I would ask Mr. Inskeep when might it ever be "right" for someone to throw an object at the president of the United States? -- Judy Gruen, Los Angeles

On Thursday, Morning Edition host Steve Inskeep did what's known in radio parlance as a "two-way," with NPR's Baghdad bureau chief, Lourdes Garcia-Navarro talking about the Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at President Bush.

After Garcia-Navraro described the trial scene where the shoe thrower was sentenced to three years in jail, Inskeep interjected:

"We should mention this is a guy who was praised rightly or wrongly throughout much of the Islamic world and caused more than a few chuckles in the United States. Was it expected that the sentence would be three years?"

Judy Gruen of Los Angeles was offended at Inskeep's finding any humor around the shoe-throwing incident.

"I would ask Mr. Inskeep when might it ever be "right" for someone to throw an object at the president of the United States?" asked Gruen, who admittedly is a fan of the former president. "I've no doubt that at NPR you were rolling on the floor laughing when this stunt to try to humiliate President Bush took place. But to most Americans who respect the office of the presidency and who respect President Bush for the work he did to protect this country post-9/11, this comment revealed Inskeep's arrogant assumption that this president was not worthy of any respect at all."

Gruen believes Inskeep would not have been light-hearted if the same thing had happened to President Obama.

"Inskeep's tone would have expressed shock and dismay at this egregious act," she said. "One final note: when this incident happened, President Bush quickly ducked aside and was not hit, and immediately made a joke about it, showing the kind of presence of mind and quick wit that Inskeep et al have never given him credit for."

I shared Gruen's comments with Inskeep and he believes that she misinterpreted him.

"I agree that I generally should not express an opinion about the President," said Inskeep. "Fortunately, I did not. I stated a fact: people chuckled at the shoe-throwing. Not everybody, but people laughed-- 'rightly or wrongly,' as I said. I happened to be a couple thousand miles west of NPR's headquarters when it happened, and people were laughing there. TV comedians and others siezed on it nationwide.

"Don't take my word for this. Here's a selection of TV and other jokes about the incident - and again, these are their jokes not mine.

"If I state a fact, that is different than saying my opinion. The same report also described people who were very angry that the three-year sentence was too light. Neither of those statements is indicative of my opinion. I expressed no opinion.

"As for how we would cover Mr. Obama if a shoe were thrown at him, I would do my best to bring you facts, and reaction, whatever it may be.

"There may never be an identical Iraqi shoe-throwing where you can test my claim; but I can give you one recent story where you can compare quite directly. After President Obama's recent speech to Congress, NPR did a fact-checking report exactly as we had done after President Bush's speeches. This prompted a number of letters from listeners, some of whom were quite pleased, and a few who were actually unhappy, that we had held both presidents to the same standard."




categories: Language

5:19 - March 12, 2009

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