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Odd Facing Pages
NMB, Florida November 19, 2001 A.H. Schectman
THINKING ALLOWED
Essays on Issues, Ideas and Reflections on the Times. Published Now and
Then. Opinions Pro or Con Are Welcome.
ODD FACING PAGES
There are a great many important news items in the paper this morning:
Nuclear Terror, the Taliban's near complete defeat, Campaign Reform,
Importance of Beards and Ideology in taming Afghanistan, the continuing fire
in the bowels of the downed Trade Center and on an on. But, my eye was
caught by two ads facing each other on pages A10 and A11 in the New York
Times. One says fill your belly and that is the answer. The other says go
and pray with others and that is the answer. They are diametrically opposed
and seem to exist comfortably in the same world.
I've seen the one on A10 before. It is "Smith & Wollensky's $20.01 Lunch
or $30.01 Dinner" with ten testimonials as to the "quintessential New York
steakhouse" with its wines, desserts and of course the steaks. The best
three course steak meals in the best steak house in six locations across the
nation. Let me state right now there is nothing wrong with a good steak
house and there are some that will say a twenty dollar lunch and a thirty
dollar dinner are bargains. What is a bit disconcerting is the page
opposite this full-page advertisement.
The opposite page on page A11 is "A Religious Response to Terrorism" in
smaller letters than the headline that reads: "DENY THEM THEIR VICTORY".
This, like page A10 is an expensive full page advertisement and lists at the
bottom more than 3800 Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders who personally
endorse this approach to dealing with 9-11-01. I don't oppose eating a good
meal and I don't oppose your belief that God is the answer to either our
digestive or terror problems. What I point out is the absolute opposite
calls for our attention at the absolute ends of the universe of discourse. I
suppose there is a kind of rationale for them to appear in the New York
Times this way.
I don't think I am saying this as clearly as it appeared in my head when I
saw these ads facing each other. One talks about filling one stomach and
the other tells all of us to go to a house of worship and do God things.
One speaks to spending as a way of restoring our economic stability and the
other tells us that God will answer prayer. Each in its own way makes a
statement but neither is in the real world I live in. Carol's Evaluation: 10
out of 10.
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