2004-12-02 Goldsborough reaction |
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{Most recent letters on top} I have read Mr. Goldborough's columns in the past and while I realize that he may have had a view contrarian to some in the "Jewish Community", as expressed by many of the letters to the editors, I have spoken with many in the "Jewish Community" who share the same views. Freedom of the press is one of the ways to help rid the community of Anti-Semitism. Since when does "America" stand for censorship because someone may be offended? Isn't frank discussion and controversy a way to open minds? I would love to know the real backstory to this one. —Ross Sutherland, San Diego, Dec. 26, 2004 * * *
I am deeply saddened that the Union-Tribune has finally removed
the voice of reason represented by Mr. Goldsborough. It is a sad day
indeed when editors are too afraid to print controversial material.
Censorship is apparently thriving in America and we as a nation seem
determined to alienate the rest of the world.
Thank you for publishing the Goldsborough column that the
(Union) Tribune refused. Mr. Goldsborough will be sorely missed.
—Bill Modisette, San Diego
* ** This is a sign of the Bush times. An article like this
deserves to be read. I am not a Jew, but this article informed me more about
what is going on than most I have read. If this fine article can be
pulled..what's next? Custer was not at Wounded Knee? ***
Very insightful. I can see nothing about it that is
anti-Semitic. The SD Union was just looking for a reason as far as I can
see. It has to be For Bush or No Bush..
—Judy Hood, Carlsbad * *
It was an excellent column and should not have been killed.
I am canceling my Union Tribune subscription today.
—Karen Knighton Harrison, MD, San Diego
* * * Sounds to me like the powers that be are merely pandering to The Right Wing, whose members btw, are only interested in the Nation of Israel for one thing and one thing only - their silly idea that when the Rapture is upon us, the Jews will all be in one logical place - so God can deal with them then - for not accepting Christ as their Lord and Savior.
How sad that this Evangelical virus has
traveled to California, it's truly disgraceful.
If the paper had any scruples they would apologize
to Mr. Goldsborough, as there is nothing wrong with or offensive about his
column. As The Far Right would say, "Their PC behavior
is reprehensible".
—April Ginsberg, Manhattan
- NYC
***
Having reviewed what others have written, I am
again struck by the reflexive response from many in my community, that
questioning Israel makes one anti-Semitic. I don't believe this is so, I
certainly don't believe Goldsborough is anti-Semitic, and while the
Anti-Defamation League may not miss Goldsborough's contributions, I will.
His columns were well thought-out and not the consistent right-wing drivel
that our paper has now defined as news, along with most other media outlets.
I will be canceling my subscription, because love him or hate him, there was
nothing wrong with his Dec 2nd column, and I am able to avert my eyes or turn
the channel when I am troubled by content, I don't need someone else to decide
what I should read or view. Censorship should not be encouraged or
endorsed by the Jewish community. I think Joseph Perkins serves up an
objectionable load of lies, half-truths and conservative propaganda in every
column, much of it untrue, and I don't believe he should be censored either.
People need to look at the larger issues here.
—Debbie Fritsch, San Diego
* * *
As a long time subscriber to the San Diego Union Tribune, I
wish to express my regret that I can no longer look for Goldsborough's
incisive periodic writing in the daily paper. His column was a beacon of
truth in an otherwise murky obfuscation of the events of our time. Will
it be possible to find Goldsborough's thoughts in some other outlet? Is
there any chance of perhaps bringing him back to San Diego's editorial scene?
Writers of Goldsborough.s stature are rapidly disappearing
from view.
—Laurence A. Walsh, Vista
* * * * * * * *
I have just read Mr. Goldsborough's column
which you so kindly placed on your website, for which please accept my thanks
and congratulations. As for my comment regarding its content, I must say
I am at a loss to understand how anyone of the Jewish faith could be offended
by it; indeed, even the most ardent and closed-minded supporter of Israel
could not find, in my opinion, anything about which to complain - except,
perhaps, the veiled criticism of the Israeli government's policies, of which
Mr. Goldsborough has expressed far sharper criticism in the past. I am
dismayed that the San Diego Union-Tribune has chosen to silence a voice of
dissent within its ranks on what I perceive to be a flimsy excuse, and would
like to learn how many others in the Jewish community, if any, share
Mr. Copley's appreciation of the "offensive nature of the column".
Thank you very much.
—J. D. Mendez, Tijuana
* * * * * * The column that was pulled was less offensive than 95 percent of the columns the Union-Tribune previously printed . As usual he doesn’t miss an opportunity to either stereotype Jews or Israel. I think that Rabbi Rosenthal got it just
right. Goldsborough is an
individual who is mean spirited, ideologically anti-Israel, profoundly
insensitive to Jewish issues, and one who will not be missed by the Jewish
community. * * *
* * * This piece is clearly anti-Bush but he has been doing
that for years. I surmise this is the straw that broke the camel's back. I
KNOW that they have been unhappy with him (They are Republicans and he is,
in my opinion, extreme left--the problem with the Jewish establishment is
that they agree with him on anti-Bush and Bush-bashing and, THEREFORE,
they give him a pass on his anti-Israel and Sharon-bashing; hence their
non-response to my repeated call on the creation of a rapid-response team
of official judentum to counter his diatribes). The Cohen he quotes
(selective as usual) is one of the Jews in the Left who are shocked by
"Israelis becoming persecutors etc...(Goldsborough's opinion of
course) with that kind of disconcerting laziness that doesn't take into
account the geopolitical context of terror, rejectionism, incitement
, education in schools, books... In this piece, Goldsborough even
says that "Jewish VALUES are better than Bush's values", thank
you very much.
The publisher had good sense not to publish the column,
not so much because it would offend Jews, but because it was a foolish,
idiotic column. He was trying to understand why
Jews might vote in increasing numbers for Bush, yet he didn't
bother sharing the views of anyone who planned to do so.
Bush and Sharon both believe in a two state solution, but
they had the common sense to see that negotiating with Arafat was a
fruitless endeavor since Arafat continued to indoctrinate his people to
hate and kill Jews, and since Arafat continued to fund terrorists and
their weapons and since he had already rejected a perfectly fine peace
offer in 2000. Bush and Sharon have a common view of the need not
to appease terrorists. This doesn't mean that Bush
"kowtows" to Sharon; it means they agree with each other.
Thinking the U.S. "kowtows" to tiny Israel is an anti-Semitic
notion tied in with conspiracy theories about allegedly unbridled, omnipotent Jewish
power. It if weren't so pathetic it would be funny. Good riddance
to Goldsborough.
—L. Green, Chesterfield,
Missouri
* * * Goldsborough is always so vitriolic. He has a real axe to grind, though I am not sure what the axe is. I found not only this, but almost every, editorial one sided and mean-spirited. He will not be missed! —Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, San Diego I initially bristled as Goldsborough took advantage of an
opportunity, by quoting his Jewish friend, to once again portray the Israelis
as occupiers and oppressors of the Palestinians. But his description of Jewish
voting patterns, and the values that are expressed by them, was spot-on.
James Goldsborough is a brilliant columnist. Even
though I rarely agree with his assessment of Israel and the "neoconservatives",
his recent pulled column is one of his least offensive ones.
In any event, I believe in freedom of the press and Voltaire's statement,
"I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your
right to say it." Even so, David Copley has made his decision
and Goldsborough has made his; and their decisions ought to have nothing to
do with the San Diego Jewish Community. For the Jews to become
involved will only be misinterpreted and certainly distorted.
—Howard Rubenstein, El Cajon
* * * The gentleman who wrote that article is no friend of the
Jews. So there is no reason to shed tears at his departure. Happy
Hanukah,
Read the story and Goldsborough's article. I am
certainly glad he's gone. However, he missed the point.
While Israel is very important to most American Jews, it is
not the only issue we vote on. American Jews are Americans first and
Jews second. Our values are overriding in our choices for elected
office. Bush didn't win the Jewish vote or lose it because of his
support for Israel. He didn't get it because of the other issues the
election was about.
Foremost amongst these was the war in Iraq. While I
support the war I never bought Bush's stated reasons. Weapons of
mass destruction were not the real reason we are there. Neither is
Saddam's alleged funding of terror. We are there because
"W" believes in his heart that changing regimes there will
eventually lead to a change in other governments of the region and,
eventually, a change in attitude in Arabs and Muslims in general that will
take them from terrorism. I don't know if he's right or not and I
doubt that I will live to see the outcome but I hope his conviction is
borne out.
The same values make us liberal on most domestic issues.
Finally there is the budget deficit. I couldn't vote
for the President because of this issue even if there had been no others.
I can't believe that we are better off leaving our children and
grandchildren saddled with this deficit. Jews take responsibility
for their beliefs and don't pass the buck to later generations.
In short, Goldsborough was wrong about the election and
cites the wrong reasons for our lack of support for Bush.
—Michael Bennett, San Diego
* * *
...Mike Byron, who (ran in) the 49th congressional district vs (Darrell) Issa, said that we should all cancel our subscriptions to the Trib due to this bit of censorship. I told him that I thought most Jews wouldn't mind it if Goldsborough left since his columns in the past have leaned towards Palestine and he sounded anti-Semitic at times. However, I see nothing wrong with this recent article that Copley nixed. I don't think Jews would have been offended at this. Where was Copley when he wrote diatribes against Israel?! —Carol Baird, Solana Beach * * *
He is a most committed anti-Israel writer. He is always
unfair. I have personally complained about how unfair he is. At first, years
ago, I thought that he was Jewish but was disabused of that inaccuracy. Some
of his columns have been attractive because he was very critical of George W.
Bush, but that was a vacation from his usual diatribe about Israel. He takes
full advantage of attacking Jews through attacking Israel, so the case is
difficult to make until one realizes that he reflects the anti-Israel
editorial policy of the U-T.
—Sanford Goodkin, San Diego * * * I read the article with great interest because I think the
most of the stuff I had read in Goldsboroough's columns were off the wall.
I have no problem with this article. It should not have been pulled.
Some of his
It's amazing to me. How can James Goldsborough look at
the last ten years in the Middle East and see "ten years of progress?"
During that time, Arafat turned down Palestinian Statehood almost handed to him
on a silver platter at Camp David. The PLO squandered billions of dollars
donated to it by Europe and presided over two Intifadas that have virtually
wiped out any progress toward a normal life for the Palestinian people.
Violence has begot more violence. Children like Marla Bennett have been
senselessly blown up. Israel has been forced to retaliate to the point
were Palestinian communities on the West Bank and in Gaza are now in ruins and
the economies of both peoples have been dealt serious blows.
And in all this, Goldsborough only sees "progress toward peace" ruined by Bush's policies. While one of his oldest and best friends may be Jewish, Goldsborough is no man of peace or insight. His columns have been consistently offensive to men of reason or good will. His latest, the one kept from publication by David Copley, was really not as offensive as others that have darkened the opinion pages of the Union-Tribune. Goldsborough's resignation is no loss to international understanding, fairness or decency among men, but it is a very welcome Chanukah/Christmas gift to San Diego U-T readers. —Norman Greene, San Diego * * This was the only major offense in his column -- "There was a little slippage. Bush's pandering, his Iraq war and complete abandonment of ten years of progress toward Middle East peace picked up some Jewish votes for him." Otherwise, no big deal. Well, for Goldsborough anyway. This column was mild compared to most of his diatribes against Jews. —Marsha Sutton, Del Mar * ** This
was not offensive to me |