Helen Thomas is retiring after her racist remarks

In this case - I think racism was implied not so much by what she said, as how she said it. "get the hell out" isn't exactly a friendly statement. There was some philosophical meandering about whether or not recent migrants into Israel are even Israelites - which I think is borderline racism.

I don't think what she said was appropriate. Like I said earlier, I think I understand why she might say it, though.

Helen Thomas joins a list of professionals, who question the way Israel treats Palestine:
- Jimmy Carter
- Patrick Buchanan
- Bill Moyers

It's an interesting collection of characters.

Wayne Harrison wrote: You never explained what was racist about her remarks. I don't recall her saying one race is better than another.

I think Bailey Bud put it very well. It was more the way she said it. It came across as very racist sounding. Had she said I think the Irsrelistes should go back to Germany or Poland it would not have come across near as racist sounding. The word 'Jews' when used in a negative conotation sounds very racist. It almost sounded like using the 'N' word for black people.

But I want to kind of flip this for you. Do you think that when we say Mexican's go home, here in America is racist? Do you agree with all the people screaming racism when we say that here? Are right or wrong to say it is racist?

Which one of these statements sounds racist?

All Mexican's who came here illegally need to go back home. Or......
Get the Hell out of America all of you Mexicans! You need to go back to your own country where you belong.

bailey bud wrote: In this case - I think racism was implied not so much by what she said, as how she said it. "get the hell out" isn't exactly a friendly statement. There was some philosophical meandering about whether or not recent migrants into Israel are even Israelites - which I think is borderline racism.

I don't think what she said was appropriate. Like I said earlier, I think I understand why she might say it, though.

Helen Thomas joins a list of professionals, who question the way Israel treats Palestine:
- Jimmy Carter
- Patrick Buchanan
- Bill Moyers

It's an interesting collection of characters.

Very well put. I agree that it was more in 'how' she said it than what she said.

I don't think it's automatically racist to object to how a country behaves. Seems to me Israel has been a sacred cow for a long time. No one can criticize them without being called anti-semitic.

I agree she may have been less than diplomatic in how she stated this, but I don't read racism in her remarks.

AspenValley wrote: I don't think it's automatically racist to object to how a country behaves. Seems to me Israel has been a sacred cow for a long time. No one can criticize them without being called anti-semitic.

I agree she may have been less than diplomatic in how she stated this, but I don't read racism in her remarks.

So do you agree with the people who say that Americans who keep telling Mexicans who are here illegally to go back to Mexico are racist?

The Viking wrote:

AspenValley wrote: I don't think it's automatically racist to object to how a country behaves. Seems to me Israel has been a sacred cow for a long time. No one can criticize them without being called anti-semitic.

I agree she may have been less than diplomatic in how she stated this, but I don't read racism in her remarks.

So do you agree with the people who say that Americans who keep telling Mexicans who are here illegally to go back to Mexico are racist?

If it were the official position of the Mexican government that its citizens should come to the U.S. illegally, I wouldn't find it automatically racist to criticize that policy.

It's interesting to me how people seem to be more upset with remarks by a 90 year old woman (she has the right to express her opinion in America). than they are about the murders of 9 civilians attacked by Israeli soldiers.

The Israeli soldiers were under physical attack by the people on the ship they were legally boarding Wayne. They had the right to defend themselves from that attack according to the international maritime laws. It isn't as though those 9 dead civilians were sitting in deck chairs enjoying a cruise.....

Wayne Harrison wrote: It's interesting to me how people seem to be more upset with remarks by a 90 year old woman (she has the right to express her opinion in America). than they are about the murders of 9 civilians attacked by Israeli soldiers.

Need to do some more checking there, Wayne...

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Note:Taken from above by peace lovers the soliders...

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Note:Taken from above by soliders

As I would like to point out that we closed our ports after 9/11, and there wasn't a problem.
Also, Israeli has every right to stop and search these boats, or do you agrre with helen.
If you lock your door, and somebody with a gun comes in, would you react? I sure as hell would.

Wayne Harrison wrote: It's interesting to me how people seem to be more upset with remarks by a 90 year old woman (she has the right to express her opinion in America). than they are about the murders of 9 civilians attacked by Israeli soldiers.

Here is another interesting contrast. (Note: In spite of the name of the blog, we have no relationship.)


"North Korea torpedoes a South Korean corvette in a clear act of war and all the world stand’s a-tiptoe, hoping not to offend the nuclear armed nuthouse. Israel enforces a blockade against an existential foe and is drawn reluctantly into a confrontation with agents provocateurs, leaving nine of them as “martyrs” to their cause, and all the world is in uproar.

Two naval confrontations with antipodal moral justifications, but it is perversely Israel that feels the wrath of the “world community” while the UN tugs its beard over the murderous actions of the odious Kim Chong Il regime, promising to think on the matter further."

http://www.neptunuslex.com/2010/06/08/asymmetries/