Posted on 01/06/2003 5:44:18 AM PST by Lorenb420
How about this one for political correctness!
On Friday, the Tallahassee Democrat announced a week-long, unpaid suspension of veteran columnist Bill Cotterell, because of what he said in a private e-mail to a reader.
According to the Associated Press, Cotterell, who's been a journalist for 35 years, noted that "Except for Jordan and Egypt, no Arab nation has a peace treaty with Israel. They've had 54 years to get over it. They choose not to."
He added in his e-mail exchange, that "I don't give a damn if Israel kills a few in collateral damage while defending itself. So be it."
The unidentified reader forwarded the e-mail to the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose director, Ibrahim Hooper, alerted its members, calling the remarks anti-Muslim and anti-Arab.
Mr. Hooper complained to the newspaper's executive editor, John Winn Miller, who apologized for Cotterell's remarks in a statement in the Friday paper: "They absolutely "do not represent the views and sensitivities of this newspaper. Worse, they run counter to many of the values we hold dearest, among them, tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness."
Cotterell was immediately suspended for a week without pay. He also apologized: "My remarks were grossly inappropriate and do not reflect my views toward Muslim people."
It taxes credulity that this private e-mail would elicit such reaction. None of the above is either offensive or untrue, though his phrasing was blunt.
Mr. Hooper and the American-Islamic council feel the punishment is fair: "It will send a positive message to the Muslim community in Florida that this kind of bigotry will not be tolerated. We don't want to be vindictive; we just want to make sure bigoted views don't colour the news related to Muslim and American-Arab issues."
None of Cotterell's e-mail views reached the public.
So why a fuss that seems to infringe on free speech and the right to have political opinions?
The Democrat is in the chain of Knight Ridder publications, which last year was listed in Fortune's 50 best companies for minorities. Some 29% of its employees are minorities; 17% of management positions are held by minorities. The company is understandably proud of its record.
As for the Democrat, its circulation is 49,000 daily and 65,000 on Sundays in Florida's capital city of 227,000 (69% white, 28% black, 3% other), situated 260 km west of Jacksonville and 400 km north of Orlando, where 37% of people work for government.
The Democrat prides itself as being sensitive to controversy and pulled a political cartoon off its Web site that asked what kind of a car would the Prophet Mohammed drive if he were alive today -- and depicted a truck carrying a missile. The cartoon never made it to the newspaper.
This drawing by the paper's political cartoonist, Doug Marlette, is what provoked the angry e-mail to Cotterell.
His impatient response added the irreverent view that as far as he's concerned Arabs "can squat around the camel-dung fire and grumble about (Israel), or they can put their bottoms in the air five times a day and pray for deliverance; that's their business."
Rude, yes, but is it so bigoted, intolerant, racist as to warrant suspension?
Whatever one's personal view, the Tallahassee Democrat's response seems to refute the widespread feeling that American society is taking aim at Muslims because of the events of 9/11.
I don't know anything about Cotterell, but judging from his writings on the Internet, he's pretty balanced, fair and non-confrontational.
Even his e-mail views were linked to the Israel-Palestine issue, not to Muslims as individuals.
No matter. Political correctness is alive and well, and shows no signs of fading.
Precisely correct. The racism or more exactly, the religionism (Semetic actually refers to all Middle Eastern races), is all on the part of the members of the religion of peace (allegedly Islam). All the politcal "correctness" in the world will not change that simple fact. If the Tallahassee Democrat chooses to hide its head in the sand and side with condemned terrorists, then fine, but don't stifle a writer/columnist/cartoonist's right (as spelled out in the Bill of Rights no less) to do so.
He added in his e-mail exchange, that "I don't give a damn if Israel kills a few in collateral damage while defending itself. So be it."
The Palestinians are the recipients of attacks from Isreal only as a responce to atrocities committed by Muslim homicide bombers. The Palis are bringing the wrath of the Israelis on themselves. Unlike the Pali homicide bombers, the Israelis take considerable pains not to harm bystanders. Funny how the "Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations" doesn't say anything about this.
If I were Cotterell, I would identify the "unidentified" emailer, since the private communication was make public, he should allow the writer to recieve the fruits of his actions. I bet the "unidentified" writer will be far too cowardly to do anything like it. Wanna bet it was some Muslim trying to bait Cotterell into saying the obvious truth?
His impatient response added the irreverent view that as far as he's concerned Arabs "can squat around the camel-dung fire and grumble about (Israel), or they can put their bottoms in the air five times a day and pray for deliverance; that's their business."
Right on the mark.
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