The New York Post headline Sunday following the gruesome murder of Menachem Stark, “Who didn’t want him dead?” is a violation of every rule of taste, decency and respect that even newspapers that depend on coverage that shocks and titillates must observe. Regarding respect, even if they had none for the victim, certainly they should have demonstrated some feeling for the deceased’s widow and seven children, who are now mourning his loss.
We do not accuse the Post of anti-Semitism. Its strong support of Israel over the years has been most welcome, when publications of a more genteel character have criticized the Jewish state on a regular basis. But the fact that the photo and headline will surely encourage others to be anti-Semitic, or to fuel their already existing anti-Semitism, makes it clear that the headline should simply have read, “Cops Investigate Brutal Murder of Father of Seven.”