Thursday, February 17, 2011
Rabid Right Wing Islamaphobes were not the only people to treat Lara Logan's sexual assault with great insensitivity.
While still a complete indefensible jackass at least Nir Rosen had the presence of mind to apologize for his thoughtless tweets. And of course since this has becoem public Rosen has been forced to resign as a fellow at NYU:
From Karen J. Greenberg, Executive Director, Center on Law and Security
Nir Rosen is always provocative, but he crossed the line yesterday with his comments about Lara Logan. I am deeply distressed by what he wrote about Ms. Logan and strongly denounce his comments. They were cruel and insensitive and completely unacceptable. Mr. Rosen tells me that he misunderstood the severity of the attack on her in Cairo. He has apologized, withdrawn his remarks, and submitted his resignation as a fellow, which I have accepted. However, this in no way compensates for the harm his comments have inflicted. We are all horrified by what happened to Ms. Logan, and our thoughts are with her during this difficult time.
I have to say I am completely repulsed by the responses of some of these people. When I first heard of Lara Logan's attack I was immediately shocked and concerned about her condition. I never once considered any ideological differences or possible pro-war stance in my emotional response to what had taken place.
And by the way, if this same thing were to happen to Debbi Schlussel, Michele Bachmann, or even Sarah Palin, my first instinct would be concern for their safety and a desire to see the people who victimized them brought to justice. In my mind that is the ONLY response anybody should have to an incident like this.
What has happened to empathy and civility in this country? When did we all begin to think that just because we disagree with a person's politics or point of view that it was acceptable that they come to some physical harm?
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When?
ReplyDeleteWhen talk radio and Fox News were given free reign to lie and stir up hate.
When Carl Rove's tactics became the model for campaigns. His ends-justify-the-means mentality has opened up the floodgates for cruelty, lying, and cheating.
When Ayn Rand's self-absorbed theories became the guiding star for the GOP and Tea Party and most corporate leaders.
When places of worship became political bully pulpits for social engineering according to twisted interpretations of their faith so the religions could gain more money and power.
When people profit from violence and war becomes an economic mainstay.
When regulators and the legal system refrain from enforcing the laws against libel, slander and corruption.
When? When we all fail to do our part to stand against the fools who would allow such behavior and statements.
At least it seems that the tide is turning and maybe we can salvage the damage the GOP and ultra-right has wrought against our nation.
so Bristol was in LI today.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this guy before now. There are not words to describe how stupid (at the very least) his remarks were. AC seems a little incredulous at the thought that this dip$hit tweeted all this crap without reading the CBS article. Some journalist. I think his career is toast.
ReplyDelete"When did we all begin to think that just because we disagree with a person's politics or point of view that it was acceptable that they come to some physical harm?"
ReplyDeleteSarah Palin
I think the reaction to the assault on Logan shows, once again, support for using rape as a weapon.
ReplyDeleteFor centuries, rape was consider a spoil of war. It was a terrorist act against the warrior's family, and, by extension, a way of denigrating another nation.
Today, the rape of any gender has been made an official war crime by the Geneva Conventions. But patriarchal gender crimes will remain as long as countries see them as justifiable weapons- which is precisely the problem.
I'm sure not buying it.
ReplyDeleteWhen did civility go out the window and ugliness, hatefulness and attack-mode become the "in" thing? When John McCain loosed Sarah Palin on the national stage.
ReplyDeleteGryphen: "What has happened to empathy and civility in this country? When did we all begin to think that just because we disagree with a person's politics or point of view that it was acceptable that they come to some physical harm?"
ReplyDeleteI would like to take a stab at answering this question.
First, what is this "We" stuff? It's the rightwing that has mainstreamed such unacceptable behavior within their ranks. Decent people don't do this.
Second, for me, anyway, the "beginning" was the very first time I heard Rush Limbaugh back in the nineties. I did not know it was acceptable to speak about our President the way he did. I was shocked.
Subsequently, my shock has disappeared, as rightwingers call for our deaths so regularly.
And I'm sorry, but a "can't we all be more civil" speech at the Tuscon memorial isn't enough to turn this back. These people really do wish violence on us. Their behavior really is sick and dysfunctional. Their minds and morals really have gone to pieces.
We cannot wait for our leaders to publicly say the plainly obvious. We have to fight for morality ourselves. We have to be marching in places like Wisconsin. We have to be jamming the FCC's phone lines with complaints about hate radio. We have to be jamming the phone lines of the sponsors of hate radio.
In short, we have to be heard. Because hate has been drowing out our voices for so many years, that people are wearily trying to explain away, to justify, to deny the hate for what it really is.
How did that work out for Jews and gays in Hitler's Germany?
Baloney. Rosen only apologized after he got fired. Now he's trying to C his A so he can get another job someday.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
ReplyDeleteExcellent question you posted in your closing paragraph.
ReplyDeleteHello guys,
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Off topic, but Sarah Palin comes out against breastfeeding and tax cuts: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0211/Palin_knocks_breastfeeding_initiative.html?showall
ReplyDelete"What has happened to empathy and civility in this country?"
ReplyDeleteFeeling a tug-of-war between a broken heart and RAGE over that broad's vile post...and all the rest of her ilk. It's HARD not to be a hater in this climate. The bar of hate/shock messaging is constantly being raised...and our hearts desensitized. Will what is disturbing and downright evil to us today, be "normal" to our children tomorrow?
As far as Schluswhatev...This C@#$( And I don't use that word lightly...tis the Queen Mother of the bads) has no business calling herself a woman or an American.
Blessings and deep healing to Lara and her family.
ANON 8:36.... WORD. But...This has gone on since the BEGINNING of organized religion:
"When places of worship became political bully pulpits for social engineering according to twisted interpretations of their faith so the religions could gain more money and power."
When?
ReplyDeleteI vote for giving Limbaugh the credit--started with throwing around the term "feminazi" and not being fired for it. He's a throwback to the "she was asking for it" and "lie back and enjoy it" Neanderthal era of male thinking. Rush made "pigginess" OK again.
What has happened to empathy and civility in this country? When did we all begin to think that just because we disagree with a person's politics or point of view that it was acceptable that they come to some physical harm?
ReplyDeleteBack in the 80's, I was visiting an elderly relative of mine. The television was tuned to CNN and playing at a low volume in the background while we were chatting. During a lull in the conversation, we both watched a report about a young woman who wanted to play baseball on her school team, but the baseball team was only for male students.
I don't remember the details, but the school worked it out so that the young woman was able to play on the baseball team. My elderly FEMALE relative pipes up at this point and says "They out to take her down in the dugout and rape her".
I immediately burst into tears. I was unable to comprehend one woman hoping that another woman would be raped simply because she "didn't know her place".
Sadly, Ms. Logan's brutal assault has reminded me that such views still exist in 21st century America.
Truly, what is wrong with this guy?
ReplyDeleteWhen President Obama talks about a return to civility he means people like this guy too, regardless of Rosen's general political outlook (some of which is in line with my own). Sounds like Rosen has said offensive things in the past.
Absolutely disgusting. Not only horribly insensitive to Lara Logan, but also using the word "funny" in connection to the crimes perpetrated against her, and then saying Anderson should have been attacked as well?
This guy has issues, shall we say, and I hope he never gets hired by an institution of higher education, ever again. Let him fend for himself.
"...if it happened to a man it's no laughing matter either?"
ReplyDeleteNir said that at about the 1:15 point.
He denies he knew she had apparently been gang raped and yet this statement implies that is is referring to something more than the equivalent of the roughing up that Cooper had experienced, which is what Nir claims.
It is not a matter of agreeing with what someone says or not, it is the belief that woman are chattel and should be kept in the kitchen. The people that make the most noise against Sharia Law are the same people that want to reduce women to property. What is the difference?
ReplyDeleteCan anyone translate this tweet?
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/shannynmoore/status/37640116193202176
The seeherpee'er's made some light of it here: http://conservatives4palin.com/2011/02/democrat-party-extremist-shannyn-moore-mocks-lara-loganopen-thread.html
Can anyone translate THIS tweet?
ReplyDeletehttp://twitter.com/shannynmoore/status/37640116193202176
The seeherpee'ers are making hay of it here:
http://conservatives4palin.com/2011/02/democrat-party-extremist-shannyn-moore-mocks-lara-loganopen-thread.html
Mark Springer
Bethel
This reminds me of the illogical arguments against women in combat, such as, "Do you know what they could do to women?" Then they argue that the women would just be asking to be raped in combat. My response is generally, "Do you know what they could do to men?" When men are raped it causes more than just trauma they then have issues about their sexual identity, especially the macho types who join the military. In war rape is used as a weapon which is essentially what happened here. It is a way of inflicting an injury without pulling a trigger or using a bomb. From the description of the incident it seems it was most likely planned. In this country for many decades the mentality of blaming women who were raped instead of the rapists caused a great deal of harm to women. In Alaska this attitude is still present and only beginning to be worked on. So, it is easy for some of the Neanderthals to say it is a reporter's fault she was raped when she is courageously trying to do her job, just like the male reporters.
ReplyDelete