When did the civil rights advances of the 20th Century become politically incorrect and an object of disdain?
Growing up during the second half of the 20th Century, living through the 50s, 60s, and 70s in particular, my heroes included Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Leonard Bernstein, Lenny Bruce, Gloria Steinem, John F. Kennedy and Sylvia Rivera. These were just some of the pioneers who changed America and put us on the road to defeating bigotry; at the very least to exiling bigotry to the dark obscure corners of bad taste and very wrong.…
Article comments
76 - Martin Lav
NOW IT'S MY TURN
Gimme a break. Can you say.....looney?
As a non-Jew I can speak for myself and say I don't hate Richard for being Jewish. I have no idea what this Groovy Ruvy cat is talking about and I find it absolutely insulting that he can judge an American Jew such as Richard based on his own interpretations of his beliefs. Oh and to call him a chickenshit without even knowing him at all. What a crock of shit!
2000 thousands posts indicates to me you are in prison in your homeland. Sounds like a lot of fun....
77 - Maurice
I don't know about being a hero.
Certainly he is a true leader vs. people that purport to be leaders for black people.
Side note: I have always objected to the term people of color. Technically white is the presence of all colors. Black is the absense of color.
78 - andy marsh
Martin - Ruvy can do that because he never learned that judge not thing that Jesus taught...
Best excuse I can come up with anyway...
79 - Martin Lav
Well everyone has his cross to bear ;-)
80 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Martin,
Some day, you should learn how to read. Let's give you a primer. Read comment #4 to begin with. If you read carefully, you'll realize that I agree with much of what Richard Rothstein has written in his article. Because I do. You don't think so. Nu, so you disagreee with him.
Now, read comment #19. Asked about my own observation, I detailed my point. I'm a little older than Richard Rothstein; visit his blog-site, (a well done job technically, even if I find some of it disgusting) and you will realize that a young man keeps reappearing in many photos - that young man is Richard. And believe it or not, I share many of his opinions about this neck of the woods. He is not a stupid man, and has taken the trouble to do intelligent research about this part of the world.
Nevertheless, I am somewhat older than him, and know considerably more about the American Jewish commnunity than either he or you. While I aimed my comment about "the peace of the contented cow" (comment #29) at "just one man," Richard chose to take it as a personal insult to himself... And he was disturbed enough by what I said to personally single me out for a response, "And to the Jewish fundamentalist in Israel who called me a complacent cow, send me an email and I'll give you Fred Phelps' phone number... he's always on the prowl for kindred spirits." (comment #57).
Originally, Richard had chosen to comment on "the Jewish comments" on this thread, with this remark (comment #37) "I will fight for my constitutionally defined rights here at home and very much resent any implication from a fellow American, a fellow Jewish-American or an Israeli that Israel is my 'home'."
And I answered him "Richard, I gave you my advice, and you responded. I can ask for no more than that. The subject is closed on this article, so far as I'm concerned" (comment #38). For me the subject was closed.
It wasn't for him, though, nor for PETI. So let's get this straight for the lot of you, [Personal attack deleted] "just one man" [Personal attack deleted].
A Jew who follows the commandments has an obligation to warn a fellow Jew, particularly if he sees, as Richard does, that there is a danger of rising Jew-hatred in his own country. That is Jewish law. You don't like it? Too fuckin' bad; nobody asked you or gives a shit what you think about it. G-d gave JEWS these laws - NOT YOU. You're not in the Tribe.
Now Richard is not a contented cow. He sees the danger to Jews in America, as well as to other minorities there. The vast majority of those minorities have to stick it out and fight. Richard, because he is a Jew, is bound by a Land Covenant that gives him, as well as Mark Schannon, or any other Jew, the right to live in this country - a way out. I'm not talking about some crappy little piece of legislation by the Israeli Knesset - I'm talking about the Torah - G-d's Law You don't like it? Too fuckin' bad; nobody asked you or gives a shit what you think about it. G-d gave JEWS these laws - NOT YOU. You're not in the Tribe.
Were Richard a mere contented cow, he would not be bothered by this -
. Molotov cocktail thrown into Montreal Jewish boys school
05 September 2006; or this -
. Young Jewish girl assaulted on London bus
01 September 2006; or this -
. Unexploded bomb found outside Corsican synagogue
04 September 2006; or this
. - Brothers confess to attack on Oregon synagogue
18 August 2006 - all pulled from the World Jewish Congress Global News Archives; or even this.
My father-in-law, who had gone to the University of Minnesota and Brown School of Broadcasting, could not get any kind of broadcasting job in the anti-Semitic Minneapolis job market of the early 50's. He had to work in a butcher shop for a number of years before securing a position with the USPO. I know a lady who grew up in North Carolina and who had to contend with cross burnings on her front lawn. I know a fellow who grew up in Virginia and had to fight - not throw angry words over an internet chat line, but fight with his fists and with two by fours, because he is a Jew and would take any shit from the "good old boys." I, growing up in Brooklyn, had to fight Christian kids because I didn't believe in their crappy litte god-on-a-cross. A room-mate of mine years ago grtew up in Lodz, Poland, and had to fight daily because the Jew-hating bastards wanted to finish off Hitler's work. My nephew got fired from a job because he wanted to take off the Jewish High Holy Days. That was in New Jersey.
Richard understands not these particular stories, but others like them told by his older relatives and friends. He is not a stupid young man.
So Richard, is not a contented cow. He is worse! He's blind to and denies the underlying reality of Judaism - G-d's Law. He calls basic Jewish law superstition, and those who follow it - well, I'll let him speak for himself - "The key difference between us is while we are both Jews by genetic and national origin, you live in a world of superstitious nonsense and I do not." Those are his words - not mine, and by his own mouth he condemns himself. Now what he calls me is irrelevant. I count little in the equation here. But G-d also listens to his words - both here and on his blog - words that, in essence, Richard utters... So, if he calls the Torah Land Covenant superstitious nonsense, he calls G-d judgment upon his head. What I think about is irrelevant. These are G-d's laws he's talking about, not my misguided opinions.
The most I get in the line of a vote is a the option to pray - literally to ask - mercy for him and for me. After all, there was a time when I had opinions very similar to his. And I was as blunt about expressing them as he is. You do recognize a prayer, don't you?
Now, Martin, if you think I'm looney for believing in G-d and for praying to Him, what mental hospital do you belong in? Or has your country sunk to the point where a man who honestly says his religious beliefs is deemed crazy?
Now, let's get one final point clear with all of you. If I still lived in America, I could not afford to express myself so bluntly. I would censor my comments so you would not be too offended. The reality is that Jews are guests where they are a minority, and one does not offend one's host.
It's hard here, and it is often not fun. I'm often angry about what the government does, etc, ect. Money is often hard to come by. But this is MY home, and no damned goy will chase me out of it. I'll fight and I'll die if I have to. Because I have the privilege of living the dream of a lifetime. Ands I feel reassoncably certian that all the suffering over all those generations of my forehears or my wife's forebears will not have gone in vain. We will have, G-d willing, grandchildren - Jewish grandchildren!
Jews in exile like Richard Rothstein will assert that America or whatever country is their home, and they will fight for it too. But wherever they go in that country they claim is theirs, someone in the majority will eventually let them know that they are not welcome there - no matter how much blood they may have spilt for the goyisher country they live in.
The Jew who doesn't live in his OWN country is just a guest.
81 - Andy Marsh
Ruvy - Please explain to me why it's ok for you to type..."crappy little god on a cross"...but when you refer to the jewish god...it's G-d...I was taught they were the same thing...or person...
You spew bullshit like that...and expect others to respect your opinion?
As far as your comment about what you'd do if you were still in America...and what you couldn't do...that's straight up bullshit and you fucking well know it!
Apparently, former New Yorkers are even more fucking arrogant than regular New Yorkers! LIke former smokers...
How 'bout this...[Edited]
You talk like Jews were the only group ever persecuted in this country! You, Ruvy, are a religious racist! I always thought you were better than that... but it doesn't matter... you're not catholic... so... you're going to hell anyway!
HA!
82 - Christopher Rose
I don't understand what's going on with Ruvy these days. He used to make his case and have a certain sense of humour but these days he seems so much more "earnest" and way less funny.
83 - Andy Marsh
He's going fundy on us CR! Or is that fundie???
84 - Christopher Rose
I asked him a while back to explain this end of days scenario he says is coming up in about 20 years time but he didn't.
85 - Andy Marsh
I saw that movie!
86 - Christopher Rose
I'd like to see the movie of the day when all the various BC extremists get together and party. Not sure I'd wanna be there though!
87 - Andy Marsh
Think of all the editing work you'd have to do CR!
88 - Christopher Rose
LOL
89 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
I haven't lost my sense of humor, just my patience with fools.
There are a lot of real intelligent bellyscratchers at this site. There's Dave Nalle, who is very well informed about this neck of the woods, even if he doesn't necessarily share my opinions, and even if I think he makes too many excuses for the establishment in power in your country.
There is Gonzo Marx, who can call bullshit a mile off - again, while I don't necessarily share his point of view on many things, it is hard not to respect his points or his logic, or his patriotism, or his devotion to principle.
There is Mark Schannon, who is a passionate man with the sense of humor of an imp - but one who has a solid writer's sense... and who is not anywhere near as confused as he pretends to be.
There is Silas Kain, who has been absent for a while - but with whom I share many points of view and attitudes, and who has taught me things here, some hard and painful lessons.
There is Diana Hartman, a good writer and good manager, and her husband, an American marine first sergeant who will hopefully retire from the marines and make serious and informed contributions to the magazine. His commentary is usually extremely intelligent.
There is the kernel for a great news team here (I mean real news, not which band is going to break up or whose nipple got exposed at a baseball game) with Richard Marcus, John Bambenek, Scott Butki, Kathy Gil, Howard Dratch, and the marine first sergeant... I've missed a few, mostly from South Asia, and I apologize.
And when his eyes improve, or when he can get some kind of assistance writing, there is a great science writer and satirist in the fellow who calls himself "Jet from Columbus."
Dawn Olsen is a great entertainment writer, as is her husband, the publisher of the site, Eric, who works like a dog to make it go. There is Phil Wynne and Eric Berlin, who back Eric up, as well as Aaman Lambda, who publishes Desicritics. This is a good place to write and to try to promote writing and writers, and Eric and his team have worked at making the site better, even over the objections of Sharks who occasionally surface to bare rows of angry teeth...
Finally there is the comments editor, Chris Rose, a fellow who does keep the site clean and tries to keep the comment writing civil. If I were him, I would keep my comments to an absolute minimum. The Speaker of the House is wisest when he does not speechify but merely raps the gavel to keep the Honorable (and less than honorable) Members in order, not to mention keeping the peanut gallery quiet. He's the kind of fellow I would not mind sharing a beer with - even though I would not agree with his views and he would not agree with mine.
Every site has its sores - which is all that needs to be said.
I've made the serious mistake of wasting time with comments on what others write, instead of writing articles myself and pushing my writing and developing my own blog. That is what the author of this article has taught me. As of this moment, that is over.
I will not waste my time and yours with further comments or expressions of opinions, unless it is at an article that I myself have written, and in writing them, I'll stick to news and news analyses, if I can manage it - assuming I'm still allowed to write here.
90 - troll
Ruvy - I'll miss your comments
91 - Christopher Rose
RUVY: Ignoring the fact of your dismissive attitude to the value of dialogue through the comments, please allow me to correct a couple more of your misapprehensions.
In general terms and in my opinion, anybody on the planet has the absolute right to state their opinions on any topic they care to. Therefore, not only Israelis can comment on Israel and events there and so on.
Furthermore, I absolutely refute your frankly odd idea that simply because I serve as Comments Editor here on Blogcritics I shouldn't partake in our virtual community.
I feel absolutely entitled to say anything I care to here, provided of course I respect the intentions of our comments policy.
It is very simple to see the difference between my views and my responsibilities, unless one simply doesn't want to. I trust your elevated level of dogmatic zeal will not blind you to the distinction.
92 - Martin Lav
Ruvy, I never said you were crazy for believing in God or G-d I said you were looney for continually going on rants about your PPC (perpetual persecution complex.
what mental hospital do you belong in?
Resist not Evil......that is my "mental hospital" and it was taught by Jesus Christ the "crappy litte god-on-a-cross" and is contained in the Beatitudes and Lord's prayer. It tells me that my "heaven" is a direct reflection of my mental state of mind and that if I wish to think bad things, I will feel bad, if I wish to think good things I will feel good and that God wants his creatures to feel good.
Ruvy,
Stick with your PPC and think the world is against you, that Christians and Muslims and virtually the entire world is against you and you will never get to heaven on earth. Your home is your prison and that's your state of mind, not Brooklyn, Israel, Poland or wherever you choose to live.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
93 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Some brief answers:
Troll, you'll still see my comments, just a lot more rarely. Besides, if you thnk about it, and Chris Rose will probably agree, I've said most of what I need to say already. I'll be mining those comments for further articles and discussing with those few who see fit to talk with me...
Andy, I'm sorry if my attitudes seem bigoted to you. I guess you're getting a sense of what life is like for a Jew in exile when that Jew really understands and internalizes the position he is in. My respect for Christianity, Catholicism in particular, disappeared when I had to deal with the bullies in Brooklyn who tried to push me around. Studying Jewish history has not restored my respect at all, merely reinforced my impressions of the bullies of my childhood - that breaking their noses was too good for them.
It's not like Jews have been the only minority ever persecuted in America. Quite the contrary. And Jews have been very active in helping a lot of persecuted minorities in America. But when a lot of the minorities you try to help turn on you and spit in your face and call you Jew bastard, and team up with the Arabs - well, the hell with them.
Chris, there is nothing wrong with dialogue - up to a point. That is the value of the comments section. But anything carried to excess loses its value. Furthermore, I'm not telling you what to do, I'm saying what I'd do in your position - something very different. Finally, while I disagree with most of your comments, the point is not that you speak up, but that you wear both editor and commenter hats at the same time.
IMHO, it would be better if there were a second comments editor to help you, so that you could partake in the discussion freely, without constantly being aware of needing to censor your own words or the words of another.
Martin, I answered you already - at length.
94 - Martin Lav
Acceptance is the key Ruvy.
Have an open mind for once and realize that your nose gets bloodied not from the fists that strike it, but from the places you stick it. You don't have to believe the "crappy little guy on the cross" was the Son of God to extract good wisdom and advice. RESIST NOT EVIL will help you lose your insufferable PPC and more people will agree with you.
Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?
95 - gonzo marx
for Ruvy...
i had Thought my talking aroun dhere had ended yesterday, but i had to say "thanks" for the kind Words you tossed in my direction in comment #89
i'm both flattered and Honored
a fine Note to finish with...
my best Hopes for you and yours...
96 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
In a personal relationship, I happily sacrifice being right so that we can be happy. Otherwise, I'd rather be right. And unfortunately, I usually am.
97 - Matthew T. Sussman
Unofficial Commenting Rules:
1. Let a few bad apples ruin the experience.
2. Always get in the last word with someone you disagree with. If they try to get in the last word, have none of it and respond in kind.
3. Lightening up is a sign of weakness.
4. Carnell Breeding is damn fine and it absolutely matters who of his fans he would date.
(Hey, uh, was there an article associated with this forum?)
98 - Richard Rothstein
Ruvy, your relentless arrogant and self-righteous Bible-thumping is no different from that of Islamic and Christian fundamentalists and is frightening to me as a civilized human being and embarrassing to me as a man of Jewish descent. You very well know that modern Israel was created by secular and even atheist Jews and you would now hijack this modern secular and thriving democracy much in the same way Islamic fundamentalism is hijacking moderation and democracy in the Muslim world and Christian fundamentalism is attempting to hijack American democracy. You are not engaging in an intelligent dialogue on this website, you are propogandizing for religious war. As I said before Fred Phelps, Osame bin Laden and you are all cut from the same cloth.
And by the way, your remark about finding much on my blog to be "disgusting" is just more of your abominable fundamentalist bigotry at play. Now go clean the venom out of your beard.
99 - Phillip Winn
"Ruvy, your relentless arrogant and self-righteous Bible-thumping is no different from that of Islamic and Christian fundamentalists and is frightening to me as a civilized human being and embarrassing to me as a man of Jewish descent."
Wow, that's over the top! Ruvy doesn't scare me, and I'm roughly 100% sure that Ruvy does not plan to strap explosives to himself and seek to kill and maim civilians, so I see it as quite different.
"As I said before Fred Phelps, Osame bin Laden and you are all cut from the same cloth."
Fred Phelps is a repugnant human being with beliefs I despise and reject completely, but he has never -- to my knowledge -- conspired to kill anybody. Nor has Ruvy. Cut from the same cloth? Really?
Wow.
100 - Richard Rothstein
You might want to go back to some of Ruvy's comments on what he'd like to do anti-Semites as well as his predictions for my eternal fate. As for Fred Phelps, speaking as a "Fag", carrying posters that proclaim "Death To Fags" is not something I take lightly. Gay bashing and murders are not unknown in this country. None of this may be on the scale of bin Laden but let us not make the mistake of underestimating the potential danger of religous zealots yet again.
101 - Martin Lav
damamkhá 'al roshkhá
Me thinks this could be interpreted to mean the same thing as Osama and his followers believe in the name of Allah!
I think that's the point and although you don't believe Mr. Ruvy from Brooklyn, has conspired to kill anybody, who's to say that the beliefs he espouses aren't in themselves inciteful to the point of consipiring hatred, intolerance and mistrust?
102 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
I read comments #98, #100 and #101 and only one thought comes to mind. "I'm surrounded by idiots." (The Lion King, 1995)
103 - Richard Rothstein
How interesting that you would relate to the character who breaks no less than five of the Ten Commandments.
104 - duane
Ruvy, fine, OK, you're surrounded by fools. I understand why you would want to leave.
Gonzo? a fine Note to finish with... ?
Did you mean on this thread, or are you leaving too?
Christ. Arguing is supposed to be fun. If it gets to you, take a breather. No need to run off for good. Both of you guys.
105 - JustOneMan
Ruvy,
Thank you for coming clean and admitting that you are nothing but a Christian hater! Your blather here has shown you to be the "King of The Victims"....hmmmmm maybe you should try on a crown of thorns!
You are part of a cult of arrogance, hate and victimization...
106 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Let's amend comment #102 a bit:
I read comments #98, #100,101,103 and #106 and only one thought comes to mind. "I'm surrounded by idiots." (The Lion King, 1995) Skar got all the best lines in that movie, just like the Pharaoh did in "The Ten Commandments." Evil has to be interesting or its just - evil.
Gonzo, and Al, thank you for the kind words, both. Duane, I'm not leaving altogether, just putting the emphasis elsewhere - writing articles and arguing from there; provided, of course, that I'm still allowed to write here.
107 - JustOneMan
Why is Ruvy's farewell taking 100 posts?
"Dumb people are just blissfully unaware of how very dumb they are (as he drools)."Patrick - Sponge Bob Square Pants
108 - Matthew T. Sussman
Why did Cher begin her Farewell Tour in 1935?
109 - Mistress La Spliffe
Idiots? At least they don't get their rhetorical insults from Disney movies.
110 - Clavos
Point to the Mistress!
111 - Maurice
Intolerance is intolerant - Maurice
112 - steve
thank god it is a farewell.
113 - Martin Lav
No, thank G-d!
114 - Richard Rothstein
LOL. God. Gods. Goddesses. Goddettes. Do I get an A+ in Really Bad Jew 101? By the way, what did I write about...some 114 comments in the past....?
115 - Martin Lav
I think you wrote about which row in the bus you got to sit in depending on how Jewish you are. If you think you are only visiting a visiting stranger in America, you sit in the back. If you live in Brooklyn, vacation in Miami and sometimes eat non-kosher hot dogs at the ballpark, then you can sit in the front with the bus driver.
116 - Alyssa
You need hlep and stop talking about black peoplp in a bad way !!!!!!