I read with great interest your story on serial blogger Luke Ford ("Interview With a Serial Blogger," Aug. 3). His postings seem to be the electronic equivalent of publications like National Inquirer; its articles and Ford’s stories should be taken by any reasonable person with a large grain of salt.
On the other hand, I find it interesting that the other side is represented by Rabbi Meir Kagan’s idea of lashon hara in his book, "Chofetz Chaim." I find that the rabbi is quoted in Web sites like Jews Against Zionism and apparently declared that "Zionists are the descendants of Amalek." Assuming that this declaration is true, then perhaps the attackers of Ford should worry less about lashon hara and worry more about simple hypocrisy.
Les Amer
Los Angeles
I tried without success to find value in your article about the blogger — any value that is, let alone Jewish value. Had this appeared in a tiny box somewhere in the back of your paper, even then I don’t think it would have been worth anyone’s time, effort, dollars for salary, etc.
But to make it a cover story? What were you thinking?
I think your paper has reached a new low. Please concentrate on Jewish values in the future.
Miriam Fishman
Los Angeles
The real test of a righteous person is if they will continue to maintain their stand or position, regardless of the social pressures of friends, public opinion or the situation itself.
When mean-spirited Cathy Seipp, a blogger who spent the last five years of her life attacking everybody she came in contact with, recently died, her friends, all supposed champions of freedom of speech, jointly decided that nobody is allowed to dare criticize, satirize or parody her.
They pressured Web site operators, ISP’s and threatened lawsuits in order to remove parody and satire about this woman, who had viciously attacked politicians, journalists, teachers, administrators, bureaucrats, parking lot attendants and waitresses — again, anybody she came in contact with. They continued by writing hit pieces and creating obscene and lewd Web sites about the very person whose parodies about Seipp they had gotten taken down.
Luke Ford was the only one to stand up and defend freedom of speech. He questioned how the same people who cherished their own journalistic freedoms could conspire to deprive somebody else of the same rights. He defended that person’s rights to parody, satirize and criticize, regardless if the subject was alive, almost dead or dead. He did this even though he had been close friends with many of them.
How dare he do such a thing? He was now a traitor.
Maybe a traitor to them. But a true friend of freedom of speech and a rare find — a man willing to stand on his principles despite the consequences.
Eliot Stein
Burbank
