Posted on 06/01/2010 3:41:24 PM PDT by curth
Up until now, one could merely have accused Sarah Palin’s stalker-biographer, Joe McGinniss, of unethical behavior, even journalistic malpractice.
After all, McGinniss’ decision to move into a house just fifteen feet away from the family he is subjecting to hostile research struck even the hard-hearted as unusually crass and callous. It also famously prompted the construction of a fourteen-foot high screening fence by “first dude” Todd Palin, and elicited sympathy for the Palins from a number of usually less-than-sympathetic sources.
But now McGinniss has outdone his already-gross behavior by telling The Today Show’s Matt Lauer that the Palin’s anguished response to his intrusion should be compared to “Nazi troopers” in 1930s Germany.
In making this comparison, no matter how ludicrous, McGinniss further transgresses the boundaries of decency into an area of intense Jewish concern – the history and meaning of the Nazi Holocaust. His remarks, for starters, show gross insensitivity to Jewish feelings.
When McGinniss invokes “Nazi troopers,” for Jews he conjures up the brown-shirted thugs who rioted in the streets of Berlin in June 1935 and garroted an elderly Jewish man to a tavern table, as recounted by American journalist Varian Fry, in an eyewitness account run the following day on the front page of The New York Times. When McGinniss invokes “Nazi troopers,”we remember the expulsion of Jews wholesale from German universities, the violent boycotts of Jewish businesses, and the public burnings of “decadent” books (often by Jewish authors) in front of SS-organized mobs.
When McGinniss invokes “Nazi troopers,” Jews think of the German National-Socialist Party’s special shock forces who led enraged mobs in burning down a thousand synagogues – and many more Jewish sites and businesses – over Kristallnacht, in November, 1939. And of course Jews think of the “Nazi troopers” who rounded up defenseless Jewish civilians in the middle of the night and loaded us onto boxcars “headed for the East.”
This is why Jews are still “sensitive” to facile comparisons with “Nazi troopers,” even by a low-life journalist of McGinniss’ stripe. Because McGinniss’ foolish analogy cheapens the meaning and memory of the Holocaust. Jewish defense organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, would do well to rebuke McGinniss, unless they think he is beneath their purview.
But really, because McGinniss’ comparison of Germany in those dark times to the America of today is so outrageous and appalling, he should be repudiated by all thinking people of good will.
And because McGinniss’ comparison demeans a political leader and a popular movement whose character are overwhelmingly peaceful, democratic and tolerant of all races and religions, all Americans should reject him, and hang on him a letter of shame.
Gov. Sarah Palin, the Tea Party movement, and the awakening voters of America, will not long remember this unprincipled opportunist who calls himself a journalist. But the American people, McGinniss’ publisher, and most of all the Jewish community, should be disgusted that he has so cheapened the public discourse.
Words have meaning. He’s not her “neighbor.”
He rented the house next door to spy on her while he writes a salacious book about her due to be released in November 2011.
Seems to me you are more interested in defending your favorite author than having a logical grasp of stated facts.
His crying about being the victim is proof the man is not mentally stable. Of course, all his threats about trespassing, being given privacy, etc. is ironic.
Exactly. He’s a damn mess. She has every reason to be concerned about him holing-up next door. He looks like a boozer. I hope he’s NOT.
Exactly. He’s a damn mess. She has every reason to be concerned about him holing-up next door. He looks like a boozer. I hope he’s NOT.
He put out how many NO TRESSPASSING signs on his rental property? He’s worried about HIS privacy! LOL.
He laughed like a 12 year old when a visitor’s dog crapped on the Palin’s lawn. I mean, get serious.
Everything McGinnis has done are classic traits of a stalker. His attempt at uncovering information about her in her hometown- and live next door to her, is a stalker's fantasy come true. All the info he finds only adds to the obsession.
And he moves in next door to all the subjects of his books? No...
He’s suffering from a Marxist Palin Derangement Syndrome. He is hate filled stalker and he is surprised the Palins nailed him in public. Now the in-your-face tough lefty guy is playing the victim. Too much!
He is not my fave author,,you are assuming that.
No evidence of stalking. Perhaps a writer who is gathering info for a book but no evidence of stalking otherwise Palin would have a restraining order. She cannot do that and prefers to make a public scene.
He is the next door renter. We can quibble over the word neighbor but my next door person is my neighbor.
You have an advanced copy of the “salacious” book? He cannot write a salacious book unless there is something salacious to write.
I have yet to see his son own those comments. THey are from a link on the net and may or may not be true.
People show up at my door, people leave gifts. That is not stalking.
I suppose you've never heard of Kitty Kelley and her ilk?
From what he's said and one so far, he's that kind of writer in spades.
So if this was your mom, sister or daughter, you’d be completely ok with his actions?
Moore is wrong - but he comes from a place of misplaced principles. Within his mistaken beliefs he's ethical.
The stalker - on the other hand - comes from a place of darkness and lies. Big difference.
As I stated above, McGinnis has all the classic signs of a serial stalker. His moving to Wasilla, esp. next door to the object of his obsession, will only serve to increase the delusion growing in his head.
You might enjoy the following - it backs up what you’re saying, rintense.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2526085/posts
Bwahahahaha. He can write anything he wants. You know that. As Lakeshark said, 'you can't be that dense.'
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