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A new chapter has unfolded in the contentious story of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, executed more than half a century ago. Last week brought new confirmation that he may have passed some secrets, but she did not. WNYC's Sara Fishko takes stock of the myths that have evolved around the Rosenbergs.
The 50th anniversary of the Rosenbergs' execution?
You had this seriously wrong....they were executed on June 19, 1953. I know not because of a Google search (which you probably should have done), but because it was a lightning bolt from the dark adult skies on my 12th birthday.
Susan Stanich
Duluth MN
The story was a repeat from 2003.
Really? 55 years, thousands of documents from both the NSA and the KGB declassified, Julius's former NKVD handler memoirs, Sobell and friends coming forward to say "yes Julius was a spy" and the best you can come up with is to say that there is still a debate? There is no debate left over the Rosenberg (or LIBERAL as he was called by the Soviets), only a few hangers on with good access to NPR. And far from being minor, Julius passed 10,000's of classified documents to the Soviets.
The published record of those KGB files shows the official leaders of the Communist Party in America were in constant and, in most people's view, treasonous contact with Moscow for the purpose removing the American government and creating an international Marxist system with a world headquarters in Moscow.
Perhaps you should have followed this story with one on cognitive dissonance.
II really do not want to go listen to this over; it is so depressing a subject having seen "Daniel", so I'll guess you figure the debate is over whether Ethel should have been executed. Not a proponent of the death penalty, I would vote against.
Still, as I now recall what I heard two days ago, Ethel at the least was married to a man whom she knew to be betraying the nation in clearly major ways which endangered everyone on Earth. I exempt no one from the duty to report the equivalent of a potential mass murderer. Yes, the children suffered innocently but equal sentences seemed to me to be due the adults here.
If you meant debate over guilt or innocence, your own report put to rest any doubts I ever had.
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