Dearborn Mayor Suppressing Publication of Article on Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism

[Lowell]

From DeadlineDetroit...

A cover story on Henry Ford’s anti-Semitism, tied to the 100-year anniversary of Ford’s purchase of a weekly newspaper in Dearborn to serve as an amplifier for his beliefs, has apparently prompted Mayor John B. “Jack” O’Reilly to order that the issue not be mailed to its subscribers.[[The story was posted on Deadline Detroit last Friday.)


O’Reilly ordered a new cover be printed, without the quote. McGraw said he understands the entire issue will be tossed.

As a publication of the City of Dearborn, the mayor holds that privilege, McGraw said. Neither the city’s public information officer, nor McGraw’s supervisor at the historical museum, returned calls for comment.

Bill McGraw is popular former longtime Detroit Free Press journalist, writer, Detroit historian and Dearborn resident. Many of this forum will know him for his outstanding Detroit Almanac. He was recently appointed editor of the Dearborn Historian.

Revealing interviews on the issue with McGraw have just been aired by WUOM's Stateside [jump to minute 13:00] and WDET's Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson. [link coming]

I find the Mayor's action to be a gross overreaction and suppression of free discourse that will rightly blow up in his political face, making him look small and petty, maybe worse. The Mayor's actions have already given wings to the story. His best course is to reverse course and say "but of course..."

[JBMcB]

It's disgraceful that a sitting mayor would involve themselves with the publishing of a historical newsletter. It shouldn't have even passed his desk. There's nothing better to do?

On the other hand, if a publication is an organ of the government, this type of things is going to happen. Everything becomes politicized when it's in the government's hands.

[Seven&wyo]

https://youtu.be/SJVAkXtG8M8
They gave the story to family guy and it made into an episode. I for one am triggered

[preserve]

People didn't already know about this?

[Lowell]

People didn't already know about this?

I'm sure most up in here do, but a lot don't. I certainly didn't learn it about until sometime beyond my university years.

The suppressed article marked the 100th anniversary of Ford's acquisition of the Dearborn paper. It is a hugely significant event due wide influence it led to when its anti-Semitic articles were condensed into the four volume "The International Jew" which was translated into 12 languages and over 200,000 copies were distributed.

Significantly it was never copyrighted allowing anyone to copy and distribute it royalty free. Its influence on leading German Nazi's from Hitler on down is well-documented and its online revival by anti-Semitic outlets continues the spread of its venom.

Ford did make some weak disavowals and never called for violence against Jews, but it is a dark chapter in his checkered story.

[Meddle]

Can anybody say 'Orville'?

[Lowell]

Can anybody say 'Orville'?

In the interviews, linked in first post of thread, McGraw cites the removal and replacement of the Hubbard statue, at ground level and no longer on a pedestal, and Dearborn's coming to terms with that ugly past.

[Meddle]

And yet ..... maybe not so 'past'?

[Bong-Man]

Pretty well known historical fact that Adolph Hitler viewed Henry as a bit of a hero, and that included a portrait of Ford in his office.

[softailrider]

People didn't already know about this?

I thought it was pretty much common knowledge. HF just about got a free pass on his anti- semitism. An American icon in spite of all that.

[Richard]

Henry was not alone,most countries felt the same way back then,they knew what hitlers goals were,until he attacked Poland it did not bother them because it was just Jews and Gypsies.

Standard oil supplied the fuel and chemicals for the luftwaffe in order to attack Britain.

I do not see any difference in the mayor suppressing history then in the past few years of the country trying to remove the history that offends them.

We cannot really pick and choose on what history we preserve it all needs to be known,the good,bad and ugly .

There have been libraries all across the country purging the shelves of books that people view as offensive,people seem to agree with it though and embracing going down that path.

But with it being Dearborn

Seventy years after the liberation of Auschwitz, two-thirds of the world's population don't know the Holocaust happened—or they deny it.

When the data is sliced by religious groups, the results are even more surprising: Hindus were most likely to believe that the number of Holocaust deaths has been exaggerated. Muslims followed closely, and those two groups were distantly trailed by Christians, Buddhists, and those with no religion. In no coincidence, Hindus and Muslims were also significantly less likely to have heard of the Holocaust.

https://www.theatlantic.com/internat...eniers/370870/

[archfan]

...
There have been libraries all across the country purging the shelves of books that people view as offensive,people seem to agree with it though and embracing going down that path.
...

I hadn't heard that - which libraries?

[archfan]

The Deadline Detroit article said the magazine's circulation was around 240. By suppressing the issue, it got an exponentially larger audience. Silly censor.

[Pat001]

The horse is kinda out of the barn regarding Henry Ford's antisemitism. Hitler had a portrait of Henry hanging in his personal study and awarded Henry the Grand Cross of the German Eagle - a medal Hitler gave out to civilians. Good luck suppressing that.

[Honky Tonk]

The horse is kinda out of the barn regarding Henry Ford's antisemitism. Hitler had a portrait of Henry hanging in his personal study and awarded Henry the Grand Cross of the German Eagle - a medal Hitler gave out to civilians. Good luck suppressing that.

Fidel sent John F. Kennedy a couple of boxes of Cuba's finest cigars. Your point being?

[Zacha341]

Yep, those promoting such are endorsing the same form of fascism they eschew.

Even when they do it in the name of eh' tolerance. That's how it starts. We know historically where this leads!

There have been libraries all across the country purging the shelves of books that people view as offensive,people seem to agree with it though and embracing going down that path.

[Johnnny5]

Few people that know anything about Henry Ford are unaware that he held these beliefs. IMO the issue isn't suppression of a story or of reporting on a historical event, it's that prominently featuring that particular quote on the cover was simply inappropriate for a rather mundane publication. I would not doubt if it was intentionally done knowing that it may receive this type of response in order to generate publicity.

[Zacha341]

Hah! Poli-tricks make strange bedfellows! The same thing is going on now!!!

Fidel sent John F. Kennedy a couple of boxes of Cuba's finest cigars. Your point being?

[preserve]

Mr. Ford wasn't exactly in love with Catholics either, or the unions. But...
you can't change history by suppressing it.

[Wesley Mouch]

It's disgraceful that a sitting mayor would involve themselves with the publishing of a historical newsletter. It shouldn't have even passed his desk. There's nothing better to do?

A mayor who pays attention to all things is bad?

I will bet that there's much more to this story. Did the mayor just happen to come across this cover page? Or was there internal debate before he made his decision? That's what executives do. They make decisions on appropriate execution of public policy.

First, the publication of this information wasn't SUPPRESSED. It was stopped. Anyone else may publish this fact at in print or online. Its true Ford was anti-Semitic.

Second, truth does not make an affirmative need for the City's historical publication to feature it on their cover.

Third, if you told me that the Mayor removed the paragraphs from a story about this, it would be a different story.

On the other hand, if a publication is an organ of the government, this type of things is going to happen. Everything becomes politicized when it's in the government's hands.

So third, the choice of cover art and copy is most certainly political. This wasn't a neutral choice by the editor. It may be that they Mayor was in fact de-politicizing the cover. I don't know what's in his mind [[as I'm not a progressive), but its reasonable to thing that the cover of the publication not be a political statement.

[[In case its not obvious, Trump's political POV has echoes of that of Ford, Chas. Lindberg and many other politicians and leaders of the past.)

Summary: the Mayor is the final editor of the paper -- and he made a reasonable decision to 'suppress' publication of political speech in what should be a non-political organ.

[Lowell]

I have obtained a pdf file of the issue in dispute. I find it very fair issue in that the story is told but balanced with an article on how the Ford family has disavowed the old man's anti-Semitism, an action of which has been lauded by the Jewish community. Finally the editor discussed his decision for airing this issue.

Dearborn Historian Ford-AS.pdf

[JBMcB]

A mayor who pays attention to all things is bad?

If he's vetting the cover page of the city's historical newsletter, then yeah, he's micromanaging a bit.

I will bet that there's much more to this story. Did the mayor just happen to come across this cover page? Or was there internal debate before he made his decision? That's what executives do. They make decisions on appropriate execution of public policy.

I'm sure someone brought it to his attention. This should have nothing to do with the executive of the city. Ideally, the historical commission, or whomever publishes the newsletter, should also have nothing to do with the government. It should be a standalone entity.

I don't see running museums and publishing historical newsletters as core functions of a city government, as they will inevitably turn political, which is not the function of such a body.

[Colombian Dan]

The city of Dearborn does not want to stir up any negative events from it's past which could applify it's current anti Semitic situation.. i.e. supporters of Hezbollah.

[drjeff]

Arabs are semites so calling arabic people anti-semitic is frankly stupid.

[poobert]

Yep, those promoting such are endorsing the same form of fascism they eschew.

Even when they do it in the name of eh' tolerance. That's how it starts. We know historically where this leads!

The poster of this has not offered any evidence that libraries are suppressing books. Neither have you.