What do we do about terrorism?

A friend was so exasperated with all the news about terrorism threats -- al-Qaeda is stronger today than it was on Sept. 11, 2001, inspite of the "war on terrorism" (I like to call it the "war of errorisms") -- he wondered if it wasn't appropriate to prevent all foreigners from entering the United States.

Why stop there, I responded? Why not just jail everyone with dark skin and black hair, only allow White people who are "very pale," and who have blond hair. Lock the rest of them up. Would that be enough to stop terrorism? Why just terrorism? Why not stop crime, too and lock up everyone based on the national profile of who sits in our jails. (You think they are minorities but the majority of criminals are White.) Well, that explains why most Americans won't support extending the war on terrorism to the war on crime, too. Profiling only works when the targets are "dark people" from "foreign countries. As if we, Americans, are not from foreign countries ourselves.

You think being born here is what makes an American? I don't think so. I think Americans come from a spirit of freedom and the knowledge that freedom makes us safer. That the more freedom we have the more effective our fight against criminals and even terrorists. Can we stop crime or terrorism? No. Not even the Nazis could prevent rebellion and insurgencies and they imposed one of the most vicious and oppressive system on society, outside of Stalin.

There is no correlation between reducing crime and oppressive policies that deny freedoms to certain people based on profiling. Profiling merely makes us feel more comfortable with our failed war on terrorism and forgotten war on drugs, street gangs, crime and even homelessness and hunger. If we can profile, we have "someone" in custody or in our sights. That makes us feel good. And isn't that what the new American order is all about? Feeling comfortable in an environment of insanity?

No. The real answer to fighting terrorism is not to lock people up based on how they look, their "profiles." The real answer to fighting and defeating the terrorists is to be smart, professional and strategic. That means we make more friends in the world, not more enemies. We don't just target anyone, because innocent people become enemies when you treat them like enemies.

My only suggestion to start winning the war on terrorism is to do the one thing we must do in order to turn all this around. Impeach President Bush. File international war crimes charges against Vice President Dick Cheney. Put them in jail. If we're going to profile, let's arrest every politician in order to end government corruption. Because right no, we are not winning the war on terrorism. We are losing the war on terrorism and the reason we are losing is that we do not have a leader ho knows how to fight this ar the right way, the successful way, the intelligent way. Bush only survives in all this because he knows how to exploit our emotions.

"If we leave now the terrorists will win ... " Blah, blah, blah. He has no answers. He has no solutions. All he has is our fear, and his success is our fear.

-- Ray Hanania

Conrad Black and his "royal legacy" in Chicago

If anyone brought the Chicago Sun-Times to its ethical knees, it was Conrad Black. During his reign of terror, he undermined the newspapers integrity and launched vicious partisan issues campaigns that ignored journalistic principles and instead championed his pet causes.

So why are we not surprised by Black's pathetic conduct during the Federal Court room where he faces possible conviction on 16 criminal counts of fraud, tax evasion, racketeering and obstruction of justice -- things not normally associated with a "newspaper publisher," or with someone who has been "Knighted" byt he Queen -- the Queen of England, I should clarify.

Here is an Associated Press photograph of Black giving reporters the finger -- not even trying to be coy -- as he entered the Dirsken Federal Building courthouse on July 10, 2007.











Black is an idiot. He looks like a school yard bully. I remember reading a two page long column by his wife, Barbara Amiel -- a two page long column with no pictures -- arguing the most extremist view of the Middle East conflict.

Fortunately, the Chicago Sun-Times has shaken off Black at least for enough years to return to being a very prestigious and serious newspaper -- the reporters there, many my friends, deserve to work in an environment of journalistic excellence rather than under Black's black shadow.

The jury seems to be tussling with some serious issues. Charges involving tax evasion and racketeering are not always easy to sort out and they have been deliberating 11 days after saying they were having a hard time sorting through one or several of the 16 counts.

That's okay. Have faith, this jerk will get what he deserves, royally, hopefully.

-- Ray Hanania

Am I too grumpy, or just allowing my Middle East passions to get the best of me?

Here's a great letter I received froma reader today and I think she makes some great points that I thought I should share:

Hi Ray,

I hope you don’t mind the lack of formality. The fact that you enter my living room (or at least my kitchen!) each week through your newspaper
column makes me feel as though I know you.

I read your column weekly – or almost weekly. I have a three year old, so, of course, there are times when the newspaper becomes a table cover for my young artist to paint upon, before I had a chance to see it. I have to say, although I sometimes don’t agree with you, I respect the way you present your views, and I enjoy your column very much.

I’d like to comment on a few of your most recent columns, though. First of all, with regard to your column in this week’s edition, you ask, “Did we or did we not ban smoking in Orland Park?

And why?” I don’t live in Orland, and don’t follow its politics that closely, so I can’t comment on the first part of your question. But I would like to answer the second part. If smoking was banned, you ask why it was banned? The answer is simple: It was banned for the same reasons that liberal politicians ban anything else – because the liberal politicians think they know better than you do what is best for you, and will create laws upon laws to be sure that you (and I) do what THEY think is best for you!

I have one final comment on the tone of your last few articles: Be careful, Ray – you’re beginning to sound like a grumpy “old” man who is as judgmental about those about whom he is complaining!

Thanks for your columns. I really enjoy them, because your opinions have a great deal of thought behind them. And, believe it or not, many times (probably, more often than not) this conservative actually AGREES with you.

Sincerely,
DL

Here is my response:

Thanks so much DL

I appreciate your comments, and your constructive criticism ... the tragedy of today is that President Bush and the Iraq War have created this atmosphere where criticism of elected officials is portrayed as being personal rather than a part of the political process. In otherwords, challenging our elected officials and keeping their feet to the fire is as much a part of the job as them getting their (bloated and excessive and unearned) paychecks :)

It does disturb me that I get so involved in these issues. I wish I could just turn away and pretend everything is so good today. But I can't. I see 3,600 Americans die in a stupid war -- Bush opened the door to al-Qaeda in Iraq, almost saving them by giving them a place so uncontrollable that they can now use Iraq to train for future attacks against us.

I also worry that we have a bad priority list of what's important; sure, banning smoking is important but I don't believe the officials in Orland Park took that action because they thought it out. I believe they did what George Ryan did -- he made the death penalty a priority not because he even understood the issues, but because he hoped it might make him look like a real leader as he faced certain conviction for being a crook and a thief.

I have to be the cynic so you don't have to be. I have to look at good ideas and ask, why did they do it?

I don't like cigarette smoking, but there are so many other issues, for example, in Orland Park that go unaddressed, and I look at the move as a self-serving effort by one trustee to jump on a bandwagon. They proposed the ban, then lifted the ban because they saw how it was hurting local businesses that generate money for the community.

I do try to insert my personal feelings into the column because I think you deserve to hear how I really feel. Too many columnists write what they think you want to hear. I don't and I know that because ot everyone agrees with my views. But I do believe I owe you honesty and not to hold back.

But, I will try not to be grumpy :) ...

I do appreciate your bringing it up and I will post your letter on my blog (without posting you name) because I think you bring up a great point.

Thank you so much for reading the columns and taking the time to respond. I always appreciate and even learn from what readers write.

Ray

(Postscript: DL then wrote back saying she was talking about the National Anthem and the display of flags after Sept. 11. Many people like her really did put their flags out because of genuine patriotism. I believe her.)

Controversy over New Jersey Beauty Queen Amy Polumbo so exaggerated

The story that stands out this morning is the one about how some unknown blackmailer has been trying to embarrass New Jersey Beauty Queen Amy Polumbo. The person took pictures off of Amy's private FaceBook Page and then mailed copies threatening to expose her unless she quit her position as Miss America.

The best interview with her was by Matt Lauer at The Today Show -- he is a class act! Amy had NBC show the pictures to deflate what we have all become used to: expecting the salacious worst of people. Turns out the pictures are really nothing but the images that you might find in anyone's photo albums. She's just having fun with her friends including her boyfriends. Some embarrassing? Maybe. But serious enough to suggest she is not a role model. Puhlease!

Polumbo is like any young person. Give them a break to be young. Do we now have to watch what photos we take of our children acting like children, fearing that maybe they might come back to haunt them?

I think the photos show Amy to be just a normal girl, someone who is having nice clean fun.

If people are upset because two of the dozens of photos suggest some compromosing positions (no nudity, just some mild sexual implications), then let them start by taking on the real problem we have in society, the excessives that we see everyday and night on our television and media. Bad words. Sex. Violence. We see those every day.

-- Ray Hanania
www.hanania.com

Letters on Amy Jacobson

Ray,

Thank you for your insight on Mrs. Jacobson. None of us are perfect. Go figure, all those years that she sacrificed balancing family and work are easily forgotten. I have faith that the good citizens of the Chicagoland area (we are Hoosiers) will be seeing Amy appear once again. Shame on WBBM. They will no longer be watched.

Shame on the neighbor who was nothing more than a peeping tom over the fence.

Please pass our best wishes to her and her family.

Jim and Beth

Reporters in conflicts -- the tragedy of Amy Jacobson

I feel for Amy Jacobson, the WMAQ TV reporter who was (fill in the blank here, but she no longer works there) Tuesday when a competing news station (WBBM TV) videotaped her in a bikini at the Plainfield home of Craig Stebic, the estranged husband of Lisa Stebic, who has been missing since April 30.

Jacobson was covering the Lisa Stebic story for WMAQ TV. But, she brought her own two children (aged 2 and 3) to the Stebic home after, Jacobson explained, she was invited to the home by Stebic's sister to discuss the story followup. Jacobson's kids were playing with Stebic's kids and Jacobson was enjoying the extremely hot weather.

I know what she's going through. Nearly 18 years ago, I found myself in a similar situation when I started dating former City Treasurer Miriam Santos. The news media never gets the story right I discovered when I became the subject of news media coverage eight months later.

When I started dating Santos, I left the City Hall beat and transferred to the Cook County beat. In fact, I worked at Cook County for eight months before the controversy surfaced. The Sun-Times editors were fully aware of the relationship, as were the reporters who broke the story; my friend at the Chicago Tribune, John Kass, had dinner with us several times and knew we were dating.

Daley went after Santos by trying to compare here to Jane Byrne, and they used the fact that I was a reporter to do it; Jane Byrne's husband was the colorful and controversial former reporter, Jay McMullen. I don't really care about the whole thing today at all, except that a lot of innocent people (including my ex-wife) were unfairly hurt as a result.

Still, had it not been for that turn of events, I might not have met my current wife. We just celebrated our 10th anniversary and have the perfect marriage -- not withstanding that she is Jewish and I am Palestinian. The real problem is she is a Republican and I am a Democrat.

I can only guess that Jacobson is as much the victim of a bad choice on her part as she is the victim of a media that too often intentionally chooses the inaccurate story or implications because it is the "better" story.

Here's what was reported:

Jacobson told the newspaper she was on her way to go swimming with her kids on her day off when Stebic's sister, Jill, invited her to the house to discuss the
case.

"My kids were in the car with me," Jacobson said. "It was a way for me to do my work and have fun with my kids."

She said the video didn't show others who were at the home, including Craig's sister and other children.

"If a tape didn't exist, I know I would still have my job," she said. "The video they used was not indicative of the situation."Jacobson admitted she did not handle the situation properly.

"I know I made a lapse in judgment," she said. "I know it and I apologize for it. But I'm a competitive person and I did it to advance the story."

Imagine the implications in the Jacobson-Stebic story. I won't even get into them as everyone is already speculating on Craig Stebic himself and his estranged wife -- they were separated and getting divorced when she disappeared. You know what is being implied there. Too often, the husband turns out to be the bad guy and everyone is waiting for a shoe to drop on that case, even if no shoe will ever drop.

Regardless, I think Jacobson's 11 years of phenomenal reporting should have played into the decision by WMAQ TV to drop her. Isn't that always the case, though, years of achievement means nothing in the face of one moment of indiscretion or a personal mistake.

We're all human. We all make mistakes. I've made my share. And so will everyone reading this.

Rather than relishing in the story of Jacobson's demise, we should step back and consider the possibility that it was all an innocent mistake that would not be as appealing to the media as is the inuendo and suggestion of something worse.

-- Ray Hanania

NOTES:

Here is the WMAQ TV Bio of Jacobson, which was removed from the NBC site Tuesday night:

Amy Jacobson joined NBC5 News as a general assignment reporter in August 1996.

In her 10 years in Chicago, Jacobson has covered major assignments. She was in the locker room when the Chicago White Sox won the Pennant and the World Series. She also covered the Salt Lake Olympics.

As one of the most distinguished and well-respected reporters in the market, Jacobson has covered several local stories that have been picked up by the NBC network. She has been a featured reporter on the Today Show four times.

Prior to joining NBC5, Jacobson was a general assignment reporter at the Fox Affiliate WJBK-TV in Detroit, Mich. She worked at the ABC Affiliate KVIA-TV in El Paso, Texas, where duties included general assignment reporter, assignment editor and substitute producer/anchor.

Jacobson also spent time at KOLD-TV in Tucson, Ariz., where she was a morning anchor/producer, general assignment reporter and photographer/editor.

Jacobson started her career in journalism in 1992 at KSAX-TV in Alexandria, Minn., as a morning anchor/producer and general assignment reporter. Jacobson held an internship during college at KGAN-TV in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

A native of Mt. Prospect, Jacobson graduated Phi Beta Kappa from The University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in broadcasting and film. Jacobson married Jaime Anglada in 2002. They have two boys, ages 2 and 1.

Drop Amy a line: amy.jacobson@nbc.com.

end

A few letters ...

Read your article, "Paris Gets Jail and Scooter Goes Free". How true. You hit the nail right on the head. Cheney should be impeached. No question about it.
Diane C. Bonacci
Syracuse, NY

NOTE: I'm not posting letters from those "Free Republic" freaks :)
Ray Hanania