Tuesday, July 21, 2015

No Jew here: Theodore Bikel as described on All Things Considered NPR

There is a word missing from NPR's obituary for Theodore Bikel (Theodore Bikel, Who Starred In Broadway's 'Fiddler On The Roof,' Dies)

That Jew. Or for the squeamish, Jewish.

The piece was delivered (and one assumes written) by Lynn Neary, described as having" develop[ed] NPR's first religion beat. [And] As religion correspondent....covered the country's diverse religious landscape".

The piece identified Bikel as best known for starring as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway (one would think that honor might go to the man who created the role,  Zero Mostel ) and as a 'folk singer.'

Folk singer.  No mention was made of what sort of folk singer. It didn't mention that he specialized Jewish folk song  bringing it to the public, or his support in preserving Easten European Jewish culture, and the Yiddish Language. 

The closest NPR came to hinting that Bikel might have a Jewish connection was that his family fled Vienna to the Palenstine Mandate.  All NPR chose to say was that Bikel's family fled.

I am curious why it was so hard for NPR to say the word Jew, or even Jewish?



Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Friday, July 3, 2015

Oh, lets have fun with it... practical facetious comment.



In Why I Support 'No Gays Allowed' , the head of NJ Pride () takes a rather practical approach to Jeff Amyx, owner of Amyx Hardware and Baptist minister(, who taped a "No Gays Allowed" sign to
his storefront window.

I particularly liked Prince's comments:

"The real problem I have is with all those underground haters. The ones who don't have a sign out front ... have the guts to come out...Then I'll exercise my capitalist right to shop from your competitor--and to proudly put my money where my allies are."
Which, was what so many businesses indicated they would do in Indiana.

As a matter of legal principal, and as a matter of keeping uniform public access to public accommodation, the state should intervene if this person actually tried to enforce such a sign.

The owner, chickened out and put up a new sign, not as much fun, as it represents zero change from current commerce is:
"We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone who would violate our rights of freedom of speech and freedom of religion."

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*Please note, due to scourge  political correctness, I did not refer to him as a red neck, inbred, putative cousin humping, bible thumper.