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About this blog: I grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the area in 1963 when I started graduate school at Stanford. Nancy and I were married in 1977 and we lived for nearly 30 years in the Duveneck school area. Our children went to Paly. We moved ...  (More)

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Today in Paris

Uploaded: Jan 11, 2015
Today I watched the march in Paris. I encourage everyone to see clips on
TV or Internet sites.

Today thousands of Muslims marched in solidarity with Jews in Paris. Fifty years ago thousands of Jews marched in solidarity with African Americans in the south. Fifty years earlier men (some) marched in solidarity with women as the final push for the right to vote in America carried on.

More recently many straight Americans stood with our gay brothers and sisters in an ongoing move to remove discrimination based on sexual orientation.

I cried today in happiness to see such an outpouring of support.

Today reminds me that we are stronger when our voices are merged in support of freedom and tolerance and that we all can at one time or another use the support of others.
Local Journalism.
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Comments

Posted by Sea SEELAM REDDY, a resident of College Terrace,
on Jan 12, 2015 at 2:40 pm

Dear citizens of Palo Alto

We need to come together and pass a resolution supporting the FRENCH people at the time of this barbaric action by heartless people.

PARIS killings unjustified. Freedom must be protected.
Justice prevailed; hostages freed. Our prayers with FRENCH citizens/families!

Respectfully


Posted by CrescentParkAnon., a resident of Crescent Park,
on Jan 15, 2015 at 12:09 pm

It is definitely good to see some sensible civilized solidarity between peaceful
and reasonable people of all persuasions and denominations!

I was really surprised after what seemed to go right after this terrorist attack
that several so-called Leftist activists, Glen Greenwald being among them took
the opportunity to try to mock the "West" for being inconsistent saying that
France arrested antisemitic "comedian" Dieudonné so the whole West is
hypocritical.

Being a strong Liberal in most social things, when I saw this it just made
me feel exasperated. It seems like, there are a lot of people who don't really
think or analyze about what they are saying, and they just want to express
quick provocative sentiments for some effect, and it does, it stirs people
up and makes them doubt our own society.

I see a difference and reason here, but I think it is a good thing to actually be
able to explain this action, but when I think about it, the difference between
defending Charlie Hebdo and stifling Dieudonné seems obvious ... but is it?
Can anyone else put this into words?

How do you explain that in a fair, objective, pragmatic way?

In case people do not know Dieudonné, a Wikipedia excerpt says:

>> After Dieudonné was recorded during a performance mocking a
Jewish journalist, suggesting it was a pity that he was not sent to
the gas chambers,[16] French Interior Minister Manuel Valls stated
that Dieudonné was "no longer a comedian" but was rather an
"anti-Semite and racist" and that he would seek to ban all
Dieudonné's public gatherings as a public safety risk.[17]
The ban on his shows has been upheld by French courts.[18]

>> The comedian, Dieudonné (above), previously sought elective
office in France on what he called an ?anti-Zionist? platform, has
had his show banned by numerous government officials in cities
throughout France, and has been criminally prosecuted several
times before for expressing ideas banned in that country.

>> It is certainly true that many of Dieudonné?s views and
statements are noxious, although he and his supporters insist
that they are ?satire? and all in good humor.

Ran for office on the anti-Zionist platform, but insists its all in good humor,
does that even make sense?

How can this be discussed or explained?

Meanwhile, thankfully, most people actually get it and try to be as
positive as possible.


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