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

Funniest Cicada story

I was traveling back from Jerusalem on American Airlines (Brussels to Chicago) when the plane was readying for takeoff and a passenger pulled out a pillow and blanket wrapped in plastic and showed it to the Flight Attendant -- we don't call them stewardesses any more.

Inside the plastic, apparently picked up in Chicago on an earlier flight from Chicago to Brussels, was a six legged stow-away. A little red eyed Cicada.

Had to have been 4,500 miles or more.

-- Ray Hanania

Just returned from a great Comedy Tour of Israel and Palestine

So many readers have asked about the Comedy tour I just completed in Israel and Palestine. The web site for the tour is http://www.ipcomedytour.com/. I've posted some of the press coverage. There is a story coming out this week on NBC Nightly News (5:30 CST) on Channel 5 ... I don't have a date yet but they said this week.



Anyway, the Cicadas have really taken over although these are so much smaller than the cicadas we have been used to, although far more numerous. These are about half the size of the ones that surfaced last year in smaller numbers.



My kids calls them Cicada Bombs that come flying into the car window when you drive.



If yu have any stories on Cicadas pass them along to me at



rayhanania@comcast.net



This week's column is on a former Southwest Sider who moved to Palestine and lives in Ramallah in the West Bank. (Last January when I toured I did a feature column on a Jewish Chicagoan from the Southwest Side who moved to Israel. Just being fair.)



Ray