The Truthful Project

I grew up in the Walter Cronkite-era of journalism. It was a profession that involved schooling, apprenticeship, mentoring, and more. It was a profession dedicated to uncovering the truth. To quote Sergeant Joe Friday (Jack Webb) from the TV show Dragnet “just the facts, ma’am.” Media Today – TV, Print, Online. The standard structure for most nightly newscasts was: news (international, national, local), human interest, sports, weather. After the weather, perhaps the news anchor or a TV station executive would come on and deliver an opinion or observation; and it was clearly marked by a super (words on the screen) that said “Commentary.”   For print it was the same basic structure with “commentary” distinctly inside the Editorial pages (editorials, op-ed, and letters to the editor). In journalism, strict rules and standards for corroboration, objectivity, honesty (to name a few) were followed. That were overseen by the Editor-in-Chief (think Perry White at the Daily Planet ). ...

What’s in a name? An often-asked question whose answer is complicated. Why does the media call them Arab towns but Israeli settlements ? Why did Greece protest when a new country, located to their north, named itself Macedonia, and then forced by the outcry to rename itself North Macedonia? Why does my mother insist I am David and not Dave? The simple answer: Words have meaning. There is history and nuance behind words and names. So here is a little light history. The ancient dates below are approximate. Timeline through history. When Abraham, the first monotheist and Jew, answered G-d’s call it was the beginning of Judaism; 2075 BCE. After 410 years of slavery in Egypt, traveling through the desert for 40 years and receiving the 10 Commandments, the Jewish people (aka The Children of Israel), settled in the Promised Land (Israel) around 1250 BCE and established their kingdoms. When Constantine proclaimed the Edict of Milan in 313 CE, considered by many to be the beginn...

To quote Ronald Regan, “Well, there you go again.” I am referring to the guest essay by Ben & Jerry entitled Men of Ice Cream, Men of Principle that appeared in The New York Times on July 28, 2021. They base their position on, “… it’s possible to support Israel and oppose some of its policies, just as we’ve opposed policies of the U.S. government.” To that I say, of course. This is their right under a democratic government, such as America and Israel. However, I take issue with the second part of that paragraph: “… we unequivocally support the decision of the company to end business in the occupied territories, which a majority of the international community, including the United Nations, has deemed an illegal occupation.” First. Opposing "government policies" is their entitled freedom of speech and if done civilly, encourages open discussion. However, boycotting crosses a line from free speech to an action that (in this case) is clearly anti-Semitic, no ...