DANNY
PEARL 1963-2002
by Timothy Rollins, Editor and Publisher
The confirmation of the death of Danny Pearl – while expected, has nonetheless
left me shock and numbed. While I did not know Danny personally, I nonetheless
had a lot of respect for him and others like him who go into harm’s way every
day getting stories that many other reporters either couldn’t or wouldn’t touch.
What makes Danny’s death so senseless is that more likely than not is that he
was set up and he pretty much walked right into a trap, and paid for it with
his life. The downside of this is that not only will his colleagues miss him,
but most importantly, his wife will miss him, and especially his unborn child
who will never know their father.
Unlike Geraldo Rivera of FOX News, who takes his menagerie with him as part of his traveling dog-and-pony show, Danny Pearl was not widely known outside the journalism community until he was snatched up by Islamic militants in January, at which time he became front-page news and a household word all at once.
.jpg)
Born
in Princeton, New Jersey and a graduate of Stanford University, Pearl (pictured,
right) went to work for the Journal in 1990. While there, he had the opportunity
to serve in a variety of assignments and locations. At the time of his kidnapping,
he was working on a follow-up story on Richard Reid, the wannabe shoe-bomber
that was intercepted by the flight crew on the American Airlines flight from
Paris to Miami that was subsequently diverted to Boston.
As I mentioned earlier, I cannot help but think that Danny was set up and that he walked into a trap; this is one of the risks that goes with the pursuit of a story. While Danny was tenacious and effective in his job, I also believe that he did not take undue risks either. The fact of the matter is I feel that he was duped and that he was specifically selected because he was (1) an American; (2) a journalist and (3) a Jew. It has since been learned that Danny’s kidnapping is linked to al-Qaeda, and that should come as a surprise to nobody with an IQ over 70 either.
Pearl (or anyone else) for that matter traveling overseas for that matter is a potential target if they are American as many third world types see America as either “the land of plenty” or “The Great Satan” and consequently, want to take a shot at that. Journalists are at risk in countries where they do not want the rest of the world finding out the truth about the brutality, the repression of human rights or the sponsorship of terrorism, and that put Danny at risk as well. The fact that Danny was also Jewish was the Triple Crown if you will to these Islamic extremists (can you say nuts?) in their already predetermined decision to torture and subsequently execute him.
It is hard to believe there are good and honorable Muslims in the world when there is so much publicity about nuts like these, but the fact of the matter is, they are out there and they are like so many of us in that they are seeking to live good lives while paying their bills and go to work every day just like the rest of us. Yes, Christianity has had these kinds of problems as well in the past, but the issues here run far deeper than that and any intelligent person will realize that.
.jpg)
The
fact remains that Danny stood true to his convictions; he stood true to them
despite what hazards may have come to him for doing so and he did so knowing
full well that it would cost him his life. In doing so, he leaves both his wife
Mariane (shown, left) as well as his unborn child a legacy of love and honor
that could never be duplicated. He leaves his colleagues at The Wall Street
Journal and throughout the journalism community a standard of honor, commitment,
excellence and integrity from which we can all learn and emulate.
After all, when everything is said and done, it is not the stack of our toys for which we are most remembered after our earthly probation is completed. It is our character – it is who we were on the inside, those we loved and how we were loved in return. It is who we serve and how freely we give of our time and how we prioritize our lives in determining those things that truly matter most.
Danny Pearl was one of those who knew that best, and for that he will be sorely missed. God be with you till we meet again. ***
© 2002 Timothy Rollins
COPYRIGHT © 2002 BY THE AMERICAN PARTISAN. All writers retain rights to their work.
Home | About Us | Archives | Forums | Links | Resources | Submissions | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer