Washington Post's John Kelly responds to criticism

 

The stained-glass window at the Washington National Cathedral which honors General Stonewall Jackson/Wikimedia Commons  

 

The stained-glass window at the Washington National Cathedral which honors General Robert E. Lee/Wikimedia Commons

 

 

John Kelly isn't as placid as he comes across most days in his column in the Washington Post.

Here he is responding to criticism about his suggestion to add "some sort of sign" at the Washington National Cathedral to explain the presence of stained-glass windows devoted to Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, windows Kelly labels "niches":

The fact is Lee and Jackson chose to take up arms against the country they had sworn to protect. Now, you may decide that this makes them men of honor. Fine. And you may believe that lots of people had slaves back then – the old, “Hey, everybody else is doing it” defense. Cling to your weird Lost Cause cult as tightly as you want. But don’t inflict it on the rest of us by having your womenfolk sneak overly pious memorials into Northern churches. (Emphasis added.)

The Washington National Cathedral is a "Northern" church?  It says "national" in the title.  Hmmm. 

Do you think Kelly would endorse "some sort of sign" at the Jefferson Memorial since Thomas Jefferson owned slaves, too? How about a sign at the Custis-Lee Mansion at Arlington National Cemetery where General Lee lived with his wife, Mary Custis Lee?

President George Washington owned slaves for most of his life.  Should signs be posted at the Washington Monument and at Mt. Vernon?  At Washington Circle?  Post notices of apology at entrances to Washington, D.C.? 

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Washington Post excludes women in sports

 

President Obama and his daughter, Sasha, sit on the first row two and three people to the left of the fellow in yellow at the Mystics' game August 1, 2010. The Mystics wore pink uniforms for the game in recognition of Breast Health Awareness Day/Patricia Leslie

Sigh.

The Mystics are a Washington team, right?

Don't women count?

In today's Sports section, WAPO has overlooked us, dare I say, again?  The Mystics aren't a "local team"?

President Obama is seated, center, under the woman in the pink hat and shirt at the Mystics' game, August 1, 2010/Patricia Leslie

Alex Prewitt's today's article, "Terps get executive sweep," describes the history and excitement of President Obama's attendance at various area games. Tonight the president and his family attended the University of Maryland's game v. Oregon State where Michelle's brother, Craig Robinson, coaches.

In the far right column is a list of the "local sporting events" the president has attended since coming to office. Dates, teams, scores, and venues are included. Yep, the teams play better when the #1 Fan is in attendance.

And yep, excluded is the president's and Sasha's attendance at the August 1, 2010 Mystics game which the Post covered and so did I.  Here are the links:
http://www.examiner.com/article/president-obama-and-sasha-rock-with-the-mystics

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/01/AR2010080102908.html

Dare I think, would it be   p o s s i b l e   that the writer/editor only thought male when they looked up the president's attendance at "local sporting events"?  Banish those sexist ways.

Ain't I a woman?

If the Post can carry a tab for all the men's teams in this town and "AllMetSports," why can't it carry a tab for the women's team? 

Calling Tracee Hamilton, Sallie Jenkins, and Katie Carrera:  The Washington Post needs you to step up to the plate, please.

President Obama shakes hands as he exits the Mystics' game at Verizon Center on August 1, 2010/Patricia Leslie

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Sameness at the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post

U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah)/U.S. Senate, Wikimedia Commons

They are at it again.

Is it just me that finds it odd that both newspapers would feature an un-urgent column about Utah Republicans and U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) on the same day, on the same page, and the same size?

Huh?

Yesterday's headline on the front page of the Washington Post at the fold in the left column reads:  "In Utah GOP, some seek to shut down tea party hero."

While over at the Wall Street Journal is this headline above a single column (below the fold) and on the left:  "Utah Senator Pays Price Back Home For Shutdown."

Both datelines are Salt Lake City. They talk about Lee's "cratering" ratings and how mad the business community is at him for voting with the tea party and supporting the government shutdown and how those business Republicans are going after Lee, all right, and looking to put up their own candidate (Don Liljenquist,  Josh Romney, perchance?) by way of "Count My Vote," which would be a new way of nominating an opposition candidate to Mr. Lee. 

Well, take that, Mr. Mike Lee, and get scared.  

The papers did not quote all of the same people, just former governor Jon Huntsman and Liljenquist, another former candidate.

And then there's John Price, a former Republican National Committee member and Bush (unclear which one) ambassador whom Sen. Lee still doesn't recognize.  Oh, dear me, Mr. Price. Throw down the red carpet for you, and let us bow and scrape the floor.

I am one of the last to defend the tea party, but this is a rather strange coincidence, don't you think?

Do the editors get together and decide to run these?  Or does someone on the opposition plant, pitch, and promote them?  

You decide.  (I checked New York and Los Angeles and could not find sameness at either place.)

Too much similarity, if you ask me, and who's asking?  

It is not Mr. Lee.

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Washington: Be ashamed

In the fourth quarter of the Mystics and the Sun game. Does it look like 7,779 to you?/Patricia Leslie

 

WAPO says the official attendance last night was 7,779 (out of 10,100), but folks, come on:  Look at these pictures from the Mystics' game. Does it look like about 80 percent of the stadium is filled?  I don't think so.  How about less than half 7,779?  Just my rough estimate.

Across the court/Patricia Leslie

The Mystics are having their best season in years, and they're going to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.  If they beat New York Sunday in their last regular season game, they'll be at .500 with a 17-17 record, compared to last year's tally of five wins. 

 

You read it right, sister:  They won five games last year. And six games the year before that. 

In the end zone/Patricia Leslie

Washington cannot turn out to cheer them on?  Where are you people?  Where are you, women's groups?  The sisterhood is calling. Friday night they blew out the Connecticut Sun, 82-56.

Oh, that's right.  Down the street at the same time were the Nats.  Yay, Nats!  They are coming on strong.  Well who in the world scheduled both games for the same night and at the same time?  Well, duh. 

It's in for another Mystics' three/Patricia Leslie

 

Sunday you can see the Nats at 1:35 p.m. and the Redskins at 1 p.m. and come on over to Verizon and show your support for the Mystics at 4 p.m.

Going, going...three!/Patricia Leslie

Some of the Wizards, including John Wall, came last night, but where has President Obama been all season?  His last appearance at the Mystics, as far as I know, was three years ago.  Come on, Mr. President!  I know you've got a few things on your agenda (please don't strike Syria), but after all, you are just down the street from Verizon and can't those Secret Service boys whip you on over for a few minutes?  It would mean so much to the team and to us women.  (Especially if you appoint Larry Summers to head the Federal Reserve.  Baa, humbug.)  BTW, where's Michelle?

The Mystics' new head coach, Mike Thibault, has really made a difference this year.  Here it looks like he's leading the team in the Hallelujah chorus/Patricia Leslie

Attention, Mystics season ticket holders:  If you're going to miss the game, why in tarnation can't you give your tickets away to folks who might not have a chance to see them play?  There are a ton of places in this town to distribute tickets.  Think of all the children who would love to see a professional game.

She sang a stunning version of the "Star Spangled Banner," a prelude to the Mystics' victory, and her name is ...?/Patricia Leslie

 

The ball went thataway/Patricia Leslie

 

Washington, you've still got a chance to cheer on the team.  Half of life is showing up, so, please, for the women, show up Sunday, and don't forget about the playoffs, too. Thank you. 

It was here a while ago/Patricia Leslie

 

You see what you're missing between quarters at the Mystics' games. They don't do this at the Nats' games.  By George, it's the Hop Squad/Patricia Leslie

 

BTW:  If the Washington Post can have a tab for all the men's professional  teams in this city (5), where's the Mystics' tab? 

 

Thank you for always supporting our military who protect us/Patricia Leslie

Who:  The Mystics

 

What:  Their last regular season game (v. New York)

 

When:  4 p.m., September 15, 2013

Where:  Verizon , 601 F Street, Washington, D.C. 20004

How much:  Tickets start at $12 at the box office

Metro stations:  Gallery Place-Chinatown, Metro Center

For more information at Verizon:  202-628-3200 and for tickets: 800-745-3000


patricialesli@gmail.com

Book reviews in Washington Post and Wall Street Journal are too similar

William Fields, Alabama, 1936, by Walker Evans/Library of Congress

Is it just me who found it odd that the weekend book reviews in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post about the just published Cotton Tenants: Three Families by James Agee and Walker Evans started with the same five words and used the same quotes?

Daniel Stashower wrote the review for the Post and Cameron McWhirter wrote for the Journal, and this is how their first sentences begin:

"In the summer of 1936..." with "the 26-year-old" Agee.

Quoting Agee, here are the (practically) identical quotes the reviewers used:

"A civilization which for any reason puts a human life at a disadvantage; or a civilization which can exist only by putting human life at a disadvantage; (… Post) is worthy neither of the name nor ("or" Post) of continuance. And a human being whose life is nurtured in an advantage which has accrued from the disadvantage of other human beings, and who prefers that this should remain as it is, is a human being by definition only, having much more in common with the bedbug, the tapeworm, the cancer, and the scavengers of the deep sea."

And this one, quoting Agee describing one of the farmer subjects, Frank Tingle:

"Crepe (the Journal uses a small "c") forehead, monkey eyebrows, slender nearly boneless nose, vermillion gums.  A face pleated and lined elaborately as a Japanese mask; its skin the color of corpsemeat."

It is perplexing that the same quotes appear, but maybe they are the ones on the blurb, or in the publicist's promotion which leads one (me) to wonder: Did the reviewers read the book? I haven't seen it, so maybe it's mostly photos, and there is little written content to quote. The book has 224 pages.

Whatever, the sameness is disturbing.  It's like competing dance reviewers picking out 30 seconds of a ballerina's pirouette and focusing on it.  Maybe Rupert Murdoch owns the Post, too, and Edward Snowden will reveal same.

I checked the New York Times and couldn't find a review there other than a review of how the manuscript was discovered and the process which led to the book's publication. 

Yes, according to the Post and the Journal, the book is well worth reading, and I've signed up for it at my favorite public library, Fairfax County's.

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