Posted on 09/14/2006 12:28:14 PM PDT by Naptowne
Yesterday, Slate posted this piece criticizing Frank Rich's New York Times column about the 9/11 photo shown here. The picture was taken by Magnum photographer Thomas Hoepker on the afternoon of 9/11. Calling the image "shocking," Rich suggested that the five New Yorkers were "relaxing" and were already "mov[ing] on" from the attacks. Slate's David Plotz disputed that characterization of the picture, arguing that the subjects had almost certainly gathered to discuss the attacks and to find solace in others' company. Rather than showing callousness, as Rich suggested, it depicted civic engagement. But since neither Rich nor Plotz knew exactly what the five New Yorkers in the photo were doing or thinking, we invited them to contact Slate and tell us.
(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...
Wow - this approach could be BIG! Rather than a reporter projecting on to others their own prejudice and cynicism's, they could find out the truth of the situation.
It's such a novel approach.
I'll bet other would even enjoy reading about such things -- collections of such writings could be organized. It would be fun to read them...
Better than our world where liberal reporters project and conclude that everyone is as petty, shallow and insensitive as they are...
Wow, Frank Rich continues to solidify his standing as one sick scumbag each and every day.
He is an absolutely perfect fit for the New York Times.
If you were a Democrat, you would sue him for slander and own him.
Remember the photo of a "Palestinian" yoot who was supposedly being beaten by an Israel policeman? It was taken near the Temple Mount.
For anyone who missed it:
Turned out that the so-called Palistinian was a Jewish student (American citizen). He had been attacked by a gang of Arab thugs (he was yanked out of a taxi IIRC). The policeman was holding up his stick to Pali yoots (who had to be behind the cameraman!) in defense of the bloodied Jewish man. NYT made it look like an Israeli policeman was beating a poor helpless Pali yoot with a stick.
This was exposed when the student's relatives saw the photo in the slimes and recognized this Pali yoot as their nephew/cousin.
Anybody have that pic? No matter what false info came from the cameraman, the slimes should have seen that the young man most definitely did not look like an Arab.
As if making an uniformed judgement about people he knew absolutely nothing about wasn't enough, Rich also found no problem taking a slap at the the character of his own country on one the darkest days in its nation's history. How entirely predictable for such a piece of human sewage as Frank Rich, but I'm sure they ate up his "wisdom" when he recounted his idiotic interpretation of the photo while his fancied around on the Manhattan cocktail party circuit.
If we could all view photos of fat Frank, Maureen Dowd, and friends from every minute of the day of 9/11, I'll bet there were LOTS of times when they looked far more disengaged than these people. It's absurd to have tried to read anything into the thoughts of the people in that photo - what are they supposed to do, run in circles waving their hands and shrieking 24/7???? I'd love to publish a photo of Fat Frank looking bored, tired, etc. and say "Frank Rich Displays His Indifference to Fate of 9/11 Victims!" That would be typical for the DBM when they want to trash people for their own agenda.
I think it goes like this: when you assume, you make an a$$ of u-m-e.
;o)
You're probably right, though I could see how some assumptions might call for the other.
It's a little like when they attacked the President for not getting up immediately and running in circles when he found out about the attack.
for late arrivers:
It's worth the time to read the linked Slate article.
Just take your blood pressure medicine first.
I was in New York at the time, fairly near ground zero, and I did some subway riding the next few weeks. I can testify that the usual rules broke down, and people who never would make eye contact normally were comiserating with each other over the tragedy.
A good friend of mine was taken by boat from Battery Park City (a hairy experience) and then finally to a hospital in Newark after a day without food and water out on Liberty Island. She said that as she approached the hospital in Newark, a tough place, she had never seen so many scary-looking punks, thugs, and muggers waiting outside. It turned out that they were all lining up to give blood. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that nobody was mugged for several days after it happened, there was such obvious solidarity.
As it turned out, blood donations were not needed, because the dead were in no condition to benefit. Hospitals stood by ready to deal with all the emergency victims, and hardly anybody showed up, because they were dead.
But the blood donors turned out, and flooded the whole system, just because they wanted to help in any way they could. Details the mainstream press would rather forget.
Actually, I used to say it the way you wrote it until my daughter corrected me, (many times, I might add!).
The two lines are from the apparent photo site to the WTC site, and to the eastern piers of the Mahattan and Brooklyn bridges, which nearly line up in the photo.
The photo site is a concrete apron on the riverfront. There did seem to be some shrubs there, but I didn't go as far as trying to match them up to the photo.
Correct. That's not a very well travelled part of the East River waterfront, so the views look a little unusual.
I watched it all from my front stoop. You could have snapped a shot of me at several points during that day and I would have looked "indifferent" to ol' Franky Boy.
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