Given the recent vicious smear campaign against Rosemary and me, I made a few efforts to offer an olive branch, hoping the dialogue would simmer down before I started responding on a point-by-point basis. Alas, I was only rebuffed and smeared some more.
So. I'm done. Anyone who doesn't want to read a weblogger-to-weblogger rant can just stop here. But if you want to know what I really think, and to see my defense of my incredibly wonderful, thoughtful, intelligent, and powerful wife can read on:
Judith (a.k.a. "Yehudit") has confirmed something I had begun to suspect: she is a misogynist who enjoys marginalizing and demeaning women who don't toe the line and accept all her (and so-called "Women's Studies" programs') assumptions about history. She is, indeed, a classic example of the kind of Gender Feminist that Christina Hoff Sommers, Camille Paglia, Connie du Toit, and many other interesting, thoughtful, well-educated, and powerful women rightly accuse of stealing feminism. Her habit of belittling women who see things differently is so starkly misogynist it's breathtaking.
Judith (a.k.a. "Yehudit") is also, clearly, a misandrist who sees everything through the lens of men oppressing women. She is, quite frankly, an embarassment to women everywhere--especially women who would like to call themselves feminists if only it weren't for people like her. Yes, maybe she did some good in some rape crisis centers 30 years ago that's deserving of praise. Yet, I somehow suspect that, given her comments, she believes that Woman Can Do No Wrong (unless she disagrees with a feminist). A thought-pattern that's common among misogynist-feminist extremists of her era.
Furthermore, she is a clear embarassment to Zionists everywhere, with a kneejerk tendency to smear anyone who doesn't toe the line and accept every single view she has about Israel's history. This is nowhere more evident than in her vicious, mean-spirited distortions of what my wife has said about the history of the Levant. Which, by the way, was entirely accurate and clearly written from the perspective of showing the history of non-Jews in the region, in an effort to be fair to anyone who might not be Jewish but might still be descended from, or live in, that region.
Let me make a statement here and now about my beloved wife, who is the most intelligent, interesting, and strong woman I have ever known: not only does Rosemary frequently argue with Palestinians and Palestinian-aplogists. Not only does she regularly condemn terrorists against Jews in Israel and abroad. Not only has she stood toe-to-toe with people in her own family who've claimed that there is a moral equivalence between terrorists and the legitimate, democratically elected, liberal government of Israel. No, not only has my dear wife done all that.
No, my wife has given me huge support when I've spent countless hours--the precious few hours I have between full-time-school and full-time work that I could be spending with her and my son--helping the head of the Zionist Organization of America in Michigan set up and maintain his weblog, because he is technically unsavvy and needs a lot of help.
All this despite the fact that my wife is a proud Catholic and I am a culturally Christian Bright who never met his first Jew until he was in his mid-20s.
But it goes beyond that. On the night that I helped Meryl, Michele, and Laurence with their effort to raise funds for Israel in their brave fight against terror, Rosemary supported me when I spent all night keeping them company. I loved that night, but somewhere in the middle of it, I got a nice message thanking me for my "generous donation" to their cause. I said, "hey, say nothing of it." But I didn't know what it was about. I got home that morning to find out that my wife, who supposedly distorts the history of the Jews in the Levant, had given a HUGE (huge to us, because we don't make much money, and are chronically tight) donation, more than either of us thought we could really afford, simply because she believed so much in the cause of helping tiny, brave Israel in her fight against the Islamo-Fascists.
Yet why is this surprising? This is coming from Judith (a.ka. "Yehudit"), who actually has had the audacity to claim that Christianity is "profoundly anti-semitic" simply because it views Jewish scripture as incomplete. Which is just about the most hateful thing I've ever heard a Jew say about Christians.
I ask, seriously: Can there be a greater embarassment to Jews everywhere than such a statement?
I am done with "Yehudit," and sincerely hope she never, ever sets foot on this blog again. Ditto anyone who agrees with her bigoted, hateful, intolerant view of the world.
But I'll tell you one thing: Judith-Yehudit has, forever more, told me why I really do need to call myself a Masculist. Because sexist, misandrist, misogynist, Christian-bashing distortion artists like her tell me all I need to know about why the Masculist cause is just.
Oh, and by the way, "Yehudit?" You can respond on your own blog. You're no longer welcome here. At all. But I officially dedicate the following song just to you, my bigoted, sexist, Christian-bashing ex-friend:
I feel a whole lot easier since the bitch left town!Above song by The Spin Doctors, from a CD I highly recommend you all pick up.
It's been a whole lot happier without her face around!
Nobody upstairs gonna stomp and shout
Nobody at the back door gonna throw my laundry out!
She holds her shotgun while you dote-se-doe!
She wants one man made of Hercules and Cyrano!
I feel a whole lot easier since the bitch is gone
LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!
Ain't nobody gonna bow no more when you sound your gong!
LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!
Whatcha gonna do to get into another one of these here
Rock 'n' roll songs?Other people's thoughts they ain't your hand-me-downs!
Would it be so bad to simply turn around?
You cook so well, all nice and French,
But you do your brain surgery too, Mama, with your monkey wrench!LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!
Ain't no body gonna bow no more when you sound your gong!
LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!
Whatcha gonna do to get into another one of these here
Rock 'n' roll songs?I hope them cigarettes are gonna make you cough!
Hope you heard this song and it pissed you off!
I take that back: hope you're doing fine
And if I had a dollar, I might give you ninety-nine!LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be-Wrong!
Ain't no body gonna bow no more when you sound your gong!
LittleMiss, LittleMiss, LittleMiss Can't-Be Wro-how-wow-ong!
Whatcha gonna do to get into another one of these here
Rock 'n' roll songs?
A (female) friend, upon reading the above, said that "when you're not in a frenzy, you'll be able to argue those women into the ground."
I confess to being awfully stressed these days, about much more than anything on this blog, or the blogosphere. But I will say: Cheap shots at my wife, who is the most intelligent, thoughtful, strong, and independent women I've ever met, make me want to hit someone. They really do.
Guess that's the brute in me.
I need to take a break I think.
Dean
Dude. Too bad you were holding back.
/sarcasm
Seriously, I enjoy your site, and pretty much think you've got your head on straight. Hang in there.
Crikey. Another unnecessary, unproductive blog-war. Look, I appreciate your need to defend Rosemary, but I don't think she needs it. I don't think you need to defend yourself. I don't think Judith needs to defend herself.
But then, I don't think I know somebody because of what I read on the interweb. Not you, not Rosemary, not Judith -- not on your own blogs, not on someone else's blogs. I would be REALLY shocked if any of the three of you were so strident in real life down at the Chat and Chew.
I'm glad you got this off your chest, and I hope it makes yall feel better. But this inter-blog warfare (here, there and everywhere) is a bunch of bullcrap that is ruining my reading experience. If you're writing for you, then yahoo. If you're writing for the tee-tiny blogosphere, then yahoo again. If you're writing for anybody else out there, then I think you're making a major mistake by dragging this out into the daylight, and prolonging the whole affair.
I'm just sayin', is all...
Something that I go by for situations such as this:
Practice your principles. Everyone has lines that they should not let others cross. You can't preserve your opinions and be friends with everyone. If you don't *really* tick anyone off, then chances are that you don't value your own opinions that highly.
The world is not perfect, and not everyone is a good sport. Hence, intellectual dissagreements can flow into personal ones. Just don't get wrapped up in the personal aspect of it.
Hey. Little Miss Can't-Be-Wrong can have her time to say whatever she wants about me and Rosemary. After repeated attempts to be civil, it was time to say what I had to say and be done.
Anyone who doesn't like it can just skip past such messages, ya know?
Let her say what she'll say. So far as I'm concerned, she's a non-person now. She can just live in her hateful little "everyone who doesn't think exactly like me is evil" world.
Would it be so bad to simply turn around? Feh. I doubt she has such capability, and I'm looking forward to being smeared by her as a woman-hater and a jew-hater in response. Seems to be her only way of dealing with disagreement anyway.
Hey, Dean, if you can't blow steam on your blog, then what good is it having a blog?
best wishes.
it was time to say what I had to say and be done.
As long as you're done, I'm happy.
"I'm just sayin', is all..."
What Scott said.
Sounds to me like stone wall has met an immovable force
I have a feeling Judith's real name is actually Eleanor Clift.
Just a hunch. :-)
Hey guys, sorry I'm late.
Did I miss anything?
Ara: no, not really. Just WW3! heh.
I was going to post this on Yehudit's site, but SOME people have some anal 2500-character limit on posts...
[original post to Yehudit's board]
Oh, lordy...
Judith, I really don't think you have a very good grasp of the classic forms of argument; perhaps this is an (unconcious) sticking point with Dean.
I can say, with the certainty of someone who has had to take real Probability and Statistics, (not to to mention a healthy dose of methods of argument) that anecdotal evidence doesn't get you very far. This is rehtorically equivalent to mentioning someone's 90-year-old grandparent who "smokes like a chimney" as some sort of refutation that tobacco is bad for you...
Sorry. While personal experience is a valuable historical tool, it is not statistically valid. And, if you want to get into a pissing match, I can match EVERY one of your "women rejected after rape" stories with a "men victimized by false rape accusation" stories...
Neither classes of which are statistically relevant... Which is my point. :)
Me, I think maybe Dean might have stated his case a bit too pungently. Dean does this sometimes. I would think someone who has become friends with him would take things like that into account. For example, I really (really!) disagree with Ara Rubyan (another Dean's World regular, who's name should be familar to you) about certain topics, but you won't catch me pissing on him on the Web about it.
From over here, it looks like: Dean made some rather sweeping statements. You objected, using a Politicallly Correct Approach while mentioning your (apparently {g}) "irrefutable" personal experiences, as if this encompassed the entire nation for the entire decade. Dean took offense to this, and (apparently) took offense to apparent personal attacks on his wife. Rosemary responded in a similar manner, but in reference to Dean (funny how these husband & wife team gang up on you! {heh}). You became upset that your personal experience (you know, the one that has no statistical relevance) that any human with a vagina was OPPRESSED was dismissed.
Well, Good Lord, we can't have that!! After all, we all know that thirty-seven women are raped, and beaten to death every second in this country!! We can't have a, a, penis-endowed MALE contradict me like that!! What does HE know about vaginas!!!
Blah, blah, blah...
Now, if you want to engage in a pissing match with Dean, go ahead. I won't try to stop you. BUT... If you really want to rebuild your bridges, I would suggest a different approach.
Lord knows I've wanted to strangle Dean several times (and I've gone off on him on his own blog before), but I've always counted that feeling as a triumph of emotion over maturity.
For those of you who haven't ever really examined Dean's views; quit being so close-minded, and think again. While he can be a major pain in the ass, Dean is always someone who makes you work to prove your point (which, I suppose, is what makes him such a pain in the ass!). Even when he's wrong, he argues so well that you really need to kick in the skull-sweat to prove that!
I suppose that's why so many people throw their hands up, and say "what a jerk!" It's easier than the effort of refuting an imposing argument.
Big fat honkin DITTO Casey. Dean has the the most intelectualy challenging blogs on the planet.
Thats why were all here.
One more thing,
FREAR THE EVIL PENIS!!
boo
Scott,
>> it was time to say what I had to say and be done.
> As long as you're done, I'm happy.
It's Dean blog, man, what matters is whether he is happy.
Hayes,
>> FREAR THE EVIL PENIS!!
Uhhhh, is that a typo? Or do you know a word that I don't?
Casey:
I wanna tell ya, it's definitely better to be pissed off than pissed on.
> FREAR THE EVIL PENIS!!
Aw shit, now you done gone and reminded me of the line from Zardoz: "The gun is good, the penis is evil!"
Though, come to think of it ("gun, good?"), that's politically incorrect, too...
The evil of guns and penises is determined by which way they’re pointed.
DUCK!
Good vent Dean, I am with you 100%. I thought you were most kind.
Interesting reading this little blogwar. I think you're doing the desirable thing...step back, take off those sweaty blogging gloves, wash your hands, put them back on, and blog on. Not much to add here except that I am very much in agreement with Scott C. that Rosemary doesn't need you to defend her because she can sure as hell hold her own. I do find it awfully romantic, though, on a weird chivalrous level.
Dean,
Even though I haven't posted much to your site much lately, I still love you man. A wise man (or was it my pastor) once said to me when dealing with an unreasonable opponent -
"Fuck the fucking fuckers!" Now get back in there and start whipping some ass!
Tim the Soldier
btw: Al Franken's new book is out. My weekend is going to be bliss.
"who actually has had the audacity to claim that Christianity is "profoundly anti-semitic" simply because it views Jewish scripture as incomplete. Which is just about the most hateful thing I've ever heard a Jew say about Christians."
First of all, that's not quite what I said, as anyone can determine for themselves by following the link. Second of all, I didn't say anything particularly audacious or hateful, or unheard-of. Replacement theology is notoriously problematic, and Jews and Christians have been dialoguing for years about that and other anti-Jewish aspects of the Gospels. Finally, I have written plenty about Judaism and Christianity on this blog, and - although you probably don't agree with my point of view, it is somewhat more nuanced than your latest straw man.
I think it's wonderful that you made a large donation to MDA. I am grateful for anyone's support of Israel. I assume yours comes from heartfelt and carefully thought out reasons of your own, which are not dependent on my agreement with your views on feminism, Christianity, or anything else. They shouldn't be, anyway. I am not obligated to keep quiet about other topics where we disagree just because the you and I support the same cause, just as I am not obligated to do so for these folks.
I'm not going to comment on the rest of your post, because it's just an outpouring of bile. But thanks for actually linking to my posts, so people can decide for themselves, if they want to.
I am coming late to this and trying to figure out what is going on but the links I follow don't seem to shed any light on things, have they been changed, deleted or are they just not working?