February 24, 2003
"I’m no lefty," regular Toronto Free Press/CanadaFree Press columnist Jeff Goodall told me recently. Goodall was responding to my response regarding his most recent column, The Winds of War.
"In my opinion, President Bush’s single-minded determination to attack Iraq is disturbing and unnecessary," Goodall wrote. "Iraq is defeated, its infrastructure destroyed and its children dying by the thousands to this day because of the strict embargoes which are still in place 10 years after the Gulf War ended. Iraq is in no position to threaten anyone, and is well aware of the consequences should it try to do so."
Burning question is: How does Goodall, a Johnny-come-lately-peacenik, truly know that "Iraq is in no position to threaten anyone"? What guarantee can he and fellow pacifists provide to the free world that Iraq is "well aware of the consequences should it try to do so"?
To my way of thinking, our columnist’s logic on matters of peace is the same as the trio of teenagers, on a shortcut through the Atrium on Bay, enroute to last Saturday's peace protest who shouted out: "The Americans are going to get us bombed!" and "Death to Americans!"
The teen protesters are living proof that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. But as a mature adult, who has filed columns about an uncle veteran of World War 11, Goodall’s logic is even more perplexing.
"And, we are told that the attack on the World Trade Centre took place because the ‘terrorists hate democracy’, he wrote in Winds of War. How ridiculous! The WTC attack was payback for America’s massive and unyielding support of Israel in its brutal military occupation of the Palestinians, who have been refugees since the U.N. gave their land away to create a Jewish homeland "The Israeli tail has been wagging the American dog for a long time, and the Americans would do well to enter into a serious reassessment of who their friends and enemies really are."
When I balked at what I believe is anti-American, anti-Israeli hype, Goodall offered to tone down his column with the rider that he wouldn’t write another column if this particular one were spiked. He is, as he reminded me, "entitled to my opinion."
After reading the newly emailed column, I informed him that I would run it only under a disclaimer.
Canadafreepress, which is proudly pro-America and pro-Israel, is in the minority. Given media reports of recent peace marches, "millions" are in the other camp, and for certain the preponderance of anti-American, anti-Israeli journalists in the mainline media is overwhelming.
Lamenting that no letters of rebuttal or criticism were ever published in the Toronto Sun after publication of his letters stating "It’s no wonder the Palestinians fight back, and more power to them", and that none of his letters have been published since, Goodall concludes, "It can be difficult to get one’s views across."
Writing from our minority position week after week in CFP, some of us can speak about the difficulty of getting one’s views across from first hand experience.
But my lectures to Jeff Goodall are unlikely to change anything now that he’s gone over to the other side.
Meanwhile, while his freedom to have his anti-American rants published is not curtailed here, in Iraq, the country he staunchly defends, even producing dissident pamphlets can get you killed. Nor is the freedom to rant against America in the least unique. Pacifist opinion now dominates the mainline media.
Perhaps author David Horowitz, (FrontpageMagazine.com) who also writes from the minority position says it best: "All the (peace) marchers were organized by supporters of the Communist and other totalitarianisms, and by the fifth column agents of Islamo-fascism…
"Today’s ‘peace’ movement are the innocent-intentioned along with the malevolent rest and is a fifth columnist army in our midst working on the other side. They professed concern about Iraqi children (bearing mock bodies to symbolize their alarm) but marched in solidarity with Palestinians and Arabs who kill their own children by strapping bombs to them and letting them blow up other children--Jew children--so that they will go to heaven and their families will receive a $25,000 award."
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
Pursuant to Title 17 U.S.C. 107, other copyrighted work is provided for educational purposes, research, critical comment, or debate without profit or payment. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for your own purposes beyond the 'fair use' exception, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. Views are those of authors and not necessarily those of Canada Free Press. Content is Copyright 1997-2024 the individual authors. Site Copyright 1997-2024 Canada Free Press.Com Privacy Statement