Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Sunday USU Continued from A1 20 2003 — A19 students to lose free rein of newspaper? an eitfire people ' “His overall argument and his particular claims can be found on any number oflnter-net sites dedicated to hating Jews” McNamara said “Readers (and Mr Kaheil himself?) are probably unaware that the original source of many of these ‘quo- tations’ appears to be a long- discredited tract by a Russian priest Reverend L B Pra- ( ' AprH natis" asks the authon of opinion speech issue Critics like Siporin say the - pieces to cite sources to give free speech platform is tiieir arguments more credibil- “among the most naive of ity but he doesn’t limit the defenses of hate speech” topics people are allowed to Members of the Jewish com- write about As editor of The Utah munity have here active par- ticipants in the dialogue about Statesman Dougherty said he the li limits personal attacks and conflict and tried have educate to the they derogatory references to Utah State University public Siporin in Kaheil’s recent about die subject in a civil commentary were deleted If he had the opportunity to way Siporin said But Mr Kaheil’s letter relive the experience and goes beyond civility and basic make a different choice de&ncy and engages in reli- Dougherty said he’d make the gious slander attempts to pro- - same decision to run Kaheil's mote a dark ignorance and commentary incites hatred” Siporin said “I understand that some In the days following the things were said that were publication of Hall’s letter negative but if die same Statesman officials mdt with things would have been said about members of the LDS members of the Jewish com- as as well members I still would have put church of munity USU’s media relations depart-ment John DeVilbiss executive director of the USU public relation and marketing department said the point of the meeting with Statesman Joseph Dougherty a Arab-Israe- Siporin’s response to Kaheil’s piece was published in The Statesman on March 28 with a by economics professor Arthur Caplan and nine other repre-sentatives of the Jewish com- munity The response said Kaheil defamed the Talmud and Jewish sacred literature in general by misquoting passages outside their literary and historical contexts “Our Internet search turned up die same misquotes in the same order on an hate Web site thus revealing that Mr Kaheil simply copied them without “It prompted us to the slightest notion of what really look at the function of this they were i it in the newspaper” Doligherty said “I don’t see a need to revisit anything because people are going to write things and other peo- pie’s feelings are going to get hurt and you can’t stop dud” Kaheil also told The Herald Journal that he wouldn’t change anything if he could go back in time “I have nothing against Jewish people” he said adding that the label “anti- Semitic” doesn’t accurately describe his political views “I am a Semite so nobody can ” call me He said he was surprised when President Hall’s letter anti-Semi- tic appeared Kaheil said attempts to con- tact Hall via for an appointment have gone unan- ail swered In the future Kaheil said he will stay out of politics as well aJ the editorial pages of the student newspaper The ongoing Palestine- Israeli conflict isn’t likely to be solved on the campus of Utah State in Logan but the discourse about this topic and others will likely continue in The Utah Statesman Warns- ley said The good news is that newspaper readers have the intellectual capacity to dis- cem the validity and credibili- ty of the pieces that appear on the opinion page he stud “I think we need to give the studentbody the readpr of the paper a little more credit” Wamsley said “They under- stand the concept of many varied voices on that page and they understand that this was at the far end of the spec- trum They also give their attention to the other end of the spectrum when those peo- pie respond I drink we need tn nnAlandthat the reW nf The Statesman h nwfh more ability to sift through this than we’re giving them ' fieditfor” Qntha Waft Statesman archives orrtne at: MtpVwwwutahstatesmancaWmain ctmTinciuda-dtlaHasta- v38878 To see Siporin’s response go to cfm?inductedeteji&st£xykM02404 t0 see President Hall's response gotohttp7wwwutahstatesmanoom' maincfm?inciudedetaii&sto- iykM0674i Editor-In-Chi- ef anti-Semi- tic USU journalism student and Jay Wamsley faculty advisor to The Utah Statesman was to Public board SSe? tions Board) and provide diem with the resources and (USU spreading his ' educational genocidal it could how hatred of tools available Jews” die maybe play a more at USU For Siporin piece active role in the example DeV“The cita ilbiss said the says decisions made tions display USU journal-isutter ignorance about department things has experts even of their "r are printed or not who can evalucorrect sources” ate content and printed” Kaheil told make suggesThe Herald tions regarding — John DeVII Wss the decisionJournal that he USU public relations researched the making process — in and Sue a passages hardcover copy of the Talmud director and that he did not copy the of USU’s affirmative action material in his commentary program at USU is an expert from any Internet site on hate speech “It was our impression that Although the Siporin comthey may not have been very mentary expressed contempt for Kaheil’s inflammatory aware that this was bordering statements most of the letter’s on that (hate speech)” DeVfy-biire was focused on The Utah said “We’re not doing Statesman for publishing a anything to stop this We’re “bigoted inflammatory just trying to understand the attack” process and hopefully “Attacks on any religion are through talking to them help unacceptable in our pluralistic them understand that there are issues of accountability Just society especially in official like any responsible newspa-- : our publications representing public institutions Such per journalist would know attacks come perilously close you can’t just put anything to being hate crimes — ami down in print and not expect sometimes provide the inciteto be held accountable for the decisions you’re making” ment that leads to them” the DeVilbiss said members of Siporin piece says “We the the USU publications board undersignedrepresenting the Jewish community of Logan of which he is a member will are deeply disturbed that an look at the board’s currently organ of Utah State University “vague functions” and “unclear” bylaws over the would print this vicious slander and we ask you to next month “It prompted us to really acknowledge this error apoloinstitute and and look at the function of this gize policies mechanisms at The Statesman board and see how it could to ensure that nothing like this maybe play a more active role in the decisions made about happens to Jews or to other ethnic or racial tilings that are printed or not religious groups again” printed” DeVilbiss said “We Hall took a public stand on totally understand first die issue when his own first amendment rights and prim restraint and we’re not going opinion letter to The States- man was published on April 4 to get into any of that We just “I find the essay offensive want to help them make good in tone and in fact” Hall said decisions” before asking the editors to The Statesman’s faculty advisor said the media board explain why they felt com- which has student and faculty pelled to publish Kaheil’s form which in in the it essay representatives may be expanded to include a broader appeared “I full well recognize that base of members but “they - universities have long been at have it in their bylaws that the colter of tiie political and they do not become involved social dialogue that shapes our in the opoations world Papers such as The pf the Statesman” Utah Statesman have a duty to “We lend that to the stu- Who has received foster a thoughtful exchange of viewpoints and meaningful die academic upbringing and discussion about critical underpinnings and has the issues through their opinion ability to do that” Wamsley said columns” hie said “The mar- ideas be He compared the campus should of ketplace free but it should also be newspaper’s opinion page to an open public square where responsible It is incumbent on those who operate the lots of people can come up and stand on the soapbox press to exercise discretion when advocacy fails to con- “Somp of those people are form with the facts and in so going to be easier to listen to doing disparages any group pf than others No doubt this one was a shrill harsh voice but people based on race or etn- this it’s in and case an nicity probably not Joe’s prerog-attac-k ative to go kick the soapbox tied to a discredited out from underneath him” reading of the past" While tiie most powerful Wamsley said administrator on USU’s cam- The student-editagreed continues call for to an pus saying the opinion pages are ' for explanation supporters of the people to say exactly what they feel needs to be said newspaper’s decision to run the Kaheil piece say the mat- regarding certain issues ter simnlv noils down tn a free TViriiertv said he remilartv - see m that Guenter-Schlesing- er ss anti-Semit- ic day-to-d- dent-edit- ay or or you should go Visit iis at wwwtjmaxxcom or call 1 - 800 -2TJ - MAXX for nearest store USE YOUR TJX VIS CARD wary Sms you top air us and am 5 iwmrU VM ny Mon at to apply lor your caid today O ZOOS TJMra |