The Laughing Wolf

Some Thoughts On A Brave Person

All the coverage of Arafat’s death brings to mind someone whom I regard as a gifted and brave person. Someone who has not only risked her life to warn of the dangers of Islam, she is also the person who finished removing blinders from my eyes in regards Arafat.

Oriana Fallaci swept into my life one day at Columbia College Chicago like a whirlwind. The advantage of a journalism faculty that were all working professionals with decades of experience was not just in good teachers, but in outstanding guest speakers. Ms. Fallaci was one of those speakers, and planted seeds of which some are just starting to sprout.

It was an entertaining and almost overwhelming session. She discussed writing books, and how she had a servant tie her to a chair until a certain amount had been written each day. Hmmmm. Servants. Exotic Women. Bondage…. Ahem. My easily distracted male mind popped back, and I am so glad it did. One of the things discussed was Arafat, and Ms. Fallaci discussed her having asked him about his reported predilection for young boys. It seems he was shocked, them came to respect her because she did ask him the hard questions. You see, no one else asked him about this (and she stated it as fact) or about his participation in terrorism. Arafat’s aides apparently hated her, and a number of other journalists are reported to have been very upset with her as well.

My memory of her words is blurred, but she reported that she had been asked something to the effect of “how dare you ask him such hard questions, or ask about such things!” Her reply was given as being to the effect “How dare you not?”

Indeed, how dare we not. This was a theme picked up by some of the teachers present, and was hammered in over the next few weeks. Chicago-style journalism is supposed to be hard hitting, and if we wanted to live up to it we should dare. A real journalist should dare, and should report all the facts and a complete picture. This is something the Old Media has indeed lost, and in so doing have lost themselves.

All those years ago, Ms. Fallaci identified a major problem with journalism. Would that more have listened and taken the tack chosen by our teachers.

On this day, I choose to hold that memory bright, of a small woman who filled a room, and changed my life by not merely opening doors, but tearing down entire walls and telling us we could do the same. Thank you Oriana Fallaci, for showing so many opportunities, and by example encouraging others to seize them.

LW