Dr. Gottheil's Statement of Concern is now posted at PetitionsOnline.com, and is accepting signatures from anyone willing to speak out against human rights abuses in the Middle East. As you're obviously interested in the story, I urge you to step up and sign it: Support Regarding Discrimination in the Middle East against Women, Gays, and Lesbians PetitionHere are the blogs that I found that covered the story, and to which I posted/submitted the comment.
Obviously, we'll be counting on everyone here to reply to this request.
The first seven allowed the comment to appear immediately. I saw the post, and wherever possible, the link I posted is to the comment, rather than the blog post:
1) carnage and culture: Australian Muslim cleric calls for a beheading. Who cares? - 9/24 - Blogger signed petition, and left a reply comment letting me (and the rest of his readers) know.
2) Leftist Professors and Double Standards Part II - THERESE ZRIHEN-DVIR, Regard d'un Ecrivain sur le Monde
3) The Fall of Human Rights | No Left Turns
4) Elder of Ziyon: A unique experiment on anti-Israel academics
5) DUFF & NONSENSE!: Humbug and humbuggers! *** Disappointingly, as of 9:20 AM on 9/25/10 (less than 12 hours later), this blogger seems to've deleted my comment, as well as the Blogger backlink to this post. How should we judge that, when evaluating this conservative's commitment to human rights? Duff sure seemed to care when it was liberal academics who weren't stepping up, but when it's his turn to speak out, he chooses not to do so himself, or to allow any of his readers the opportunity to do so, either. Hypocrisy? You decide. ***
6) What bias? Contrary
7) XDA: Thoughts of the Day
The remaining 12 blogs are moderated. I will report back as the comment at each is approved (or new posts/comments appear at the blog, indicating the the moderator has been there, and likely rejected my comment for publication.):
8) Prof calls fellow academics ‘sanctimonious bigots’ | Washington Examiner - On 9/25/10, I was finally successful in getting a version of the comment above--sans link or .com attribution--to appear in the comments. (I'd tried several variations, adding this and removing that, before hitting on the right combination of info, without including what WashEx obviously considers "too much info" for their readership to handle. Like actual links.)
9) Hummers & Cigarettes: Academia: Sanctimonious Leftist Professors - 9/25 - Comment posted
10) American Power: 'Sanctimonious Bigots' – Leftist Professors and Double Standards - 9/25 - *** Dr. Douglas has added several posts to his blog since I submitted my comment, so I reluctantly have to assume that he has rejected my comment asking he and his readers to step up and sign Dr. Gottheil's Statement of Concern. As he is both a conservative and an academic in the field of political science, I'm most disappointed in his obvious lack of concern for the human rights of women, gays, and lesbians in the Middle East. Given the chance to reply (figuratively, anyway) to Dr Gottheil's e-mail plea--a plea we can be almost certain Dr Douglas received and read--he chose not to step up, just like those "leftist" (and likely "nihilist" or "demonic," too) professors that he posted about failed to do. Double standard? You decide. ***
11) Stones Cry Out - If they keep silent… Social Justice Advocates vs. Israel - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted. There's even a subsequent comment from "Doug," who wrote the post, thanking me for the pointer. (Although as of this writing, no one named Doug has signed the Statement, as yet...)
12) Lumpy, Grumpy and Frumpy: "They are sanctimonious bigots at heart" 9/24 - Comment has been approved and posted.
13) I Beg to Disagree: Academic Criticisms of Israel: 96% Hypocritical - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted
14) Leslie S. Lebl: Disrobing the Left - 9/24 - Posted comment above within an hour or so of my submitting it, but will not sign the petition because she feels my introductory blurb is "unfair" to Dr. Gottheil. As of this posting (9/24), she has not approved a subsequent comment. - 9/25 Subsequent comment was approved. No response or link to "clean" petition, however.
15) fousesquawk: An Academic Petition You May Never Have Heard Of - 9/24 - Posted comment within a half hour of my submitting it.
16) Love of the Land: What Kind of Academic Signs These Anti-Israel Petitions? - 9/25 - Comment posted.
17) It’s all about the hypocrisy Full Metal Cynic - 9/28 - *** - Given that there is a new post at this site, and my comment is still being held for moderation, it's lookin' like the chances of it's getting posted are pretty slim. It is indeed, all about the hypocrisy, I guess... ***
18) Prof calls fellow academics ‘sanctimonious bigots’ | San Francisco Examiner - 9/24 - Comment approved and posted at this site.
19) An experiment in Academia | Wolfville watch - 9/24 - Left a longer comment at this blog, based on an exchange posted in the comments. Not approved for publication, as of this writing. - 9/25 - Comment approved, posted, and positively replied to by blogger.
Obviously, the way these rightwing blogs and the individuals associated with them deal with my comment and the petition could prove interesting (*** in a rhetorical sense, anyway... Just as I don't buy into the theory that not reading/replying to a stranger's unsolicited e-mailed petition doesn't "prove" anything about an academic's beliefs about human rights as concerns any/all countries in the Middle East, I don't believe that the way a rightwing blogger or blog reader responds to a petition or a comment about a petition doesn't speak to their human rights cred, either. Not even if they suggested that the unreturned e-mails, did.) And, while it's only been a few hours, the response to the petition so far has been unsatisfying... Hopefully, it'll pick up...
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9/25/10 Additional sites:
Posted:
20) Reverend Rubicon: Leftist Professors and Double Standards
21) True Catholic : Re: AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM CALLS FOR BEHEADING - WHO CARES?? SUCH A DOUBLE STANDARD!
22) The Day In Israel: Mon Sept 20th, 2010 : Israellycool
23) Our Man in Palestine - The Daily Beast
24) American academia: Condemn Israel, love Muslims | Liberty Pundits Blog *** 9/26 *** - It seems that Liberty Pundits here flagged my previously posted comment for review. Y'all see what I posted at all these sites... Is a comment asking folks to sign s Statement of Concern about human rights in the Middle East, at a post about that very same Statement, critical of the fact that a whole lotta previous folks didn't sign onto it, somehow off topic or offensive? Or is it that Liberty Pundits hates liberals (and/or muslims) more than they love supporting God given natural rights for all mankind? Hypocrisy? You decide. ***
25) What's the difference between a highly educated bigot and a lowly uneducated bigot?
26) Leftist Professors and Double Standards - THE BLACK KETTLE - (This one was actually posted on 9/24, but missed in the previous list. A subsequent commenter there notes that the Middle East (aside Israel) is awash in discrimination. While I've read a few reports that suggest Palestinians (and others, including a few young American jewish women, like Rachel Corrie and Emily Henochowicz ) may feel differently about discrimination in Israel than this commenter does, that's the reason for the Statement of Concern, and why as many people as possible should sign it. Whatever is/isn't going on in Israel, what's going on in the rest of the Middle East is more widespread and systematic. And there's no reason not speak up in opposition, even if you do believe there are problems in other places, as well.)
Moderated:
27) education teacher : As if we needed more proof that liberal academics are usually hypocites and bigots - 9/27 - *** - Doesn't look good for this blog, either. There are a whole lotta new posts at the site, and my moderated comment still hasn't appeared. On the other hand, this whole blog seems kinda suspect. While it did publish this story, which seems to have a pretty rightwing slant, other posts seem to have just as liberal a slant. It's almost as though they're robotically cut and pasted, all based on having certain educational keywords in them... The links in the sidebar mostly link to education/college topics concerning Punjab or India. And none of the posts I've seen there have any comments. Perhaps I'll give this one another day or two, and keep evaluating just who/what this blog represents, if anyone... I'm beginning to wonder whether it isn't some kinda ghost site where items are (re)posted based on those keywords alone. (If there were links, I'd think it was one of those spam sites/comments/e-mails that "borrow" random bits of text (and look like they are not written by people who speak English) to get you to click the links. While they're "borrowing" whole posts revolving around a specific topic in this case, it's the same kinda soulless/creepy...) ***
28) The Baltimore Reporter: Sally Quinn: Obama Went to Church Because Americans Are Bigots - 9/27 - *** - The Baltimore Reporter (blog) fails to approve my comment. Apparently, standing up for human rights in the Middle East is more of a rhetorical bit of self-indulgent pleasuring themselves than an actual, y'know, ideal that they strive to live up to. Meaninglessly denouncing the "evils of liberalism" for being hypocrites on this issue, while similarly being hypocrites themselves is just so much easier. And, in refusing to post my comment, they not only do nothing about the issue of human rights abuses in the Middle East themselves, they don't allow their readers to make the choice to do anything, either. Nice going, wingnuts. ***
29) Media Backspin: An Experiment Exposes Academia's Double Standards Against Israel - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted at Media Backspin
30) An Empirical Test for Academic Hypocrisy - Grendel Report - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted at Grendel Report
31) Prof calls fellow academics ‘sanctimonious bigots’ - 9/25 - *** Rachel at 'Thoughts From A Conservative Mom' here, obviously doesn't really care much about the rights of muslim women or gay folks, because she chose not to allow my comment about signing Dr Gottheil's Statement of Concern to appear. Not only didn't she reply to Dr Gottheil's plea (very much like those "sanctimonious, bigoted" academics failed to do), she doesn't want her readers to reply, either. Let human rights be someone else's problem, I guess... Sanctimony and hypocrisy walk hand in hand, sometimes... ***
32) I also sent an e-mail to Dr Gottheil himself earlier today, asking him to formally sign his Statement at the petition site. I'll post here letting everyone know when he's done so. (While he answered my previous e-mails pretty quickly, I'd imagine he's a busy man. I told him I'd follow up with him again by e-mail in a week or two, if I hadn't heard from him by then.) - 9/27 - *** - Sadly, Dr Gottheil has declined to formally sign his own Statement of Concern on the Petition site or do anything further to stand up for the human rights of women, gays and lesbians in the Middle East, believing that his authorship of the initial statement was enough. Folks reading this can make of that what they will, but personally, I'm very disappointed in him, and further question both his motivations and his methodology, in light of these newest facts. I'll keep pushing for signatures for awhile longer, regardless, because I believe he wrote a good Statement, in spite of of his reasons for doing so... ...but I have to say, given both Dr. Gottheil's reply and the paltry degree of positive response from the very same rightwing bloggers championing his story (especially the number of 'em who either wouldn't post the comment, or went so far as to remove it from their blog posts), I think the point about rightwing hypocrisy has been made, here... It's one thing not to reply to a "cold call" e-mail from a stranger that may or may not've even made it into your "IN" box, asking you to reply to an issue you've perhaps never spoken about. It's another to fail to reply to an issue that you yourself were critical of others not replying to. To me, that is more hypocritical. ***
09/26/10 - Yet more invitations for folks to sign up to Dr Gottheil's Statement of Concern
Current number of signatures as of the start of this day (including my own): 6
Posted:
33) GeeeeeZ!: Larry Elder REALLY tells it like it is.........
34) Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations: Not Everyone Likes the Jews
35) “Fellow academics” call prof “master of the obvious.” | Right Wing News
Moderated:
36) Look No Further - Big Citizen - 9/26 - Comment approved at Big Citizen.
37) Villainous Company: Quantifying the Hypocrisy of Lefty Academicians - 9/26 - Not actually moderated, and another that I'd posted (and forgotten to list) back on September 24, 2010 (02:41 PM comment, since there's no permalinks to commentary there) Unlike most of the blogs on this list, other commenters here (conservatives, from what I can tell) were already asking questions about the methodology and motivations of Dr. Fred Gottheil's "experiment" and results thereof... Also the only blog where I got a friendly welcome from the proprietress... 8>) (Don't see any familiar names from here on the petition, however... ((Actually, that goes for all but one name/blog, thus far... Kinda makes me wonder why...))
9/27/2010:
Current signature count, as of start of day (including my own): 7
Further addition(s) to the list of blogs/blog readers invited to stand up against human rights abuses in the Middle East by signing Dr Gottheil's infamous Statement of Concern:
Moderated:
38) SEE MUSLIMS..MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE CATCHING ON TO YOU…. - Canadian Kuffars - 9/28 - Comment approved and posted, here. (Of course, one of the enlightened there left a comment in reply that said the following, in part: "Human rights for Middle Eastern women has to come from their own educated, “enlightened” women to cleanse themselves from the tyranny imposed by their paedophile sex maniac mohd. Apparently, the women themselves do not want it." This in turn received a comment in praise from the blogger who made the original post. It's a scary, scary world...)
39) Leftist Professors and Double Standards - First Thoughts | A First Things Blog - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted at First Thoughts.
40) HuffPo: W James Casper: After giving this whole issue a whole lotta thought, and - 9/27 - Comment approved and posted at HuffPo.
41) Academic Bigotry: Israel and the Social Justice Farce - The Lesbian Conservative - 9/28 - Comment approved and posted at The Lesbian Conservative.
9/28/10
Current signature count at start of day: 9
New additions to the list today:
Posted:
42) Trees For Lunch: A Form of Bigotry You Seldom Hear of
43) Shameless hypocrisy watch: “What kind of academic signs anti-Israel petitions?" - Los Angeles Middle Eastern Policy - Examiner.com
Moderated:
44) BarkGrowlBite: LEFTIST DOUBLE STANDARDS - 9/29 - Comment approved and posted at BarkGrowlBite.
9/29/10
Current signature count at start of day: 9 (Looks like the folks at these links are about done caring about the human rights of women and gay folks in the Middle East. That was so last week, when they had a rhetorical point to sell. That's over now... On to the next bit of ginned up "OUTRAGE!!!"...) I'll keep trying, however...
9/30/10
Current signature count: Still 9, which is kinda disappointing...
At least we've received a comment however (see the comment section, below), and from a blogger I had managed to miss, no less (see link directly below, to Doug's moderated blog, where I hope he'll approve my invitation... ...for his readers, if not for himself...):
45) Considerettes - Conservative commentary served up in bite-sized bits - Social Justice Advocates vs. Israel - approved and posted by Doug at Considerettes (blog)
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To peruse all my other commentary on this subject, previous and since, click the "GOTTHEIL" label, below.
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2 comments:
For myself, I'm not much of a petition signer. I will say, though, that whether or not I myself sign it, Dr. Gottheil's point about academia was made rather well, which is, I believe, the whole point of his exercise. My signature on the petition would not change that.
While I agree that Dr. Gottheil's whole point was to "prove" some kind of hypocrisy on the part of (largely liberal) academics (as opposed to actually, y'know, helping the folks in the Middle East), he failed to actually make that point, because the methodology of his little "experiment" was so poor.
On the other hand, I have a list of 42 conservative blogs at this post (as well as one lib blog, and Dr Gottheil, himself, via e-mail), all of whom professed to care enough about this issue to post about it. And yet, I've only received 9 signatures on my petition, to date. And one of them is mine. I fail to see how anyone can honestly condemn one set of folks who didn't sign the petition (the academics, who may or may not've even received/read Dr Gottheil's e-mail request, as I explain in some of my other posts), while simultaneously giving a pass to another (these conservative bloggers and their conservative readers, many of whom had to actually approve the comment I left on their blogs, which is evidence they saw my request to sign the petition regarding this issue THEY posted about, and yet still didn't sign).
Now personally, I don't believe my "experiment" is any more conclusive than Dr. Gottheil's... ...but I don't believe it's any less conclusive, either.
I'm sorry, but Dr Gottheil, and those who agree with him as well, seem to believe that correlation proves causation (cum hoc ergo propter hoc), and that just isn't necessarily the case. Because Dr Gottheil did nothing to weed out or explain away a single one of the many other possible reasons that folks may not've replied to his single "cold call" e-mail (right down to one or two of 'em "not being much of a petition signer," like you--Dr Lloyd's being the only one they ever signed, perhaps, and only because the woman who handed it to him was hot--anything's possible), or even bothered to explain or to match the signature gathering methodology of Dr. Lloyd and the "Israel divestment" petition, he has not made his case in the slightest. Not if one is honest about it, anyway...
You can believe as you will, of course, (but you could've done THAT, in the first place), but Dr Gottheil's "experiment" does not withstand scrutiny, under even the simplest of scientific or statistical standards.
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