Looks like I successfully insulted Banks. Woohoo! But unfortunately he was right about possible retribution for running my mouth. If only I had the opinion pages under my finger so I could "professionally" run my mouth.
3 comments:
Anonymous
said...
How can you call yourself a journalist? You had no citations or facts to back up anything you said and you resort to playground tactics in order to personally attack someone. Very poor showing of character and professional skills, indeed. However, there is no way you offended Banks, just his friends. I have known him for years and he has a very thick skin, nothing said by someone as insignificant as you would bother him in the slightest...In fact, your scathing and reactive remarks only proved his article's point. And I thank you for that! So now the ball is in your court, why cant anyone criticize US foreign policy in Isreal and Palestine without being labeled anti-semetic? Please give an educated and calm argument, as I have yet to find one, and apparently you seem to think that you are an authority on the matter.
While I don't know Banks at all, I do think his columns have been very reasonable and rational (while I'm generally unimpressed with the Daily columns, his have been one of the exceptions). This includes that last one on being labeled anti-semitic. It's a point I've heard before elsewhere, but it's one that I agree with and bears repeating.
I do have to say that rational and reasonable doesn't apply to the above comment, but we don't know who wrote it (yes, part of this is Blogger's commenting system), and we also can't see what it is in reaction to. So now I'm really curious to see what you'd written. The timing thing you mentioned yesterday also sounds like a good point that I hadn't considered, but it sounds like you went a lot further than that. Not sure why I didn't mention it to you earlier, but it's typically not considered good blogger etiquette to delete posts or comments for exactly this reason.
Not accusing you of anything. I'm assuming you just didn't know. The Internet makes it easy to erase and edit anything you've said, but a blogger has a duty to their readers just like a journalist does. Major edits are typically accompanied with an added note explaining what the edits are, when they were done, and why. And deletions are typically done only if there was a very good reason to do so (e.g. leaving the post up would cause public harm).
While blogging isn't really a profession, there've been many discussions about whether there should be a blogger code of ethics. Rebecca Blood has a good one to look at, and there are many other proposed codes as well (bloggers with journalism background will probably have a lot of value to contribute to that debate).
Anyway, if you still have a soft copy of the deleted post, I'd urge you to put it back up (if it's something you regret saying, add a note to the top of it explaining that and why). But if not, at least keep this in mind for the future.
You think Indians don't deserve a country? I don't get it? Where is this coming from? Are you an anti-indian? Do I offend you in some way? When you see me or talk to me do you have to bite your tounge? What an insult to an entire culture and to me.
I had considered you a rational and promising colleague, but clearly I am not the best at reading character.
Thank you for making it publicaly known how you really feel about me and bringing to light the racsism and hate that you harbor beneath the surface.
What's that you say? Don't jump to conclussions? Don't over-react and instead look at the whole piece in context you say? I am mis-inturpeting your point you say? Hmmm... doesn't this sound a lot like what you did with Banks?
Please go back and read Banks' column again. And this time pay attention to what he is saying (not what the comments are saying) and think of it in a rational mind.
And don't fall into the trap that beacause of the atrocities suffered by the Jewish people any discussion of this region of the world is taboo.
Indians have suffered just as much. From ancient times, India has again and again been occupied by forgien interests. Most recently finally ousting the British in August 1947, the effects of which the world is still feeling today with the tensions between Pakistan and India.
More recently post 9-11 being Indian has been no picnic, including victims of violence and murder within my own family.
I know it's easy to let emotion take over. But as you can see, if I let emotion takeover I'd think you were a racist hatemonger devoid of any contribution to journalism or humanity. But that's not the case, beacuse you don't really hate Indians... right?
3 comments:
How can you call yourself a journalist? You had no citations or facts to back up anything you said and you resort to playground tactics in order to personally attack someone. Very poor showing of character and professional skills, indeed. However, there is no way you offended Banks, just his friends. I have known him for years and he has a very thick skin, nothing said by someone as insignificant as you would bother him in the slightest...In fact, your scathing and reactive remarks only proved his article's point. And I thank you for that! So now the ball is in your court, why cant anyone criticize US foreign policy in Isreal and Palestine without being labeled anti-semetic? Please give an educated and calm argument, as I have yet to find one, and apparently you seem to think that you are an authority on the matter.
While I don't know Banks at all, I do think his columns have been very reasonable and rational (while I'm generally unimpressed with the Daily columns, his have been one of the exceptions). This includes that last one on being labeled anti-semitic. It's a point I've heard before elsewhere, but it's one that I agree with and bears repeating.
I do have to say that rational and reasonable doesn't apply to the above comment, but we don't know who wrote it (yes, part of this is Blogger's commenting system), and we also can't see what it is in reaction to. So now I'm really curious to see what you'd written. The timing thing you mentioned yesterday also sounds like a good point that I hadn't considered, but it sounds like you went a lot further than that. Not sure why I didn't mention it to you earlier, but it's typically not considered good blogger etiquette to delete posts or comments for exactly this reason.
Not accusing you of anything. I'm assuming you just didn't know. The Internet makes it easy to erase and edit anything you've said, but a blogger has a duty to their readers just like a journalist does. Major edits are typically accompanied with an added note explaining what the edits are, when they were done, and why. And deletions are typically done only if there was a very good reason to do so (e.g. leaving the post up would cause public harm).
While blogging isn't really a profession, there've been many discussions about whether there should be a blogger code of ethics. Rebecca Blood has a good one to look at, and there are many other proposed codes as well (bloggers with journalism background will probably have a lot of value to contribute to that debate).
Anyway, if you still have a soft copy of the deleted post, I'd urge you to put it back up (if it's something you regret saying, add a note to the top of it explaining that and why). But if not, at least keep this in mind for the future.
You think Indians don't deserve a country? I don't get it? Where is this coming from? Are you an anti-indian? Do I offend you in some way? When you see me or talk to me do you have to bite your tounge? What an insult to an entire culture and to me.
I had considered you a rational and promising colleague, but clearly I am not the best at reading character.
Thank you for making it publicaly known how you really feel about me and bringing to light the racsism and hate that you harbor beneath the surface.
What's that you say? Don't jump to conclussions? Don't over-react and instead look at the whole piece in context you say? I am mis-inturpeting your point you say? Hmmm... doesn't this sound a lot like what you did with Banks?
Please go back and read Banks' column again. And this time pay attention to what he is saying (not what the comments are saying) and think of it in a rational mind.
And don't fall into the trap that beacause of the atrocities suffered by the Jewish people any discussion of this region of the world is taboo.
Indians have suffered just as much. From ancient times, India has again and again been occupied by forgien interests. Most recently finally ousting the British in August 1947, the effects of which the world is still feeling today with the tensions between Pakistan and India.
More recently post 9-11 being Indian has been no picnic, including victims of violence and murder within my own family.
I know it's easy to let emotion take over. But as you can see, if I let emotion takeover I'd think you were a racist hatemonger devoid of any contribution to journalism or humanity. But that's not the case, beacuse you don't really hate Indians... right?
Later
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