EDITOR'S LETTER
The Elephant of Our Times
t appears the phrase, "An elephant
never forgets," is rooted in the no-
tion that, because elephants have
the largest brain of any land animal,
they can store more memories; also,
elephants religiously follow the same
migratory paths throughout their
lives.
Too bad for former Rep. Anthony
st
Weiner (D-NY) the elephant refer-
enced in the headline isn't a pachy-
derm; I'm speaking, of course, of the Internet.
No other time in recorded history has the permanence
of nearly anything written — or photographed — been
so available to billions of people, presumably ad infini-
tum.
What Mr. Weiner did, by sending some (arguably) sexy
self-portraits over the information superhighway, isn't
new. In fact, he's just the latest shnook in the ongoing
tragedy of underestimating the Internet's ability to retain
everything.
The congressman had no choice but to resign — the
public would never be allowed to forget his misplaced
bravado. As an elected representative to Congress (and a
married man), he should have exercised better judgment.
Now, Mr. Weiner's wiener is part of the public record.
His wife and their future child can Google that now-infa-
mous surname and see, in a full-frontal way, how ripped
— and virile — the former congressman was.
But, steering the conversation away from pets and
peccadilloes, the teachable moment (as President Obama
would say) is: Prudence is a virtue.
The Internet — engine of revolution — is an element
my generation was not raised on and my children will
never know life without it. Thus, the imperative we exer-
cise the judgment Mr. Weiner failed to do (and with such
severe repercussions).
The Internet is alluring because of its unprecedented
ability to connect people visually and rhetorically. It's no
coincidence the current Arab Spring is being sustained
largely through the power of the Internet.
However, the instantaneousness of its power has a
I
downside: There's little, if any, allowance for
consequential reflection.
When I wrote a blog about a snow day spent
with the kids last winter, and used a photograph of
them as the accompanying art, a friend reminded me
that I should be mindful of placing their young faces on
the Internet. It was good advice.
Unlike Face-
book, which is a
proprietary (or
closed) system
— albeit one
with 500 million
members — the
Internet knows no
bounds; and there
is no "delete" button. What seems cool or OK, permis-
sible or benign now, may not in 20 years.
Thus, when people blog countless screeds about their
former spouse, or 15 year olds send Nabokov-inspired
photos to their friends, we hope they remember those
photos and stories exist well beyond the here and now.
This month Red Thread has a Q & A with Ari Adler, press
secretary for Michigan House Speaker Jase Bolger, and
we asked for his take on "Weinergate." See his response
on page 16.
"COMING TO AMERICA"
Contributing authors are often charged with stories
based on their knowledge of the subject."Coming to
America," a look at the modern immigrant experience,
was assigned to Karynne Naftolin for just that reason.
A former staff writer at the Jewish Advocate in Boston,
Naftolin and her husband, Rabbi Eric Grossman, Frankel
Academy's Head of School, both emigrated to the U.S.
from Canada a few years ago.
While working on the feature, it became apparent the
best source for the story had become its writer — and
the task soon morphed from feature to essay. (It's not
typically what a journalist prefers, but Naftolin graciously
obliged us; see"Coming to America" on page 22.)
As we celebrate the 235th anniversary of the sign-
ing of the Declaration of Independence — marking the
occasion with fireworks, barbeques and a federal bank
holiday — we should also take note of our good fortune.
To live in the democracy-embracing West (versus the
theocratic-enslaved Middle East or despot-laden Asia ) is
lucky enough. But, as Jews of the Diaspora, there is little
doubt that America is the safest place for us to openly
practice our religion outside the land of Zion.
Have a happy Fourth. Don't forget to book your mid-
summer trip; we'll see you in August!
et.4
#FP*4
Bryan S. Gottlieb
bgottlieb@redthreadmagazine.com
Y.
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