Hersh Criticizes Bush, War Coverage Distinguished Journalist Addresses Community
By Kristen Raddatz ’09
News Staff Reporter
On Tuesday, April 17th, world-renowned journalist Seymour Hersh made an overnight trip to Choate’s campus. The first special program visitor of the spring, Hersh started off this term with a high-impact set of visits with classes and one address to the student body and faculty that evening. Known for his groundbreaking articles in coverage of the Vietnam and Iraq wars, Mr. Hersh is admired as one of America’s most respected investigative journalists.
Hersh’s visit was sponsored by the newly created Thalheimer Educator-in-Residence Fund. This fund was granted by philanthropist Louis Thalheimer, parent of Jos Thalheimer ’01. Mr. Joel Backon, coordinator for this event, explained, “The purpose [of this day] is to bring a speaker to campus annually to address issues that are directly or indirectly influenced by Israeli or Jewish culture.” These issues are broadly defined as religion, the Holocaust, and American foreign policy.
Hersh Visits Student Groups
Throughout the day on Tuesday, Hersh attended various classes and provided opportunities for students to learn his detailed opinions on specific issues in a smaller atmosphere. Emily MacLeod ’08 noted, “I thought Mr. Hersh was very effective when he visited my history class, answering questions thoroughly in a relaxed and interesting manner. We were really fortunate to be able to ask Mr. Hersh our questions in such an intimate setting.”
Prior to speaking at the evening’s lecture, Hersh attended a dinner held in his honor at Sally Hart Lodge, along with about thirty-five faculty and students. At first, Hersh was doing much of the talking. Soon, though, the students around him began directing questions towards him, resulting in lively discussion through the meal.
Special Program
Following dinner, the Choate community gathered in the Paul Mellon Arts Center for the night’s special program. It commenced with a moment of reflection dedicated to the victims of Virginia Tech and a prayer led by Reverend Trister. Next came an introduction of Hersh was given by Mr. Backon, who cited the significant awards Hersh has received, the famous stories he’s covered, and the purpose of the Thalheimer Fund. Backon noted that the choice of Hersh for the first candidate was his “equality between political science and ideology”.
Unlike earlier visitor Senator Warner’s ‘listening over talking’ tactic at his special program, Hersh opted for the more traditional hour-long lecture. He made a first impression with his memorable comparison of President George Bush to King George II, successfully capturing the attention of all and indignation of some. He then threw out the estimate of 650,000 people innocents killed in the war so far and dove right into his worries about post-war America.
One of the main concerns Hersh expressed was the world’s view of current America. He commented on how unpopular we have become internationally, adding that, “revenge can come in two or three generations—somebody will walk into a supermarket one day and kill a lot of our people.” Throughout the rest of the lecture, he often returned to this dangerous possibility when talking about some of the more controversial actions that America has taken.
Another point that Hersh stressed early on was the importance of critical thinking. He is of the opinion that observing a situation, thinking about the circumstances, looking at consequences and effects—these were essential skills for all citizens to have. He stressed that they are especially important for young people, and urged the students in the audience to observe the current Iraq issue with a critical mind.
Hersh went on to talk about the situation in the Middle East and how the U.S. government has been dealing with it. He supplied several examples of America’s political trends in that region. For each example, he commented on our “heavy-handed” actions and refusal to work with anyone. Taking another stab at the President, Hersh remarked, “We have a President of the United States who will not negotiate with anyone he does not like. It’s pretty amazing.”
He next discussed one of his largest irritations so far—our treatment of war prisoners. Using the example of John Walker Lynn, a “kid joiner” of the Taliban who was shot and captured, Hersh explained the torturous ways we have handled our prisoners. He vividly described how our soldiers spit on Lynn, put him in an ammunition machine, left his wounds untreated, stripped and harassed him. Attributing these actions to scared reactions of 9/11, Hersh then talked about the new military policy put in place. Secret units were created to essentially “track and shoot down potential enemies”. Hersh recalls his reaction to this news: “It was when I first said to myself, ‘Wow, we are really in over our heads.’”
Student Opinions
In the short question and answer portion at the end of the program, questions ranged from the power of bombs in the war to the future of Middle Eastern insurgency groups. Hersh once again took several opportunities to express his dislike of America’s current policies and president. Of the seven questions asked, a typical Hersh answer included some form of “a new American president”, followed by a more detailed explanation of his view on the instance.
Political-orientated special programs always have controversial reactions among the student body, and Hersh’s was no exception. Ranging from absolute reverence of Hersh’s beliefs to fervent anger towards them, students’ opinions varied dramatically.
While his speaking skills thrived in the classroom setting, some believed Hersh was less effective at the evening special program. Common complaints were that he went on too long, that he centered on issues they had little to no interest in, and that he expressed his opinions too radically.
Before the lecture, it was agreed that Hersh would talk for forty minutes, and then take the rest of the time for questions. Mr. Backon allowed, “I think everybody agreed that Mr. Hersh spoke too long. He appeared to get a little carried away once he got rolling. I can understand how some students would get fidgety.”
The complaint that Hersh spoke about uninteresting topics was not very widespread. The common opinion was that he shed light on several important current issues. Some of the most memorable were the situation in Iraq, world views of America, and the dangerous futures of Middle Eastern countries like Syria, Iran, and Libia.
Lasting Impressions
His unflinching statements on America’s actions, policies, and president were generally appreciated by the student body. Jillian Ruben ’08 stated, “I thought he was impressive at night. It was very refreshing to hear political ideas and history without as much of the typical political sidestepping as we have seen from other speakers. Mr. Hersh talked to us as adults, answering our questions with an honesty which I don’t think is seen nearly often enough.”
The success of Hersh’s visit to Choate proved that his legendary journalistic prowess is not limited to writing. The impact he had on many students was brought to a personal level. Bledar Zenuni ’08 said, “I will personally never forget him. He was real- real about the politics in our country, real about the horrors in Abu Ghraib, real about Vietnam. He told us to ‘think beyond the textbooks, don’t believe everything, and think critically; that we, the youth, must be involved in the politics and history of our country. That is what I’ll remember most about him.”
Hersh graduated from the University of Chicago in 1954. PHOTO/Contributed Photo
