June 27th, 2013 : Volume HH, Number 13 - Park Slope Food Coop

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13-06-27-pp1-16_Layout 1 6/26/13 6:04 PM Page 1212 June 27, 2013 Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NYWHAT’S UP WITH THEGAZETTE’S REPORTERS?We welcome letters from members. Submissiondeadlines appear in the Coop Calendar. All letterswill be printed if they conform to the publishedguidelines. We will not knowingly publisharticles which are racist, sexist or otherwise discriminatoryThe maximum length for letters is 500words. Letters must include your name andphone number and be typed or very legiblyhandwritten. Editors will reject letters that areillegible or too long.You may submit on paper, typed or very legiblyhandwritten, or via email to GazetteSubmissions@psfc.coopor on disk.AnonymityUnattributed letters will not be publishedunless the Gazette knows the identity of thewriter, and therefore must be signed when submitted(giving phone number). Such letters willbe published only where a reason is given to theeditor as to why public identification of thewriter would impose an unfair burden of embarrassmentor difficulty. Such letters must relateto Coop issues and avoid any non-constructive,non-cooperative language.LETTERS POLICYFairnessIn order to provide fair, comprehensive, factualcoverage:1. The Gazette will not publish hearsay—thatis, allegations not based on the author's firsthandobservation.2. Nor will we publish accusations that arenot specific or are not substantiated by factualassertions.3. Copies of submissions that make substantiveaccusations against specific individuals willbe given to those persons to enable them towrite a response, and both submissions andresponse will be published simultaneously. Thismeans that the original submission may notappear until the issue after the one for which itwas submitted.The above applies to both articles and letters.The only exceptions will be articles by Gazettereporters which will be required to include theresponse within the article itself.RespectLetters must not be personally derogatory orinsulting, even when strongly criticizing an individualmember's actions. Letter writers mustrefer to other people with respect, refrain fromcalling someone by a nickname that the personnever uses himself or herself, and refrain fromcomparing other people to odious figures likeHitler or Idi Amin.TO THE EDITOR:What are we to make of a recentspate of opinionated articles attackingand mocking the Coop’s membershipby Linewaiters’ Gazette reporters?The Gazette’s Coordinating Editorshave issues to consider.Numerous letters have appearedcriticizing these articles. Among otherswas “Journalistic Sloppiness”(3/7/2013) in which Martin Beauchamp’ssleuthing uncovered sourcesfor Taigi Smith’s 2/21/2013 article(“Leaving the Coop! Why Folks Fly theCoop”). According to him, “Thereporter is trolling the comment sectionof Yelp and regurgitating theworst of it into the Gazette. This is notjournalism and more importantly it isnot constructive criticism about howto make our Coop better.”The article’s first two columnsdeserve special attention, describing amembership “teeming with Coopjunkies who...plow their way throughthe aisles...mak[ing] snarky remarks at[those] who...get in their way...For[whom] shopping elsewhere is akin tofoodie suicide...[The Coop] is their holyground.” The description ends with thissmug consolation, “And then, ofcourse, there are the rest of us.”The last column profiles one exampleof those sane members who lovethe Coop and “wouldn’t dream ofshopping anywhere else.” One supposesthis satisfies the balancerequirement, but one also wondershow this profile differs significantlyfrom those “who’d rather go hungrythan to Whole Foods.”The article that escaped the barrageof complaints but richly deservedit was Allison Pennell’s 2/21/2013Gazette front-page story (“On DebatingDebate: Jan. 29, 2013 General Meeting”)which describes the reporter’sfeelings about covering this GM,which she compares to the trauma ofhostage situations. About the attendees,she observes: “Lovers of democracy”were “out in numbers,” todiscuss the issues and “to talk aboutthe current market value of theirbrownstones...Old hippies work thatin...just like Harvard grads do.”The presenters and debaters fareno better. That the debate clearly hadimportance to them just adds to hermocking and caustic astonishment.She refers to one contributor as“Mitchell, of something and somewhere”and throws in an “Oh lordy” forgood measure.These reporters, being members,have every right to express theseviews, but should they get workslotcredit for them? A Gazette documenttitled “A Program for the Linewaiters’Gazette,” is a set of guidelines forreporters and editors. About reporterarticles, it says:• The article should be structuredin a normal journalistic style and notbegin with or mention the process ofassignment or selection or preparingthe article unless this contributesmeaningfully to its content.• Personal opinions of thereporters should not be expressed inarticles that can be considered ashard news.• Purely opinion articles should besubmitted as Letters to the Editor orvoluntary articles without workslotcredit.One wonders what the CoordinatingEditors think, especially whetherthese articles conform to the guidelinesgiven above. Certainly there’sbeen enough reaction to warrant aresponse, and so one is requestedhere, as provided for in the final paragraphof the “Gazette Editorial Policies”(12/29/2011).David BarouhRESPONSE TOBAROUH LETTERDEAR MR. BAROUH:Thank you for taking the time torespond to my article. I consider it anhonor, as a quick Internet searchrevealed that you often comment onmatters related to the Linewaiters'Gazette. The wonderful thing about thePSFC is that everyone, when asked,seems to have an opinion. All one hasto do is ask. I will not use this forumto defend myself, as I don't feel theneed to do so. I've been a professionaljournalist for almost 20 years andhonestly, this is the first time I'vebeen accused of "journalistic sloppiness."To be clear, I conducted numerousinterviews for the story, "WhyFolks Fly the Coop." I used the Internetas a tool to track down peoplewho had opinions on the Internet. Infact, I conducted interviews with bothEmily Poehler, Aaron-Taylor Wideman,and Rene Brinkley. I solicitedinterviews from several other people,but didn't get responses. Interviewswere by conducted e-mail and byphone. In addition to that, I was suppliedover 100 exit surveys from PSFCCoordinator Ann Herpel. I reviewedeach of those surveys and found cluesto "why folks fly the Coop."Taigi SmithRESPECT YOURNEIGHBORSDEAR EDITOR,Following this short note from meis a thoughtful letter from one of ourneighbors on the block who took thetime to write to all of us. Our MissionStatement says that "We strive to be aresponsible and ethical employer andneighbor." Please help in any way youcan to address the problems outlinedbelow.In cooperation,Joe HoltzGeneral CoordinatorAfter living on the same block asthe Food Coop for 20 years, I canattest to the fact that some of yourmembers are extremely inconsiderate,and they make the rest of you lookbad. Those of us who are your neighbors(but not members) put up with alot of inconvenience. Though we havenoticed and appreciate that you arecaring for the recently planted trees onthe block, there are many actions weregularly witness that are much lessneighborly. We'd appreciate if you'dconsider this list of do's and don'tsthe next time you visit the Coop:Don't park in front of the firehouse;blocking the firehouse puts livesin danger.Don't park in spots designated forfiremen; free parking is one of the fewperks they get for risking their livesevery day.Don't ride your bike on the sidewalk.If you're 13 or older, it's illegal,never mind dangerous to pedestrians.If your dog barks incessantly assoon as you are out of view, don't tiehim/her up outside while you shop orwork your shift. It is unkind to youranimal and unkind to our ears. Leaveyour pet home or ask someone tokeep him/her company while you'reinside.Don't unload your groceries intoyour bike carriers and leave the cardboardboxes behind. Though theymay be biodegradable, the boxes arequickly used by others as a receptaclefor coffee cups, empty bottles, anddog waste. It falls on your neighborsto bag and dispose of this trash.If your cart tips over and your groceriesend up on the sidewalk, don'tleave broken glass, tomato sauce, oreggs for us to clean up. Go back to theCoop, get a broom or a bucket ofwater and take care of the mess.If a truck is double-parked whiledelivering to the Coop and traffic isunable to pass, don't let the situationdegenerate into gridlock, horn-honking,yelling, and fisticuffs. Instead ofwatching from the sidewalk, helpdirect traffic.The next time you see a fellowmember acting inconsiderately, callthem on it, don't just look the otherway. A New York Times article last yearreported that people who purchaseorganic food were less consideratethan the average person; please provethose researchers wrong. Though youmay not reside on Union Street, weare all neighbors.Sincerely,Your Neighbors on Union StreetANOTHER PERSPECTIVEON PLASTIC BAGSDEAR MEMBERS:I suspect that many of us membersare confused about the proposal tophase out the free distribution ofplastic produce bags at the Coop. Intheory I'm in favor of phasing outplastic produce bags, but not at theexpense of the Coop's smooth operations.And what does phasing out freedistribution actually mean? Is theemphasis on the word "free" or are thewords "phasing out" the priority? Iffree distribution is being phased out,does that mean that bags will costmoney or that they just won't be available?I've seen inconsistencies in theproposal and discussions of it, as towhat we are really being asked to voteon. And I'm very concerned by theCONTINUED ON PAGE 14Read the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
13-06-27-pp1-16_Layout 1 6/26/13 6:04 PM Page 13Park Slope Food Coop, Brooklyn, NY June 27, 2013 13BDS TOPICS:THE OTHER SIDEOF THE STORYTO THE EDITOR:Labeling West Bank Products.The EU has called for labels differentiatingIsraeli products made within the1949 border from those made in theWest Bank. According to Israel's ForeignMinistry, this would hurt Jews—but harm some 22,500 Arabs workingin West Bank Israeli towns far more.Palestinian employees of JewishownedWest Bank businesses earn onaverage 88% more than those workingin Arab towns. They also receivehealth benefits, pension rights andsocial benefits usually unavailable toother Palestinians. If the aim of BDSand the EU is to help PalestinianArabs, then labeling goods as "fromthe settlements” is counterproductive,the report continued. “The labelingissue affects [Palestinian] employment,income level, youth unemployment,and the wealth of [Palestinian]Arabs” (Boston Herald, Jerusalem Post).SodaStream, Popular BDS Target,Skyrockets. Despite BDS' bestefforts, Sodastream is doing betterthan ever. PepsiCo is negotiating tobuy out the Israeli-based company for$2 billion. In Germany SodaStream’sshares shot up nearly 20% after thereport. Exporting to 45 countries, revenuesrose 55% in 2012 and 54% so farin 2013 (Dailyfinance.com)..Los Angeles Shoots Down BDS.Rejecting the BDS movement aimedat bringing economic pressure onIsrael, the L.A. City Council unanimouslyapproved a resolution to continueawarding city contracts withoutregard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict(LA Indymedia: Activist News).Queen Elizabeth Honors IsraeliProfessor. Buckingham Palaceannounced that as part of her "BirthdayHonours List" the British Queen willrecognize Professor David Newman ofBen-Gurion University for advocatingacademic partnership between countriesand opposing the U.K. academicboycott of Israel. (haaretz.com).BDS Leaders Oppose PeaceTalks with Israel. At the annual BDSconference at Bethlehem UniversityOmar Barghouti, head of global BDS,said that talks are "absolutely useless"even if they include freezing Israeliconstruction. Barghouti (a graduatestudent at Tel Aviv University majoringin Ethics) continued proclaiming animositytoward the Jewish state, saying."The only alternative [to boycotts] isviolence" (Israel National News.com).Israel to Build 1,140 PalestinianHomes. The Civil Administration ofthe West Bank submitted plans tobuild 1,140 homes for Palestinian inArea C (currently under Israelicivil/military control until final statusis determined through negotiations).They would provide a legal housingsolution for Palestinians living in inadequate,illegally constructed homesand unauthorized villages not properlyconnected to utilities. The plan wasmade with the understanding of thePalestinian Authority and heads of thePalestinian villages (Jerusalem Post).70 Gaza Farmers Attend Tel AvivAgriculture Conference/Exhibit.Palestine Today reports $450 million currentlyin trade between Israel andGaza. Opportunities to export fruit andvegetables to the Israeli market couldbe game-changing to Gaza farmersand their relationships with Israelifarmers. "We want to sell in Israel,"said Mahmoud Ikhlain, chairman ofBeit Lahiya Cooperative. "The Israelmarket is a good market. All the timewe and Israel are in contact. We areneighbors," he added (Jerusalem Post).Ruth BolletinoFOURTH NATIONALBOYCOTT, DIVESTMENTAND SANCTIONSCONFERENCE:BETHLEHEM UNIVERSITY,JUNE 8, 2013COOP MEMBERS:The all-day conference, organizedby the BDS National Committee, wasthe fourth of a series of national BDSconferences held in Palestine sincethe 2005 Palestinian call for Boycott,Divestment and Sanctions againstIsrael. There were almost 30 speakersin three sessions and closed with nineconcurrent workshops.700 attended: bused from Ramallah,Hebron, Haifa, Jenin, Jaffa,Nablus, Jerusalem, Qalqilya, Tulkarem,Lydda, Salfit, Palestinians fromabroad, and several Israeli activistsfrom Boycott from Within. OmarBarghouti, the BDS movement cofounder,described the meeting as themost successful BDS conference inPalestine, with a huge cross section ofPalestinian society.Barghouti: 2013’s conference sloganwas “spreading BDS locally: ascampaigns.” This is the first time wewill design BDS campaigns in the nineworkshops. Each will develop a plan ofaction for BDS locally until next year;workshops: youth/students, women,prisoners’ support, agricultural sector,tourism sector, trade and professionalunions, civil society organizations,official level, and international BDS.Opening Session: The head of the Universityexpressed his support for BDS(first time publicly). Video of supportfor the conference from Desmond Tutu(South African anti-apartheid activist,retired Anglican bishop) said of theIsraelis: ‘they might be struttingaround as if they are invincible, butthey are on the side of the wrong. Oneday Palestinians will walk tall, free citizensof a free Palestine.’1st Session: 10 speakers focused onBDS initiatives: local and international.Anger was voiced: the PalestinianAuthority (PA) has not followedthrough on promises from 2010 to preventthe “ubiquity” of settlement productsin Palestinian shops in the WestBank. A local activist described issuingcertificates to Palestinian stores thatboycotted Israeli products. An exampleof a triumph: the recent terminationof certain G4S (British securityfirm) contracts in illegal settlements.The Kairo Palestine (OrthodoxChurch) document endorsed BDS(triggering international backlash fromIsraeli supporters). The documentasserts Christianity is oriental, MiddleEastern and Palestinian.2nd Session: Strategies to combatnormalization: Speakers denouncedefforts by Israel and its collaboratorsto normalize the occupation in variousarenas: (cultural, academic, economic,youth/students) using powerful financialincentives: scholarships to universities,travel, dialogue with Israelis.Many demanded the PA make laws topunish normalization. Several said thePA was undermining boycott effortsthrough joint initiatives with Israel.Normalization was a deliberateattempt to undermine BDS.3rd Session: Facing the Public: Thissession was intended for activists tohold the representatives of the PA andPalestinian Liberation Organization toaccount for its participation in normalizationand security coordination withIsrael. The Minister of Economy, afterrudely responding to an audiencemember, walked out. Barghouti, representingcivil society on the panel, putthe focus on the importance of peopletaking the initiative and resist withoutwaiting for anyone’s permission.An attendee summed up the day: “agreat indicator of the unity of our people.”Source: Asa WinstanleyMary BuchwaldBrooklyn For PeacePSFC members for BDSwww.psfcbds.workpress.comARGUMENT BYCELEBRITY & DECEPTIONTO THE EDITOR:In our celebrity-obsessed culture,BDS supports its indictments of Israelwith lists of musicians, actors, andwriters, and recently a physicist, asthough these are the endorsements ofthe gods. But it's doubtful that any orall of these luminaries have dutifullyspent time studying and hearing bothsides of this highly complex geopoliticalissue and pursuing and reviewingthe evidence versus the propaganda.In truth, celebrity boycotts lend nocredibility whatsoever to the legitimacyof BDS and its hyperbolic claims ofapartheid, international law violations,and the so-called right-of-returnfor Palestinian refugees and theirdescendants, claims repeatedly andcompellingly refuted in these pagesand elsewhere.That said, we would hope at the veryleast for truth in reporting. But in additionto the debunking (by Jesse Rosenfeld,5/16/13) of claims made in theGazette and elsewhere that Bruce Willis,Jean Claude Van Damme, and WoodyAllen support the boycott, the TorontoStar recently corrected an earlier reportthat actress Meg Ryan is boycottingIsrael, a claim also made in thesepages. According to the Star, Ryan'spublicist has denied that she supportsany boycott of Israel. [1] And contrary tothe claim that Stevie Wonder's cancellationof an appearance at a Los Angelesfundraising concert for the IsraeliDefense Forces was a "boycott victory"as described in the Gazette, the Starreported that Mr. Wonder hasn'trefused to perform in Israel and plansto contribute to organizations supportingdisabled Israeli and Palestinianchildren. And according to the Committeefor Accuracy in Middle-EastReporting in America, musician LennyKravitz, also identified in the Gazette asa boycott supporter, in fact cancelled aperformance in Israel only because ofan unexpected extension of a film contract,not because of the boycott. [2]On a happier note—not that it addsany weight to either side—despite awritten appeal made to Alicia Keys byAlice Walker: “It would grieve me to knowyou are putting yourself in danger (soul danger)by performing in an apartheid country...",Ms. Keys has said "I look forward tomy first visit to Israel. Music is a universallanguage that is meant to unify audiences inpeace and love....” [3] Note also that in2010, tennis player Venus Williamsagreed to defend her title in Dubaionly if Israeli player Shahar Peer wasadmitted to the Emirates, where thetwo played under heavy guard whichunfortunately limited their audience. [4]So when it comes to celebrities it’s awash but argument by celebrity is noway to defend a political position.Remember these false celebrityboycott claims in the broader light ofthe BDS claims of active boycott ofIsrael by Hampshire College, Harvard,Motorola, and TIAA-CREF. What dothese all have in common? They've allbeen revealed as BDS hoaxes. [5,6][1]www.thestar.com/opinion/corrections/2013/05/24/news_corrections.html[2]www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=147&x_article=2484[3]www.artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/despite-protests-alicia-keys-says-she-willperform-in-tel-aviv/[4]www.sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=4927251[5]www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-scohen/another-israeldivestment_b_786196.html[6]www.divestthis.com/category/bdsother/bds-hoax-bds-other/page/4Sylvia LowenthalRead the Gazette while you’re standing on line OR online at www.foodcoop.com
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June 27th, 2013 : Volume HH, Number 13 - Park Slope Food Coop

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