It's late and I have just returned from the Harvard presentation. CSpan did not show up but they did call Alan Dershowitz last night to try to convince him that he, as a great supporter of the First Amendment and free press, could not possibly support me in my decision to keep them out of the Harvard presentation. Dershowitz said he fully supported me.
He asked if they would put a slavery denier on. They said no. Why then, he asked, were they putting on a Holocaust denier. They said they were not putting Irving on to talk about Holocaust denial. He was to speak about the trial. [This is slipping hairs in the extreme, given that the trial was about Holocaust denial.]
But the story gets even worse. CSpan seemed completely unaware that at his talk in Atlanta -- at which they had a camera crew filming -- Irving engaged in repeated Holocaust denial. For example, he denied that gas chambers could have been gas chambers to kill humans. When he did his audience laughed appreciatively.
Obviously CSpan has not even screened Irving's presentation, they very presentation they are fighting so hard to broadcast.
In any case, the Harvard presentation went very well. Dershowitz was exceptionally complimentary of my work and my stance. The questions were first rate. The crowd a good size. It would have been a perfect CSpan event.... But, that was not to be.
Good night
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3 comments:
Who is running the C-SPAN asylum? I understand, and even agree with, the concept of presenting more than one point of view, but this must be done with common sense. Why would C-SPAN lend an air of legitimacy to a theory that is so factually unsupportable? Who's name can be associated with C-Span's decision? Should we expect to see a Raelien spokesman debating rabinnical scholars?
Well done Ms. Lipstadt.
Deb ~ (Just wrote a comment that disappeared before it was posted. Please forgive if this prints as a duplication.)
Whenever you are presenting a program that could become positive footage, and major coverage is not forthcoming, it can help to contact AJC or even a local sympathetic Jewish Studies department, synagogue,Shecter school, Hillel House, Chabad House, etc. to see if they can send an emergency cameraperson or crew.
It also could prove very helpful if you and Alan Dershowitz wrote a joint op ed piece for the New York Times.
What can the rest of us do to help? Whom should we contact at CNN, for example, to register our outrage? And which method of protest do you think would be most effective?
Keep up the great work. Looking forward to seeing you soon. June K
Its splitting hairs ma'am.
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