The Rabbi and the Media

Several months ago I wrote a post “The Self Made Eunuch” on the auto-emasculation of the Drive-By-Media due to the threat of violence by Islamofascists. I commented that the Virginian Pilot favored censoring Rabbi Michael Panitz when he planned to refer to terrorists as having “blood stained hands.” I said then:

The Pilot favors censors because a Rabbi was going to refer to the Hamas terrorists as having “blood stained hands” in a prayer before a session of the Virginia Senate.

The Pilot editors objected because they considered referring to terrorist as having blood stained hands controversial! Well, yes, they admit that Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization (they noted that this was merely the opinion of the State Department ) and is responsible for “its share of violence,” (I suppose that Hitler was responsible for his share in World War 2) but … to say this is to be “inflammatory” and “divisive.”

Well, yes, I suppose if you are a terrorist or side with terrorists, you may not go along with the rabbi's description. But if you are a normal person, informed of any moral sense, calling cold stone killers bloody is not controversial.

There is something so wrong, so morally repugnant about the editorial attitude that it virtually defies classification. Has moral relativism has so invaded the shriveled souls of people who write these words that they now wish to withhold judgment on groups who regularly bomb civilian buses, stores and restaurants. Who proclaim their desire to finish what Hitler started?

It is rare that one witnesses self emasculation, leaving us with moral eunuchs, but the war we are in has provided us the opportunity to see more than one example. And this one happened right here in our home town.

I have had several e-mail communications from the Rabbi since then and he has pointed out that not all members of the press are as cowardly or as craven as the editors of the Virginian Pilot. The following appeared in The Richmond Times Disptach on Tuesday, March 7, 2006.

A rabbi personifies wisdom. Last week Michael Panitz, rabbi of Norfolk's Temple Israel, delivered the opening prayer to a session of the Virginia Senate. He spoke of the values upon which true democracy rests, and said the democratic process is not an end in itself or "a cure for all that ails the human spirit." Panitz implicitly warned against succumbing to the temptation to treat democracy with idolatry.

His spoken words were excellent; his written but unsaid text was better yet.

A the request of the Senate Clerk, Panitz deleted this passage from his invocation:
"Most recently, we have seen voters in Gaza go to the polls and democratically elect a terrorist organization to be their parliamentary representation. The people were proud to display ink-stained thumbs as a proof of their democratic breakthrough, but they voted for the party of blood-stained hands. What was their ultimate accomplishment?" Most recently, we have seen voters in Gaza go to the polls and democratically elect a terrorist organization to be their parliamentary representation. The people were proud to display ink-stained thumbs as a proof of their democratic breakthrough, but they voted for the party of blood-stained hands. What was their ultimate accomplishment?

Hamas does not deny its tactics or its goals. It wants to drive Israel into the sea. Panitz paid Hamas the compliment of taking the organization seriously. His honest statement deserved to be heard in the upper chamber of a legislative body considering itself the oldest and most distinguished in the New World.

Thank you Rabbi Panitz and the Richmond Times Dispatch..