell you without question that we are still hiding from these issues and it carries over into the schools, into the playing fields, into our daily lives.
The one thing I blame the most for this cowardice is the fear of confrontation - on anything serious in this country. We've got millions of people talking to each other every day about Fantasy Football - but no politics please. I hear things all the time like "Yes my kid was taunted at the game, but I have to see these people around town, just let it go."
Jeff, I get that you think Mr. Holder went over board. But its about time someone did - about ANYTHING really important.
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