Carter Defends "Apartheid" Book

Jimmy Carter's 'Peace' Mission To Brandeis - washingtonpost.com

Jimmy Carter defended his latest book in a speech at Brandeis Univerisity, where he was generally well-received by a student body that is 50 percent Jewish:

WALTHAM, Mass., Jan. 23 -- Former president Jimmy Carter flew north to Brandeis University to speak on Tuesday of his hurt at the personal attacks by some American Jews that followed publication of his latest book, "Palestine Peace Not Apartheid," which urges Israel to turn away from a policy of creating "Bantustans" on the West Bank.

"This is the first time that I've ever been called a liar and a bigot and an anti-Semite and a coward and a plagiarist." Carter paused and squinted at the audience. "This has hurt me."

Carter did apologize for one sentence in the book that he said could be miscontrued as condoning terrorism. However, he strongly defended the book's thesis that Israel has effectively divided the Palestinian territories into ungovernable sham statelets, or "Bantustans." Needless to say, while respectful, not all of the students bought the ex-President's argument, according to the Washington Post.

I give the audience great credit for their respectful hearing of what must have been an unpalatable argument to many of them. The fact that they were respectful while still asking tough questions shows that at Brandeis, at least, the students and faculty understand the meaning of freedom of expression. On a more personal note, one of my Moroccan friends was so moved by Carter's book that he intends to write the ex-President a letter of thanks.

End of an Era

Sixty years of Washington, D.C. music history came to an abrupt halt today as WGMS classical radio went off the air. At the time, WGMS continued to be the most successful classical station in the country. Announcer Chip Brienza had the final word.The station is donating its 15,000 disc music library to WETA 90.9 public radio, which is resuming a classical format after approximately a two-year hiatus, during which WETA essentially aped the news/talk format of its sister station, WAMU. With this welcome return to a classical format, I am hopeful that WETA will seize the opportunity to offer truly fresh and innovative classical broadcasting on the most powerful signal in the Washington area.

The Post's Paul Farhi has the story, and Mark Fisher has commentary.

The Latest from Deliverance Country

Va. Lawmaker's Comments Anger Blacks, Jews - washingtonpost.com

First, George Allen comes out and compares a South Asian to a "Macaca" monkey, then characterizes Judaism as an "aspersion." Then Congressman Virgil Goode attacks Keith Ellison for being sworn in on the Koran and suggests that the immigration laws should keep people like Ellison out of the country. (Ellison , who is African American, was born a citizen of the United States.) Now Virginia Delegate Frank Hargrove is denying the country's responsibility for slavery and talking about Christ-killing on Martin Luther King Day:

RICHMOND, Jan. 16 -- A veteran Virginia lawmaker from suburban Richmond ignited a hot exchange in the House of Delegates on Tuesday after criticizing a proposal for the state to issue an apology for slavery and likening it to requiring Jews to apologize for "killing Christ."

What are they drinking in Virginia?

Classical Comeback

WETA May Fill Classical Music Gap Left by WGMS - washingtonpost.com

Public broadcaster WETA (90.9 FM) is considering dumping its news-and-talk programming and returning to being a classical broadcaster if the music dies on WGMS, WETA's management said yesterday.

WETA's return to classical programming would present a real opportunity to classical listeners; hopefully it would entail longer pieces, more vocal music, and the return of the opera.

Conservative Judaism Sets A Good Example

Conservative Rabbis Allow Ordained Gays, Same-Sex Unions - washingtonpost.com

NEW YORK, Dec. 6 -- A panel of rabbis gave permission Wednesday for same-sex commitment ceremonies and ordination of gays within Conservative Judaism, a wrenching change for a movement that occupies the middle ground between orthodoxy and liberalism in Judaism.

Now, Conservative Jews have recognized same sex marriage and gay ordination. It almost seems as though the only people who don't these days are Nigerian bishops, Virginia churches, and the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Score One for Bigotry

Episcopal Diocese Votes to Secede From Church - New York Times

The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin, California, has voted to secede from the Episcopal Church of the United States. For San Joaquin, which does not even ordain women, the consecration of a gay Bishop was apparently the last straw. All I can conclude is that the Episcopal Church will be a more Godly, loving, and tolerant community without them, as they pursue their lives blinded by their own hate and bigotry.

More On The Beast Within

blackprof.com: Why Kramer’s (Michael Richards) Letterman Apology Was Important

Law Professor Spencer Overton accepts Michael Richards' apology as sincere, and thinks it has some lessons for the rest of us. Overton points to Harvard's Project Implicit, which attempts to detect racial and other hidden biases based on unconscious reactions to visual stimuli. A number of sample tests are included with the project, which collects some personal data but promises confidentiality.

On a personal note, while I was not overly surprised by the results of the one test I took, I am confirmed in my belief that I must consciously strive every day to treat people fairly, equally, and as individuals.

The Beast Within

Michael Richards' tirade at a stand up routine is bizarre and disgusting. Christopher Bracey at BlackProf.com argues that it was a classic attempt to assert white racial supremacy:

What intrigues me about this video, and Richard's attempt at an apology, is his self-proclaimed racial innocence. How could this man possibly understand his comments to be anything other than raw bigotry? His comments were plainly racially insensitive, and he acknowledged their "shock value" himself. Moreover, he conceded that his racial tirade was an attempt to silence (ie. assert dominance over) over the hecklers. And if that's not all, he sought to enlist crowd support for is racial rant!

Sadly, I believe that behavior like Richards', and like Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant, which he also attempted to excuse, is much more common that we would like to acknowledge in the 21st century, and that it reveals deep ongoing fissures in our society. Professor Bracey is right to be skeptical about Richards' assertion that he is not a bigot. However, I think that bigotry to some degree is probably endemic in all of us; like vanity, greed, lust, gluttony, envy, anger, and sloth, it is better that it be acknowledged and combated rather than denied and allowed to fester. If there is anything that the 20th century reminded us, it is that there is no bottom to the potential for human depravity, and no reason to believe that any particular person is not capable of unspeakable acts. One thing that I believe Dr. King tried to do is to show us a better way to deal with our worse nature, and even Dr. King was not immune from human fallibility.

Andrew Sullivan | The Daily Dish: "Those Words, Those Words ..."

Andrew Sullivan is right that while we must be steadfast in condemning racism wherever it rears its ugly head, we should do so with humility and self-examination, in the knowledge that our own conduct is not likely to be above reproach.

Note: Some commentators at BlackProf.com have attempted to cast this as a free speech issue. No one prevented Mr. Richards from spewing his hateful diatribe, but likewise his critics are free to say what they wish in response. Free speech is freedom from state coercion, not public ridicule.

For anyone who doubts . . .

Persistent Race Disparities Found - washingtonpost.com

. . . that race in America will remain a major issue for a long time to come, the Washington Post reports on the stark differences in standards of living among members of different races:

White households had incomes that were two-thirds higher than those of African Americans and 40 percent higher than those of Hispanics last year, according to data released yesterday by the Census Bureau. White adults were also more likely than black and Hispanic adults to have college degrees and to own their own homes. They were less likely to live in poverty.

Best and the Brightest Redux

Keith Ferrazzi, for whom I have enormous respect and with whom I agree more often than not, has posted an entry in his blog lauding Assistant Secretary of State Kristen Silverberg as a champion of "Brand USA," promoting relationships between the United States and the rest of the world. Ferrazzi describes Silverberg as charming and intelligent, not surprising in a Harvard graduate and Supreme Court clerk. All the more pity that Ms. Silverberg's talents have consistently been employed in a bad cause. My comment on Mr. Ferrazzi's post follows:

Ms. Silverberg's bio, to which you link, highlights among other accomplishments her service in the Office of the Chief of Staff of the current administration and as an adviser to L. Paul Bremer in Iraq. As a member of an administration that led a rag-tag coalition of countries (excluding most major powers) in an invasion based on false statements to the United Nations about Weapons of Mass Destruction, excluded other countries from the rebuilding of Iraq, and staffed the Green Zone with unqualified Republican Party hacks, how can Ms. Silverberg have any credibility when it comes to building relationships? See Bob Woodward, State of Denial and Rajiv Chandrasekaran in the Washington Post. Thanks to the administration that Ms. Silverberg serves, Brand USA is badly tarnished worldwide.

A Sad Day for Freedom

Outspoken Putin critic shot dead in Moscow - washingtonpost.com

A free press is the last bulwark against tyranny. It seems to have crumbled in Russia.

MOSCOW, Oct. 7 -- Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist whose byline defined the fading craft of investigative and crusading reporting in President Vladimir Putin's Russia, was fatally gunned down Saturday in the lobby of her apartment building in central Moscow.

Anna Politkovskaya should be remembered as an inspiration to us all.

Way to Go

BREITBART.COM - Veteran Actor Collapses Onstage, Dies

Actor Gene Janson collapsed on stage in the midst of one his favorite roles and died shortly thereafter.

"There is a certain poetic irony to his death," Christopher Janson said. "He died doing what he loved, which was being on the stage and in a play he was so proud of."

There are worse ways to go than dying before a throng of admirers in the midst of your life's great work. Link from Andrew Sullivan.