The REAL Sordid Tale

The following is an email exchange that took place over the course of a couple of days, March 9-10, 2006. The first email I present here is my initial comment to the piece of Jew-hate (or antisemitic, whichever term you like; I use Jew-hate so as not to confuse the target for another semitic group)written by one "Edwin Decker" whom I believe is actually the editor of the San Diego CityBeat Magazine, Dave Rolland. The rest is in chronological order, verbatim copy from Outlook. This guy is really out of touch: he wants to be able to criticize whichever religious group he pleases at the moment, claiming not to care about any of it, claiming that all religions are cults (including Judaism) and that, essentially, whoever gets damaged because of religion deserves it because religion is ab initio bad. There's some circular reasoning for ya, Dave! Could it be that after you beat up the Muslims a couple of weeks ago (you gave away your motivation there) that you had to find a Jew to criticize. My, how convenient to pick on a Lubavitcher Jew who just so happens to be a reggae singer, and a good one at that--passing good vibes to everyone, Muslim, Jew and Christian alike. I wonder what San Diego Magazine might say about this; or the U-T?

-----Original Message-----
From: I Randolph S Shiner [mailto:irsslex@pacbell.net]
Sent: Thursday, 09 March, 2006 22:57
To: 'editor@sdcitybeat.com'
Subject: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

Sir, Edwin Decker’s screed against Matisyahu (“Sordid Tales”, 3/8/06) is a piece of Jew-hate, though he certainly did give it an apt title. His writing and this piece in particular is indeed sordid. Would Mr. Decker have had the balls to say the same thing about a strict Muslim? My guess is that would he be afraid that he and your paper would be the targets of riots and death threats as we saw earlier this year in Europe. Certain European newspapers published images of the Prophet Mohammed, something that is apparently against the Koran. No, Mr. Decker picked on a young Jewish man (when was the last time you saw a Jew start a riot except over his Aunt’s too-hard matzo-balls?) who is trying his best to follow the rules of his religion, is hurting no-one, and more importantly is spreading a good word around through his music. The people that come to see him play should know that he cannot shake hands with women, and accept his reasons at face value. Certainly he does not need to justify his religious beliefs and actions to the likes of Edwin Decker. Send him back under the rock from whence he came.

I. Randolph S. Shiner, Esq.

And the response:

-----Original Message-----
From: davidr@sdcitybeat.com [mailto:davidr@sdcitybeat.com]
Sent: Thursday, 09 March, 2006 23:10
To: irsslex@pacbell.net
Subject: RE: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

I guess you didn't read my diatribe against crazy muslims and equally crazy
christians two weeks ago.

Dave Rolland, editor

And then my turn:

-----Original Message-----
From: I Randolph S Shiner [mailto:irsslex@pacbell.net]
Sent: Thursday, 09 March, 2006 23:17
To: 'davidr@sdcitybeat.com'
Subject: RE: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

Only one difference: Jews don't force others to accept their beliefs through proselytizing or violence. The other groups (or elements of them) you mention do.

I. Randolph S. Shiner, Esq.


-----Original Message-----
From: davidr@sdcitybeat.com [mailto:davidr@sdcitybeat.com]
Sent: Thursday, 09 March, 2006 23:29
To: irsslex@pacbell.net
Subject: RE: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

My point was that my paper isn't afraid to offend Muslims.


-----Original Message-----
From: I Randolph S Shiner [mailto:irsslex@pacbell.net]
Sent: Friday, 10 March, 2006 15:45
To: 'davidr@sdcitybeat.com'
Subject: RE: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

Dave:

I appreciate that. But I guess that my point is that you don't need a REASON to offend Muslims. Rioting over cartoons? Ridiculous. That's enough to make fun of. I give you the following site to show you the sense of humor of Jews (Israeli and others) in that regard: http://www.boomka.org/

I trust that as an editor, you follow world politics, society and culture. Have you been following what is happening, for example, in France lately? There was a torture and killing of a young Jewish kid only because he was Jewish. And the neighbors (also Muslim) knew what was happening and did nothing. This month, people were beaten up very badly because they were Jews. (It’s Muslim attackers in every case, and they come right out and say that the attacks are done because they hate Jews.)

The success of Jewish people in many areas of our society far out of proportion to our percentage of the population (2%) has made us that much more open to hate crimes and general distrust that has lingered forever in Christian societies all over the world and, yes, here in the US. Call it envy, call it jealousy, whatever you want. The history is there.

Matisyahu has likewise found unlikely success as a reggae singer. He carries with him who he is (like Marley was a true Rastafarian, not some pretender), and he is a Lubavitcher, which is an extremely Orthodox segment of the Jewish community. I am afraid that our Muslim brothers have given Orthodoxy a bad name. These are pious people and follow the Torah (the five books of Moses) to the letter, with the notable exceptions of stoning people and burning carcasses of dead animals in synagogue, among many, many others. But they don’t go rioting like “Orthodox” Muslims. I can imagine them not really caring about what somebody wrote about God, since only God has the final say on what is sacrilege. This is not to say they would sit still if someone would try to destroy (physically) a Torah scroll. Nor would I, and I am far from Orthodox.

Please take a few minutes and visit this site: www.adl.org . That may give you a little more idea of the power of words to add to the climate of hate that already exists in this country, and not just against Jews. But the climate of anti-semitism (Jew-hate) is higher now than any time in the last 50 years. Much of this is as the result of the acts of Israel in defending herself from Muslim terrorists and nutbags like the President of Iran (and Hamas) who has called for the annihilation of Israel and its Jewish citizens, all of which is on top of and in combination with already extant anti-Semitism.

Be well.

Randy Shiner


I. Randolph S. Shiner, Esq.



-----Original Message-----
From: David Rolland [mailto:davidr@sdcitybeat.com]
Sent: Friday, 10 March, 2006 16:14
To: irsslex@pacbell.net
Cc: Ed Decker
Subject: Re: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

I hear ya, man, but I have a hard time getting all wrapped up in who's more victimized than someone else -- because I think all religions are cults (including Judaism) and all religious people are brainwashed victims of their own religions. I think it's ALL insanity. Religion breed intolerance and zealotry. How many people have suffered and died throughout the centuries because of religion? It's all for nothing. I'm sick of it all. I've lost the will to be understanding of "religious differences." I blame all of them.

-----Original Message-----
From: I Randolph S Shiner [mailto:irsslex@pacbell.net]
Sent: Friday, 10 March, 2006 16:58
To: 'David Rolland'
Subject: RE: Edwin Decker's Sordid Tale

You're entitled to your opinion. So am I. Don't print hateful stuff.

I. Randolph S. Shiner, Esq.