A few weeks ago, I put 2 bumper stickers for Obama on my car. One in English, one in Hebrew.
This is what I found on my windshield last night.
When I first saw it, I was scared - is anyone intending on harm? After all, we are expecting our first child this year. But after looking at this a second time, I realized it was, in the words of Barack Obama (in his book) - "just talk".
I am also reminded of a letter that I wrote to the Miami Herald and the Associated Press back on November 11. 2006. I was in Florida for my Mother's 88th birthday (yes, she was born on the original Armistice Day). An article appeared in the Miami Herald that says "Al Qaeda Leader's Tape Mocks Bush" (see this link - you can get it at the Herald but they'll charge you). While I have disagreements with President Bush, I have no respect for the attitudes and methods of Al Qaeda, and this article is one example. The fact that this "leader" of Al Qaeda used an audiotape to spew his hatred and threats demonstrated his lack of willingness to directly confront those he disagreed with. This is also true of the person who placed the note on my windshield. Anyway, I wrote a letter to the editor about this, but it did not get published:
To the Editor:
I am not a Florida resident. I am in Pembroke Pines today celebrating the anniversary of my Mother’s birth. She was born in Poland on the day of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles and had to flee in 1939 due to the Nazi invasion.
Page 14a of today’s Miami Herald disturbs me deeply. Your editors published an article entitled “Al Qaeda leader’s tape mocks Bush”. In a letter to the Editor to the New York Times published October 2nd, I warned that the world media was “feeding the flames” of extremism.
This article is an example of a newspaper doing just that.
This AP article only states the extremist viewpoint. I did not see any attempt of rebuttal or debate. By publishing these articles (with the Herald’s editing), extremists are effectively made into heroes and icons. Aren't there enough people of prominence in the homelands of Al Qaeda who promote an peaceful approach to settling differences? How does your paper expect the world to at least give anti-terrorism a chance to succeed?
I am not a fan of President Bush, I voted Democratic. But I am still outraged that Al Qaeda's leadership is allowed to call Mr. Bush a “coward” away from his face. We can merely mock their words by using the common adage “It takes one to know one”. But, more importantly, I am hoping that other role models in that part of the world step up to the plate, dismiss this organization's views, and gain more worldwide support and media coverage than Al Qaeda currently gets.
My Mom is a survivor, she was fortunate. I wish future generations the chance to live in a world without fear. The Herald, in my opinion, has responsibilities to promote this, otherwise it, like many in the world of 1939, might someday cease to exist. I hope that the editors reconsider future content of these types of articles.
I will continue for now to display my bumper stickers. I doubt that the author of the hate note wears the flag pin himself. And he won't tell me what he feels to my face. But this is what we will have to put up with for awhile, until we can learn from Senator Obama's role model. I just hope we can.
Thanks for reading.
