For years now Helen Thomas has been a challenging voice asking tough questions and refusing to accept evasions from White House spokespersons whose job it is to give as little information as possible. She never let go. During the lead up to the Iraq war, when too many of her colleagues were playing stenographer taking White House dictation, Helen was the ornery one demanding the truth. She was carrying the torch of a free press when many of her colleagues were unable to acknowledge that there was one to carry. Respect is due this woman. We owe her service and courage more than eye rolls and scorn.
In the incident under discussion, Helen Thomas clearly misspoke. She has admitted as much, apologized, and resigned from her post. It is a shame that her career ends this way. But Helen should be honored and revered for her decades of professionalism, not remembered for one mistake.
It would be an even bigger shame if the likes of Ari Fleischer and Sarah Palin were viewed as victors in this affair. Where was their indignation when Rush Limbaugh was making disgraceful and insulting comments about African Americans, gays, Muslims, and women and then was hosted and toasted at the White House? And did they speak out when Pat Robertson was making bizarre pronouncements connecting the devastation of Katrina or Ariel Sharon's stroke with God's justice? If I thought they understood shame, I would advise them to feel some.
When a person injects opionion into facts, they are no longer journalist. "Generally, publishers and consumers of journalism draw a distinction between reporting — "just the facts" — and opinion writing, often by restricting opinion columns to the editorial page and its facing or "op-ed" (opposite the editorials) page."
Your opinion of Isreal is based on your total lack of understanding history. If you think that Palestine should be restored, then why are you not whining about the land that Jordan, Lebanon and Syria hold? "As a geographic term, Palestine can refer to "ancient Palestine," an area that today includes Israel and the Israeli-occupied[2] Palestinian territories, as well as part of Jordan, and some of both Lebanon and Syria."
At the time when Isreal was reestablished they did not kick out the Palestines. They tried to live in peace and accept the U.N. 2 states. "The Jewish community accepted the plan,[69] but the Arab League and Arab Higher Committee rejected it." So the Arab's attacked and got their butts kicked.
BTW speaking of your beloved Palestine, would Helen Thomas have been allowed to speak her opinion? In case you are too uninformed, the answer is NO.
Israel is oppressive and should never have been created on the backs of the Palestinian peoples.
http://www.mediaite.com/online/rabbi-who-recorded-helen-thomas-comments-is-now-suffering-from-his-own-viral-video-past/
Frankly I could give a rat's behind who lives in Jerusalem. I DON"T CARE WHO IS RIGHT OR WRONG AT THIS POINT. If the jews ARE God's chosen people let HIM facilitate their murderous rampages, let HIM pay for their weapons. I'm tired of it, NOT ON MY DIME thank you very much.
No she didn't. I misspoke recently when I meant to say Philadelphia but instead said Pittsburgh.
She said something she now regrets, but she didn't misspeak.
What she said was terrible. She is a reporter and after all these years has confirmed what many already suspected. She has never been unbiased. She is a bigot.
The idea that Israel is exempt from the normal expectations of a civilized society "because they are surrounded by enemies" is an example of somebody complaining about a circumstance they created for themselves. They threw themselves upon those unfriendly shores and forcefully dispossessed millions of the local inhabitants, all in the course of my life time. They boldly declared some biblical "right to exist" that supersedes the rights of all others and excusing any expedient brutality required to secure their il-advised foothold in the heart of the Arab world.
The right of ANY state to exist is predicated its ability to come to terms with its neighbors. You either have to bomb them into extinction or develop mutually beneficial and mutually respectful relationships. Israel's claim she has tried to do the latter is at clear variance with her long stated goals, her demonstrated history and her civic practice on every level. Her claim that she is, through no fault of her own, surrounded by 140,000,000 morally defective, intellectually inferior neighbors who must be dealt with by brutal force "because it's all they understand" is the classic song of all European racist endeavors visited on the third world.
Helen Thomas is a brilliant journalist --- one of the people who inspired me to work in the business for 30 years. While she won't be covering the White House anymore, I'll bet there are plenty of people in the news business who will invite her to do guest commentary on whatever subject she pleases. It's too bad that this incident is a negative spot on her otherwise very professional career, but she'll survive it and all the people who are faking offense and using this minor incident to further their own agendas will be long forgotten when Ms. Thomas' career REALLY is over.
Israel is the biggest obstacle to peace in the Middle East. America should demand that they return to their 1967 borders, and withhold the $10 million dollars + per day American aid until they do so. This has been half-heartedly threatened by other administrations in the past, but never carried out, if they had, 911 would probably have never happened.