item l: the checkpoint
DESCRIPTION
Accurate copy of article published by author Ted Conover. There is no attribution; however article was published in the March 2006 edition of Atlantic Magazine.The article is a personal narrative and not intended for use as a historical record.; as is usually the case in such narratives, no research was done to check the accuracy of claims made by individuals quoted. It is important for students to realize that although there can be value in contemporaneous records, the historical accuracy of such records is suspect. No such warning is indicated on the document.The author's personal prejudice is shown in his claim that an Israeli children's game is used to develop children's accuracy in aiming a ball so that they might more readily carry out orders to shoot at the feet of rioters. This statement is so ludicrous and prejudicial so as to render the entire article unreliable. The author is incorrect about how the game (called "ga-ga") is played - the objective is to hit the ball below an opponent's waist, not below his or her knees. In addition, the specter of preschoolers being taught to 'aim' in preparation for later military action, in the absence of any evidence, is extremely prejudicial and paints Israelis, in the absence of any evidence whatsoever, as willing participants in a society so militaristic that even preschool games are intended as military practice. The author's bias can also be seen in his failure to mention the true military training of young children sponsored by Hamas, evidence of which is freely available on-line. Because of these facts, the article can fairly be seen as anti-semitic.