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Times Watch for May 20, 2004

Bush Almost Got Me Kidnapped.

     James Bennet files from the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, the scene of a deadly conflict in which several Palestinians died, apparently from Israeli gunfire. The Times splashes a four-column photo of the grisly aftermath on its front page above the headline: "At Least 10 Palestinians Die When Israelis Open Fire in Gaza."

     Buried in the last three paragraphs of the long story is this nugget: "In a highly unusual incident, at least three Palestinian men attempted to kidnap this reporter here Wednesday night. The reporter, who had identified himself at Al Najar hospital as an American, was speaking on a cellular telephone in the street in front of the hospital when a stranger approached offering a handshake, a smile and the word, 'Welcome.' When the reporter took his hand, the stranger and another man grabbed him and attempted to shove him into an aging Mercedes sedan that pulled up, its rear door open. A struggle and cries for help brought Palestinian police officers at the hospital running, and after a further struggle, the men jumped in the car and disappeared."

     Bennet, in tolerant liberal fashion, understands the anger, suggesting Bush policy may be to blame: "Anger at Americans has been building here for three years over the Bush administration's perceived tilt toward Israel, the occupation of Iraq and, most recently, images of prisoner abuse in Iraq. An American might also be considered valuable for use in bargaining with Israel."

For the rest of Bennet's story on the deaths in Gaza, click here.

• James Bennet | Iraq War | Israel | Palestinians

The Denial of Communion "Tactic"

     Laurie Goodstein's Thursday story, "Democrats Criticize Denial Of Communion by Bishops--Abortion Rights Backers Are Singled Out," portrays the bishops' threats in cynical political terms, as a "litmus test": "The letter's signers, including about a dozen who are considered anti-abortion Democrats, said the bishops are 'allowing the church to be used for partisan purposes.' They also question why these bishops made abortion a litmus test while ignoring politicians who voted counter to the church by endorsing the death penalty and the war in Iraq."

     Goodstein later frames the debate, again, in the most cynical terms possible: "The tactic of denying the sacrament has been urged for years by anti-abortion groups like the American Life League, Legatus and the National Right to Life Committee, said Deal Hudson, publisher of Crisis, a conservative Catholic magazine."

     Denial of communion is fraught with theological ramifications, but Goodstein reduces it to a political "tactic" by anti-abortion groups.

     In a bit of labeling disparity, Goodstein identifies Crisis magazine as conservative but terms the left-wing, pro-abortion Catholic dissent group Catholics for a Free Choice merely as a "Washington advocacy group."

     She adds of the bishops: "Though few, the hard-line bishops have provoked anger and anguish from some Catholics who say they can be loyal to their church while voting for abortion rights."

For the rest of Goodstein's piece, click here.

• Abortion | Catholics | Communion | Laurie Goodstein | Labeling Bias | Religion

Eating Up Environmental Exaggerations

     The front page of Wednesday's Dining In section featured chef Mark Bittman's regular column "The Minimalist," is devoted to the increasing popularity of vegetarianism: "But the arguments for eating vegetarian food, if not daily then at least regularly, are quite compelling, even to lifelong omnivores like myself."

     Here are some of the "compelling arguments," which sound like they came straight out of a PETA pamphlet:

     "The livestock population of the United States eats well enough to feed the world's human population several times over."

     "Raising animals for food has caused extensive environmental damage not only to equatorial rain forests but to North American prairies."

     "And finally, a terrifying little fact: 70 percent of all antibiotics sold in the United States are used to treat healthy livestock. I won't even mention mad cow disease."

For the rest of Bittman on vegetarian cooking, click here.

• Mark Bittman | Cooking | Environment | Vegetarianism

E-mail TimesWatch Director, Clay Waters, with TimesWatch feedback at cwaters@mediaresearch.org