Jewish tradition dictates the necessity of paying attention to language. More specifically, it admonishes those who use Lashon Hora, the evil language, in attacking their fellow man. This may include libel, slander, and myriad other offenses that fall under the category of malicious falsehood. I understand that politicians toe this line more often than most; in order to attack their opponent, they pick at anything they can find, sometimes disregarding the accuracy of their words. People generally shrug this off as 'campaigning', but Mitt Romney's recent speech blasting Obama's handling of the economy, which was ridden with inaccuracies, has me wondering: why do we accept "non-factual statements" in the name of political rhetoric?
'The Dictator' talks Obama, Arab Spring, and more [Forward]
Sacha Baron Cohen's alter egos are famous for making a splash. And his latest project, a satire loosely based on the of the rule of Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, is no exception. Forward Editor Dan Friedman has The Dictator's take on everything from the Arab Spring to underwear.
Today's Required Reading is done, but this story was too great not to share. Y-Love, Orthodox rapper, has come out of the closet. While these kinds of stories can get old really fast due to their gossip-ready flair, this one is particularly touching because of the artist's own thoughts on why it was time to come out, and his journey to this point.
Does Bugs Bunny have a thing against Arabs? [Tablet]
In this piece from Tablet Magazine, Marc Tracy takes a look at some of the Arabic stereotypes in Bugs' cartoons, in light of accusations that the work fuels hatred and mistrust of Arabs in general.
"Thing is, she has a point! 1957?s 'Ali Baba Bunny' is a little problematic! So is the one where Yosemite Sam is Arab ('Sahara Hare'). But of course, these were far from the most racist Bugs Bunny cartoons, and they all were created more than a half-century ago.
Space is still available for the 41st annual National Jewish Student Journalism Conference at the NYU Bronfman Center, May 20-22. Check it out on Facebook or register here.
If you're a Masa Israel alum, you're eligible for a limited number of subsidies for the conference. (And the whole thing only costs $40 anyway!) Apply here before they all get snapped up!
And if you're not convinced, without further ado, here is the full conference schedule:
