Michael Lerner: I, Too, Never Authorized That My Signature Be Included With All These "Nut Cases" Suggesting a Bush Conspiracy Behind 9/11, And Yet Here I Am Suggesting the Same Thing in My Own Words

Charles Johnson's assertion that the 911Truth.org petition signatories were "lied to" rests upon the testimony of two far-left men:

Leftist historian Zinn claiming he never signed a petition suggesting Bush had foreknowledge. As can be seen in the post below, Zinn suggested Bush had foreknowledge in an article he penned for the 911Truth.org website three (or four) months before the petition in question.

Leftist Rabbi Michael Lerner, who claims he was straight-up misled about what he was signing:

I was asked to sign a letter which I was told had four demands:

As Americans of conscience, we ask for four things:

1. An immediate investigation by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
2. Immediate investigation in Congressional Hearings.
3. Media attention to scrutinize and investigate the evidence.
4. The formation of a truly independent citizens-based inquiry.

I did not authorize my name to be used for all the other stuff that I now see was included surrounding the letter, namely the sponsors of that 911truth.org, and would not have had I been aware that all that stuff was presented in ways that suggested that I agreed with it, and though I do recognize a few of the people I'd consider "nut cases" among the list of signatories, my guess is that most of those who signed were, like me, unaware of the context in which our names would appear.

So, did Lerner, at least, need to be duped into signing the petition? He'd never associate himself voluntarily with such "nut cases," he avers.

So, is it that true?

Of course not. According to my dog-eared copy of Stuff Charles Johnson Said, Second Edition, Yale University Press, Truthers Lie.

Especially about being Truthers. And also to protect their fellow truthers from professional embarrassment.

Rabbi Michael Lerner Salutes “Amazing” 9/11 Truth Efforts Calls for Spiritual Covenant, Social Change

By Kevin Barrett
http://mujca.com

Rabbi Michael Lerner, the prominent progressive Jewish activist and founder of Tikkun, has offered a powerful statement of encouragement and advice to the exploding 9/11 truth movement. Rabbi Lerner’s call for turning 9/11 truth into a force for social change, and not just a forum for theorizing, offers a welcome note of inspiration to the upcoming international 9/11 truth conference in Chicago, 9/11: Revealing the Truth, Reclaiming Our Future, June 2nd to June 4th, 2006: http://911truth.org/ChicagoConference.htm

In an essay entitled “What If We Succeed in Exposing 9/11 as a Fraud...What Next?” Rabbi Lerner writes: “...I salute the people in this collection of articles who are doing an amazing job of exposing what may prove to be one of the most perverse conspiracies in the history of democratic governments.” The essay will be published in 9/11 and the American Empire: Jews, Christians and Muslims Speak Out (Interlink, fall 2006).

Rabbi Lerner’s statement echoes the sentiments of the late, great Christian activist William Sloane Coffin, who shortly before his death offered a ringing endorsement of the 9/11 truth movement. Lauding the research of the prominent theologian and 9/11 truth advocate David Ray Griffin, Coffin concluded his statement: “9/11 TRUTH IS A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE WITH THE POWER TO BRING LASTING CHANGE TO OUR COUNTRY."

Note: That's the book that Zinn recommended that all read, oddly enough.

Rabbi Lerner shares William Sloane Coffin’s focus on the power of 9/11 truth to bring positive, lasting change. In his essay, the Tikkun founder and veteran activist [this is Lerner, not Coffin -- ace] urges the 9/11 truth movement to develop a framework including “specific suggestions for how to repair the damage done by these crimes, or else risk the debate being defined by the media that are more concerned to prove the viability of the system than to change it.” If we do not develop a program for positive change, Rabbi Lerner worries that a 9/11 truth triumph could prove a pyrrhic victory: “We risk throwing one tyrant out of office only to find that the system of tyranny has actually survived and even been strengthened in the process. That is why the time is now, even as the courageous writers in this volume are still trying to obtain a forum for this important public discussion, for others of us to be developing a positive vision of what to do next once the details of what happened are exposed and those involved are being brought to trial.”
...

Rabbi Lerner strongly suggests that the prosecution of American architects of the 9/11 attacks could provide an opportunity for positive social change: “In fact, the kind of psychic trauma that would happen were the charges of intentional involvement in 9/11 by the president, vice president, and other high office holders or leaders of our security apparatus ever proved in a court of law would almost certainly open up political space for a serious discussion of the kinds of radical changes I’m suggesting in the direction of our approach to foreign policy and homeland security.”

So there you go. Charles Johnson's faith-based defense of Jones relies upon the testimony of two men, one suggesting that he was misled, the other stating it flatly.

And yet both men are proven, confirmed Truthers by their own hand.

As the old Irish saying goes: Truthers lie.

posted by Ace at 05:06 PM

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