Mainstream Media Give Short Shrift to Palestinian Abuses
The premise that human-rights abuses of Palestinians at the hands of Israel are being censored is hard to believe (“Censored Stories,” Nov. 4).
If anything, over the last few years, the “mainstream” media has been decidedly critical of Israel’s actions on virtually all fronts. Look at how quickly the world press condemned the “human-rights flotilla” attack before all the facts were known. Is it possible that the reason some of the alleged “abuses” are not being given greater coverage is that the reporting parties have been judged as being biased by the mainstream media? Does Electronic Intifada sound unbiased as a reporting source? Does the staging of rocket-firing sites and terrorist headquarters in the midst of civilian populations count as a human-rights violation?
Israel certainly does not deserve a free pass on all of its actions; however, a bit more two-sided coverage on Israeli-Palestinian events is in order. We have seen far too many long reports detailing an Israeli action that resulted in death or destruction of Palestinian property with a short concluding statement that “the action was in response to a rocket attack coming at the hands of Hamas” or some other terrorist group.
Martin Greene
The Last Election Proved the ‘Weekly,’ Its Readers Are Out of Touch
During the past election, the Tucson Weekly once again revealed its overwhelming left-leaning bias by endorsing every Democratic Party candidate in every election in which it made an endorsement. And once again, in cartoons like “This Modern World” and in commentaries by its regular correspondents and contributors, the Tucson Weekly continued to depict conservatives, Tea Partiers and Republicans as “crazy” people, “radicals” and as people who “just do not understand the issues”—depictions which the paper’s left-leaning readership apparently is all too eager to embrace.
But the election results demonstrated with a stark alacrity that it was the Tucson Weekly, its loyal left-wing readership and the liberal lawmakers they so adore who are out of step with the times. And out of step with the American voting public that roundly repudiated this president and his administration’s and his party’s far-reaching left-wing policies and agenda.
Liberals often comfort themselves with the myth that “if others just UNDERSTOOD things as WE do, then they would agree with our positions and policies.” They seem unable or unwilling to accept that others can understand an issue with equal clarity and yet come to an entirely different and honest conclusion. This, sadly, seems a concept beyond their grasp.
Better wise up, fast; 2012 fast approaches.
John Gray Wallace
Comments From Readers at TucsonWeekly.com
Regarding “Education vs. Fear” (Nov. 11):
Teaching about the religion/s, language/s, social structure/s, art/s, cuisine/s and history of any group of people/s is not at issue, and no one objects to it. What is at issue is whether public school teachers should be training minors to be political activists and resentful of the country they live in. The later is the beating heart of what is innocently called “ethnic studies” in the (Tucson Unified School District) Mexican American Studies Department.
—maryalice
I’ve been following this so-called controversy regarding TUSD ethnic studies for quite a while, and there have been some things said here which I believe demonstrate the deep misunderstandings (unintentional or otherwise) that underlie the criticisms about it and efforts to destroy it. ... From what I have read and heard, TUSD ethnic studies is an effort to promote cultural awareness while pursuing historical truth. The pursuit of truth requires looking at history through an objective lens rather than rose-colored glasses.
Teaching about events that took place in the past is not indoctrination, but rather a refreshing acknowledgment that the world is not a perfect place, and that there is a reason for why things are the way they are. To deny that institutional discrimination took place against people of color in Tucson (and elsewhere in this country) is to deny overwhelming evidence to the contrary—and to accept it as fact is not a call for revolution.
... There is a strange “reconqusita” fantasy that is promulgated by nativists such as Glenn Spencer. This, despite the fact that people of color in Tucson and elsewhere serve in our armed forces in disproportionate numbers. ... If you actually take the time (as the Tory transplant Tom Horne has failed to do) to talk to Chicano activists, you will find them to be decent, hard-working and caring people who have a love for their country, a pride in their culture and a burning desire to see things get better for their own people and for the world in general. They are not racist but are proud of who they are. ... I believe Tom Horne and his ilk hate ethnic studies because it takes the shine off the myth that has served them and other Tories so well. ... What he fears, I believe, is truly educated minorities.
—Mike from Bisbee
Corrections
In “Approachable Ambiance” (Chow, Nov. 11), due to a photographer’s error, we got the name of the pictured chef incorrect. Executive chef Clayton van Hooijdonk is shown, not chef Joel Harrington.
In TQ&A (Nov. 11), due to a transcribing error, we misquoted TC Tolbert as saying he’s from “the butthole of the Bible Belt.” Actually, he said “buckle of the Bible Belt.”
We apologize for the mistakes.
