A fictional story about an Israeli father and son. With homage to James Michener, the historical references are true but the people in the story are completely fictitious. Those familiar with the history of the State of Israel will appreciate the candor of the story. I hope you enjoy it.
By Ya'cov Rosenne
Yitzhak had survived Hitler's ovens and in 1943 was one of the survivors of the Sorbibor breakout. He spent the rest of the war fighting with partisans, confounding the Nazis, hurting and killing them whenever he could. All the time he spent in this situation he began to think about Palestine. He had wanted to go there since he was a child. He had decided that if he survives the war he would make his way to and help build the Jewish homeland. In 1945 the war ended and he found his way to a Haganna headquarters in Warsaw. They told him of an underground railroad that was sneaking Jews into Palestine under British noses. Code name: Bricha. That is how Yitzhak got into Palestine.
When he arrived he settled in the Carmel section of Haifa. There were so many Polish Jews there. He was able to survive with his Yiddish until he learned enough Hebrew. The Bricha system outfitted him with papers and a new name. He went to work at the oil refinery, the only refinery in Palestine. While he worked there he got interested in politics. He rose to be the representative of the refinery for the Haifa Workers Council, the arm of the Histadrut in Haifa. Yitzhak made many friends there. He was very likable. Both Arabs and Jews grew to respect Yitzhak’s leadership. There was harmony among the workers of Haifa. Everyone pulled together. It was a good thing.
Then the partition vote in November of 1947 gave the Jews a legitimate right to a small piece of the Palestine Mandate. The partition designated two states out of Palestine one Arab and one Jewish. The Jews accepted. After 2000 years there was going to be a sovereign Jewish homeland in Palestine. The Arabs did not accept and began immediately attacking Jews in the streets and in the country side. Overnight people who were friendly now were enemies. During the month of December 1947 things were very bad for the Jews. They did not expect such a violent reaction from their Arab neighbors. They had miscalculated. This cost the Jews dearly during that month. On a cold morning at the end of December, the Arab military contingent in Haifa led by Mohammed Hamad al-Huneiti, attacked the refinery. Yitzhak and his friends fought bravely but did not have many weapons. Yitzhak was one of the few survivors. Forty-one Jews died that day. It was an ugly scene after it was over. Bodies and body parts were strewn all over the refinery floor where the battle took place. After they killed the Jews, the Arabs took large knives and mutilated the bodies. It was awful.
Yitzhak, undaunted by this display of barbarism by Haifa's Arabs knew deeply in his heart that they could live together as they had been, side by side after the Jewish State would be declared. Even though partition had included Haifa as part of the Jewish State the Arabs were not going to go quietly. The Jews then decided to take the city by force. For two months, fighting raged in the streets between the Haganna and the Arab forces. Yitzhak took up his old partisan stance and did his fair share of heroics. But at meetings he always emphasized the importance of relaying to the Arabs after they were defeated, to stay. To continue working along side their Jewish neighbors. The Haifa Workers Council responded to Yitzhak in positive terms. Out of 12 men only one was insistent on letting the Arabs go.
In mid April Yitzhak accompanied Moshe Carmel and Mordachai Makleff, the Haganna commanders of the Haifa forces, to the offices of General Stockwell, the British mandating authority over Haifa. Stockwell had called a meeting between the Jewish and Arab leaders to see if he could stop the fighting. Now that the Jews were taking the upper hand he knew he may have a chance for a cease fire. The Arabs rejected the terms. Stockwell, was beside himself. He felt the terms were fair. He pleaded with the Arabs to change their minds. They refused. Once again Yitzhak was not deterred by this intransigent reaction from the Arab leaders.
Yitzhak's call to keep Arab integrity intact in Haifa spread through the community. Haifa's Jewish mayor called out to the Arab residents that if they accept the terms of surrender they would be welcomed to stay and help build the city together. They received only negative responses. The Jews continued to take the city by force. Arabs fled in terror from Jewish reprisals for the brutal attack on the refinery back in December. Yitzhak, called an emergency meeting of the Haifa Workers Council. Even as Arabs poured out of the city the council delivered pamphlets. One last ditch effort to try to persuade the Arab population to stay. Most of them unfortunately did not.
For years afterwards Yitzhak blamed himself for not trying harder to persuade the Arabs not to leave. He lied awake at nights running the events over and over again in his mind. What could he have done differently? He was always an advocate of trying to reconcile with the Arab states. To work for peace now was the only answer to Yitzhak's guilt.
In 1952 he befriended an Arab leader from Abu Ganeim on the eastern side of Lake Kinneret. He worked with this man for six months in hopes that they could together once again bring peace to their two peoples. Then Arab hooligans murdered the man. They carved into his chest a Magan David to show the man was a traitor. Yitzhak could not believe that the Arabs had once again destroyed their own hopes for regaining their self respect. Over the years other individual Arabs were killed the same way for the same reasons. In 1962 while Yitzhak was visiting some friends in the North during Tubish'vat, he was downed by a terrorist's bullet.
His life was ended by the people he had worked for the last twenty years to save. It was an ironic end to such a giving life. He loved Israel. Saw it as the redemption of the Jewish people.
He was a good man
He was my father.
I love you Abba,
Ya'cov
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Who Will Be For Me?
A depressing explanation on the state of illegal immigration during the 2008 presidential campaign. With the field of candidates it appeared that saving the sovereignty of this country was in definite jeopardy. Written in May of 2007.
In a recent exchange with a friend he told me that he was supporting politicians like Joe Lieberman, Rudy Juliani and John McCain because of their tough stance on the Jihadi threat. The following is how I answered him:
There is another major issue confronting us as Americans that needs to be addressed and that is the border issue. Next to the coming clash with Islam this is probably the single most important issue on the table for Americans. At least two of the three mentioned above are full on "open borders" guys. I am not sure what Lieberman's position is on illegal immigration but the other two are clearly not seeing the danger to our sovereignty. And since both of them are presidential candidates it is important that they understand what is at stake if they continue to count on the present Gerorge Bush coarse if one of them are elected.
Recently though I've begun to see some chinks in the armor of their positions. Traveling around the country, especially in Iowa where they will kick off the primary campaign, people have been clamoring for a clarification on this issue. Clearly, Americans, not just here in southern California, are beginning to demand that something constructive be done with this situation before it is too late. And, the politicians are beginning to listen. McCain has backed away from joining Ted Kennedy this year in an amnesty bill. I read Juliani is also beginning to soften his stance on blanket amnesty now that he is getting a taste of the frustration that Americans are feeling on the problem.
If you are waffling on the issue and really don't think it is as important as the jihadist issue I would urge you to consider the following. Open borders to the south will mean that anyone can come into this country undetected. For all we know they are already here from the Bush policy since 9-11. There are reports that Hizbollah and al Queda are setting up safe houses and underground railroad routes to enter their scumbag soldiers into our country with the help of the Mexican Mafia, and other like underworld gangs. Furthermore, if the rest of the country becomes like Southern California south of Santa Barbara to the border we will become a different country. Have you been to Maywood, Cudahy or Anaheim lately? We will quickly lose our ability to defend ourselves. And, leave ourselves open to attack from the bigger enemy, Jihadist Islam. Can you imagine Mexico as the world's protector of Western Judeo Christian values?
It is imperative to look for and support candidates who have clear cut policy positions on these two issues. It doesn't matter what party you are affiliated with, there are open and close border advocates in both parties. I believe that this is going to be a two issue presidential election, terror and the wide open southern border. Terror has to be first that much is clear, but I would urge you to seek out candidates who are strong on fighting both terror and illegal immigration before backing any candidate for any office in 2008.
Larry
In a recent exchange with a friend he told me that he was supporting politicians like Joe Lieberman, Rudy Juliani and John McCain because of their tough stance on the Jihadi threat. The following is how I answered him:
There is another major issue confronting us as Americans that needs to be addressed and that is the border issue. Next to the coming clash with Islam this is probably the single most important issue on the table for Americans. At least two of the three mentioned above are full on "open borders" guys. I am not sure what Lieberman's position is on illegal immigration but the other two are clearly not seeing the danger to our sovereignty. And since both of them are presidential candidates it is important that they understand what is at stake if they continue to count on the present Gerorge Bush coarse if one of them are elected.
Recently though I've begun to see some chinks in the armor of their positions. Traveling around the country, especially in Iowa where they will kick off the primary campaign, people have been clamoring for a clarification on this issue. Clearly, Americans, not just here in southern California, are beginning to demand that something constructive be done with this situation before it is too late. And, the politicians are beginning to listen. McCain has backed away from joining Ted Kennedy this year in an amnesty bill. I read Juliani is also beginning to soften his stance on blanket amnesty now that he is getting a taste of the frustration that Americans are feeling on the problem.
If you are waffling on the issue and really don't think it is as important as the jihadist issue I would urge you to consider the following. Open borders to the south will mean that anyone can come into this country undetected. For all we know they are already here from the Bush policy since 9-11. There are reports that Hizbollah and al Queda are setting up safe houses and underground railroad routes to enter their scumbag soldiers into our country with the help of the Mexican Mafia, and other like underworld gangs. Furthermore, if the rest of the country becomes like Southern California south of Santa Barbara to the border we will become a different country. Have you been to Maywood, Cudahy or Anaheim lately? We will quickly lose our ability to defend ourselves. And, leave ourselves open to attack from the bigger enemy, Jihadist Islam. Can you imagine Mexico as the world's protector of Western Judeo Christian values?
It is imperative to look for and support candidates who have clear cut policy positions on these two issues. It doesn't matter what party you are affiliated with, there are open and close border advocates in both parties. I believe that this is going to be a two issue presidential election, terror and the wide open southern border. Terror has to be first that much is clear, but I would urge you to seek out candidates who are strong on fighting both terror and illegal immigration before backing any candidate for any office in 2008.
Larry
The American Nazi Party 1970
A true story of an experience I had as a young man. Some of this is embellished to make the story more interesting because my life was so pitifully boring during that time, but most of it is true. Originally written in the early 1980s, I hope you like it.
Recently I was reminded of some memories of a personal experience with the "American Nazi Party" I would like to share with all of you. The year was 1970. I was working while in college at a record and music store in downtown Los Angeles. Growing up in that city I never really came into contact with real live "Nazis" before. But it was no secret to the Jewish community and others that they had their Southern California headquarters located in Glendale. For those of you who are not familiar with the Los Angeles area, Glendale is a small incorporated city adjacent to L.A.
Anyway there was very little warning, not like what you have today. Around lunch time the street became buzzing with the fact that the Nazis were going to march right down Broadway and past my store. I have to point out here that this area was heavily traveled by immigrant groups. The most prevalent being, even for 1970, were the Mexicans. That part of downtown catered to the people of East L.A. Every where you walked you heard the blaring of Mariachi Music (indigenous folk music to Mexico). The smell of Mexican food wafted down the street and attacked your senses, sending images of Mexican culture, surrounding you at every turn. Spanish was heard frequently. I myself had to be bilingual to work in the store that employed me. It was a bit unusual as most of the employees of this area were from the "Barrios." How a nice Jewish boy from Pico/Robertson ended up working there is another story. But I digress. There were all the other minority groups there too. Asians, Blacks and of course our own people who usually were the proprietors of most of these shops that lined the blvd.
Upon hearing this news my skin began to crawl, I became tense, I had a feeling that trouble was looming ahead. When I was young, I was volatile, passionate and always ready for a fight if the cause was just. I had the feeling that I always get, just before the pugilist inside gets the better of me. I was scared that something awful was going to happen. Around 1:30 PM the little Armenian kid from the cigar stand next door came running in yelling "Larry, here they come. There coming down the street, come on, come on!" The owner of the store, who was a Holocaust survivor, was standing at the counter opposite me. I dropped what I was doing and started to walk to the front of the store. Our eyes met and locked. He did not say anything and never spoke about it afterward but I felt as if he was giving me his blessing to go and do what was necessary. He knew I was a Jew. He knew I could handle myself, as on more than one occasion I had bodily thrown out the local riffraff that was making trouble in the store. For that split second I felt a connection, a kinship, with our people who too late, fell into the Nazi grasp and were not able to do enough about it to make a difference. The ghosts of that past were urging me on through this one man's eyes who I am sure if he had been younger and healthier would have joined me on that walk out to the front of store.
When I came out the door, I looked down the block which was filled with people as it always was. About a block away rising over the sea of humanity several red flags were bobbing slightly up and down in a standard rhythm. As they came closer the "Swastika" was plainly in view. A familiar lump appeared in my throat. They were closer now, I could see them clearly. The were all dressed up in Brown shirted uniforms complete with the "Swastika" armband. They looked authentic all right. Right down to their spit and polish Jack boots which they were strutting in the goose step that was a trademark of the German Army. What was coming down the street in color I had seen many times before in black and white in the newsreels as they would bully there way down busy German streets before they came to power. It was Kafka-esque to be sure. As they came closer I could see their faces. The front of the line was where they strategically put the biggest guys. If there was violence they wanted these big, ugly looking red necks up there where they could hopefully crack enough heads to get them through any trouble that might arise. This one guy I remember was marching down the street with a smile on his face like he was enjoying the whole thing. He was just waiting for someone to make a move. That's what he was there for.
They were now about three or four doors away. I would say there was probably between 25 or 30 of them marching two by two. They carried placards with the usual racist stuff that you would expect the Nazis to incite with. Most of it was against Mexicans and other Spanish speaking people. Since this was an area that catered to Latin culture they thought it would be a good idea to have lots of insulting stuff about Mexicans. Oh, and of course I saw at least two signs about us in there. They couldn't have a march anywhere without saying something about the Jews.
They were close enough now that I could see the pimples on their faces. The scars of previous fights and the beads of sweat that were beginning to show on some of them. As they approached my muscles tightened and my fists clenched. I had decided that if trouble started I was going to go after "Smily" in the front of the line. The laws of the street say to always go after the biggest ones first. You always better your odds that way. Usually when things would get to this point, I would be concentrating too hard for me to hear anything else other than my own breathing. But something stopped me.
I heard the crowd shouting back at them. There was a groundswell of anger being directed right at them. It suddenly dawned on me that I was not alone. There were many people out there that hated what I hated. And they were expressing it in a way that only Latin tempers can do. It was beautiful. I fell back and relaxed. I let them pass because I knew they were going to have to end their little exhibition soon or they would be terribly outnumbered from the people on the street. With each step they took the crowd seemed to get louder and moved closer to them. They passed me without incident but as they were going by I saw real fear from the guys who were pulling up the rear. One young man in his early twenties seemed genuinely scared as his eyes kept darting back and forth as if an attempt to watch every move the crowd made. That was quite a contrast from that big, ugly smiling redneck they had in front. The irony of how fast the scene went from something the Nazis could control and remain confident to one where they looked intimidated and scared, is something that sticks in my mind to this day. That guy on the end looked like he would have rather been anywhere else at that moment other than in that line.
About twenty yards past my store bedlam broke. I saw the flags with the "Swastikas" go down first. Fists were flying every where and people were screaming. Non combatants were running from the scene to avoid possibly getting hurt. Every single one of the Nazis went down. None of them escaped at least minor injury. I did not partake in those activities as I was content to be a spectator. I was just too amazed that so many people could get so pissed off at one time at the people who were my mortal enemies. There were old ladies and people in wheel chairs getting into it. It was really a sight. The LAPD had their work cut out for them in breaking it up. The Nazis were taught a lesson that day. They were sent back to Glendale licking their wounds, like the dogs that they are. Its too bad some of them didn't die.
I learned something that day too. The Nazis will never be able to gain any kind of foothold here in America. Americans are just too smart for that. I believe that as long as we keep our democratic principals, groups like the KKK, the Nazis, and the Aryan Brotherhood will always remain small and at the very outskirts of our society, lest they get their butts kicked.
Recently I was reminded of some memories of a personal experience with the "American Nazi Party" I would like to share with all of you. The year was 1970. I was working while in college at a record and music store in downtown Los Angeles. Growing up in that city I never really came into contact with real live "Nazis" before. But it was no secret to the Jewish community and others that they had their Southern California headquarters located in Glendale. For those of you who are not familiar with the Los Angeles area, Glendale is a small incorporated city adjacent to L.A.
Anyway there was very little warning, not like what you have today. Around lunch time the street became buzzing with the fact that the Nazis were going to march right down Broadway and past my store. I have to point out here that this area was heavily traveled by immigrant groups. The most prevalent being, even for 1970, were the Mexicans. That part of downtown catered to the people of East L.A. Every where you walked you heard the blaring of Mariachi Music (indigenous folk music to Mexico). The smell of Mexican food wafted down the street and attacked your senses, sending images of Mexican culture, surrounding you at every turn. Spanish was heard frequently. I myself had to be bilingual to work in the store that employed me. It was a bit unusual as most of the employees of this area were from the "Barrios." How a nice Jewish boy from Pico/Robertson ended up working there is another story. But I digress. There were all the other minority groups there too. Asians, Blacks and of course our own people who usually were the proprietors of most of these shops that lined the blvd.
Upon hearing this news my skin began to crawl, I became tense, I had a feeling that trouble was looming ahead. When I was young, I was volatile, passionate and always ready for a fight if the cause was just. I had the feeling that I always get, just before the pugilist inside gets the better of me. I was scared that something awful was going to happen. Around 1:30 PM the little Armenian kid from the cigar stand next door came running in yelling "Larry, here they come. There coming down the street, come on, come on!" The owner of the store, who was a Holocaust survivor, was standing at the counter opposite me. I dropped what I was doing and started to walk to the front of the store. Our eyes met and locked. He did not say anything and never spoke about it afterward but I felt as if he was giving me his blessing to go and do what was necessary. He knew I was a Jew. He knew I could handle myself, as on more than one occasion I had bodily thrown out the local riffraff that was making trouble in the store. For that split second I felt a connection, a kinship, with our people who too late, fell into the Nazi grasp and were not able to do enough about it to make a difference. The ghosts of that past were urging me on through this one man's eyes who I am sure if he had been younger and healthier would have joined me on that walk out to the front of store.
When I came out the door, I looked down the block which was filled with people as it always was. About a block away rising over the sea of humanity several red flags were bobbing slightly up and down in a standard rhythm. As they came closer the "Swastika" was plainly in view. A familiar lump appeared in my throat. They were closer now, I could see them clearly. The were all dressed up in Brown shirted uniforms complete with the "Swastika" armband. They looked authentic all right. Right down to their spit and polish Jack boots which they were strutting in the goose step that was a trademark of the German Army. What was coming down the street in color I had seen many times before in black and white in the newsreels as they would bully there way down busy German streets before they came to power. It was Kafka-esque to be sure. As they came closer I could see their faces. The front of the line was where they strategically put the biggest guys. If there was violence they wanted these big, ugly looking red necks up there where they could hopefully crack enough heads to get them through any trouble that might arise. This one guy I remember was marching down the street with a smile on his face like he was enjoying the whole thing. He was just waiting for someone to make a move. That's what he was there for.
They were now about three or four doors away. I would say there was probably between 25 or 30 of them marching two by two. They carried placards with the usual racist stuff that you would expect the Nazis to incite with. Most of it was against Mexicans and other Spanish speaking people. Since this was an area that catered to Latin culture they thought it would be a good idea to have lots of insulting stuff about Mexicans. Oh, and of course I saw at least two signs about us in there. They couldn't have a march anywhere without saying something about the Jews.
They were close enough now that I could see the pimples on their faces. The scars of previous fights and the beads of sweat that were beginning to show on some of them. As they approached my muscles tightened and my fists clenched. I had decided that if trouble started I was going to go after "Smily" in the front of the line. The laws of the street say to always go after the biggest ones first. You always better your odds that way. Usually when things would get to this point, I would be concentrating too hard for me to hear anything else other than my own breathing. But something stopped me.
I heard the crowd shouting back at them. There was a groundswell of anger being directed right at them. It suddenly dawned on me that I was not alone. There were many people out there that hated what I hated. And they were expressing it in a way that only Latin tempers can do. It was beautiful. I fell back and relaxed. I let them pass because I knew they were going to have to end their little exhibition soon or they would be terribly outnumbered from the people on the street. With each step they took the crowd seemed to get louder and moved closer to them. They passed me without incident but as they were going by I saw real fear from the guys who were pulling up the rear. One young man in his early twenties seemed genuinely scared as his eyes kept darting back and forth as if an attempt to watch every move the crowd made. That was quite a contrast from that big, ugly smiling redneck they had in front. The irony of how fast the scene went from something the Nazis could control and remain confident to one where they looked intimidated and scared, is something that sticks in my mind to this day. That guy on the end looked like he would have rather been anywhere else at that moment other than in that line.
About twenty yards past my store bedlam broke. I saw the flags with the "Swastikas" go down first. Fists were flying every where and people were screaming. Non combatants were running from the scene to avoid possibly getting hurt. Every single one of the Nazis went down. None of them escaped at least minor injury. I did not partake in those activities as I was content to be a spectator. I was just too amazed that so many people could get so pissed off at one time at the people who were my mortal enemies. There were old ladies and people in wheel chairs getting into it. It was really a sight. The LAPD had their work cut out for them in breaking it up. The Nazis were taught a lesson that day. They were sent back to Glendale licking their wounds, like the dogs that they are. Its too bad some of them didn't die.
I learned something that day too. The Nazis will never be able to gain any kind of foothold here in America. Americans are just too smart for that. I believe that as long as we keep our democratic principals, groups like the KKK, the Nazis, and the Aryan Brotherhood will always remain small and at the very outskirts of our society, lest they get their butts kicked.
Amy Klein's Passover Message
A rebuttal to an article published around Passover time in the Jewish Journal, April, 2007. For the complete text of Ms. Klein's article "Freeing the Slaves-in Los Angeles" go to:
http://www.jewishjournal.com/articles/item/freeing_the_slaves_in_
los_angeles_20070330/
Her picture shines at the top of the page, unassuming, kind, gentle completely unthreatening. The article begins by explaining the horrible conditions of how this deserving young woman was forced to endure an undeserving living condition when she first came to the United States. She told of the loss of a child back in Mexico because she “didn’t have the money to save her.” She promised herself that would never happen again and that her three surviving children’s lives would be different from now on. With typical unwavering rugged individualism that is so admired in American culture, she came determined to make that change. Unfortunately her plans didn’t work out. She hooked up with some ner-do-well who outfitted her in a sweatshop in some dingy unsafe factory setting in downtown Los Angeles. She was not allowed to go and come as she pleased. She was at the complete mercy of her handler. She earned pennies on the dollar to what others earned doing relatively the same work. A faceless coworker took pity on her and slipped here a phone number one day. This was the beginning of her way out. With the cunning of a natural human soul yearning to be free she eventually convinced her overseer to allow her to go to church. Instead, she went directly to a phone booth and called the still nameless, faceless hero. She was out, and she never looked back!
This is a paraphrased account of Amy Klein’s “Freeing the Slaves-in Los Angeles,” published in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles in March, 2007. It is during Passover time when Jews remember how it was to live as slaves in Egypt. Ms. Klein’s portrait of modern day slavery was meant to bring the feeling home for Jews remembering the humbleness of their origins. If any one isn’t free, are any of us free? That is pretty heady stuff for Jews to assimilate, especially during Passover time.
The young woman showcased in the article was commended for her determination, strength of character, and the ability to endure against, what was apparently, all odds. Her name was Flor and Ms. Klein labeled this a story of modern slavery. Americans in general are particularly sensitive about slavery in their country since they fought a war over it 150 years ago with ramifications that still reverberate through American life. Flor made it out, but how many remain? That is the question that Ms. Klein wanted to convey to the Jewish community during the Passover holiday.
Those are good questions and they should be looked into but there are so many problems with the tenor and direction of this story I hardly know where to begin with this critique. Let me start by asking some questions. Is this really slavery as we have come to know the word? Flor was not taken from her home forcibly, she came of her own free will. In other places where slavery is a confirmed problem, like the Sudan for example, slavery is a brutal, vicious condition that cannot be denied. Iabolish.org writes that in the Sudan,
--------militiamen destroy villages and take their pay in human booty. Grown men are shot, but women and children are the marauders' most prized reward. Forced labor without pay, severe beatings, acute hunger, forced religious and cultural conversion, rape, and ritual female genital mutilation are grim realities for the tens of thousands of children and young mothers now in bondage.-----------
Yes, Flor was treated unfairly but her experience doesn’t reflect the inhumanity described above. She was forced to work long hours, and I’m sure her treatment was a crime but, again is this slavery? Slaves aren’t generally paid for their work but Ms. Klein indicated Flor received pay, even though she was cheated out of some of that money which only adds to the crime already committed. “Her trafficker wrote up her pay stub for only a few hours' work and made Flor sign it.” Slaves in the Arab world , as they were historically here in the United States and elsewhere, are never paid for their work.
Were any black people interviewed for this story? I think the black community might have a problem calling this “slavery” the same way Jews might have a problem with the ease of how the word “Holocaust” is used in today’s lexicon. “The Israelis are committing a holocaust against our people (The Palestinians).” Yasser Arafat, 2003.
Ms. Klein seems to be selective in her condemnation of the problem. “Traffickers sell slaves to Europe, Israel and, increasingly, to North America.” It is entirely suspect that the Arab world is left out of this equation. I only used the Sudan as an example above, but a relatively easy Internet search will reveal that slavery in the Arab world is wide spread and strong. And it exists in its most barbaric forms. Almost every international human rights group lists slavery in the Arab world as a huge problem. I can’t believe that this was just some editorial oversight. It is noteworthy that only the west is mentioned as a proponent of modern day slavery. We here in the free world allow the worst form of human bondage imaginable. And, that according to Ms. Klein is embodied in Flor’s story. Outrageous!
But, Ms. Klein, in her mind set wanted to draw attention to the problem, but the solutions she gave naively will not solve it. She does not identify the real source. Instead she by passes it and blames the problem on Western values. If we want to eliminate American slavery as exposed by the Flors of the world then we must attack the problem at its source. That is the runaway, chaotic, anarchy that exists on the Southern open border of the United States. There are so many serious cultural and legal issues arising out of our de facto open border policy that Flor’s predicament is only the tip of the iceberg. The increase in crime across the board and our inability to combat it is seriously eroding the quality of life in this country. America, in certain microcosmic areas is beginning to show signs of disintegrating. Southern California is one of those examples that the rest of the country can look to if they want to understand exactly how serious this problem has become. One only has to study the siphoning off of revenue to other social services to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves to understand the desperate situation in education, health care, police and fire, road building and repair. All social, political and economic services are affected by this problem. Illegals coming from south of the border just like Flor cover a large portion of that population.
I wondered, as I was reading, why there was no mention of racism. Surely in an anti Western accusation such as this there has to be room for racism. It just wouldn't be complete without it. Did Ms. Klein forget to include it? I fully expected to see it sometime before I finished the article. And, then I come across this, “Flor's trafficker is a cousin of the mayor of her hometown.” One can only imagine the field day that Ms. Klein would have had if Flor’s trafficker would have been white. It would have increased the length of the piece at least three paragraphs.
Ms. Klein points to several Los Angeles politicians who are working hard to see that Flor and all others like her are to be set free. “On Jan. 11, (Councilman Eric) Garcetti, Councilman Tony Cardenas and LAPD Chief William Bratton gathered with other officials to announce the declaration of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.” What a pompous gathering that must have been. Those three gentlemen are part of Ms Klein’s America that says we do not need to be concerned about illegal immigration. They support special order no. 40 which forbids police from investigating a criminal’s immigration status. They support legislation which promotes and continues to strengthen an already out of control sanctuary policy for L.A. They refuse to do anything about the problem usually citing it as federal government responsibility. That’s the George Bush government that claims "they only do the jobs that Americans won’t do." I wrote to all three cited in the article asking for clarification and none would respond to my query. I don’t know if they are just plain cowards or they actually share some hidden delight in watching American sovereignty disintegrate with each passing year.
There was more than one crime committed in this story. First, and foremost, the innocent young woman named Flor should have never gone through this kind of treatment. The people involved on both sides of the border should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Second, and maybe the more insidious of the two, is the continuing denial of the political left in this country that refuses to acknowledge where these kinds of problems originate and their hijacking of the political process to keep them hidden.
This article has less to do with slavery than it does an unwilling population to have the courage to stand up and say that is enough. It certainly holds no positive reflection for Jews at Passover. We should not be proud as Klein’s article is meant to make us feel, we should be ashamed that we have allowed this to happen. We should be slightly fearful that it is getting worse, not better. Amy Klein’s article has a maligning seditious ring to it. It confirms a continuing slide into chaos and cultural disorder. Remove the possibility of open southern borders and you will clear up at least 95% of this problem almost immediately.
Ms. Klein could have chosen to write about the real horrors of slavery in the Islamic world, the brutal capture of human beings treated no better than animals, the death and the stench of oppression. That would have been a real Passover message. All would have benefited from such an article. Instead she chose to write something that would satisfy left wing thinking, filled with progressive psychobabble with politically correct distortions and revised truths. Only a few misguided people who have lost their sense of freedom somewhere along the way, can read Ms. Klein's article and shake their heads yes and say to themselves, “now I can have meaning to my Passover Seder.”
http://www.jewishjournal.com/articles/item/freeing_the_slaves_in_
los_angeles_20070330/
Her picture shines at the top of the page, unassuming, kind, gentle completely unthreatening. The article begins by explaining the horrible conditions of how this deserving young woman was forced to endure an undeserving living condition when she first came to the United States. She told of the loss of a child back in Mexico because she “didn’t have the money to save her.” She promised herself that would never happen again and that her three surviving children’s lives would be different from now on. With typical unwavering rugged individualism that is so admired in American culture, she came determined to make that change. Unfortunately her plans didn’t work out. She hooked up with some ner-do-well who outfitted her in a sweatshop in some dingy unsafe factory setting in downtown Los Angeles. She was not allowed to go and come as she pleased. She was at the complete mercy of her handler. She earned pennies on the dollar to what others earned doing relatively the same work. A faceless coworker took pity on her and slipped here a phone number one day. This was the beginning of her way out. With the cunning of a natural human soul yearning to be free she eventually convinced her overseer to allow her to go to church. Instead, she went directly to a phone booth and called the still nameless, faceless hero. She was out, and she never looked back!
This is a paraphrased account of Amy Klein’s “Freeing the Slaves-in Los Angeles,” published in the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles in March, 2007. It is during Passover time when Jews remember how it was to live as slaves in Egypt. Ms. Klein’s portrait of modern day slavery was meant to bring the feeling home for Jews remembering the humbleness of their origins. If any one isn’t free, are any of us free? That is pretty heady stuff for Jews to assimilate, especially during Passover time.
The young woman showcased in the article was commended for her determination, strength of character, and the ability to endure against, what was apparently, all odds. Her name was Flor and Ms. Klein labeled this a story of modern slavery. Americans in general are particularly sensitive about slavery in their country since they fought a war over it 150 years ago with ramifications that still reverberate through American life. Flor made it out, but how many remain? That is the question that Ms. Klein wanted to convey to the Jewish community during the Passover holiday.
Those are good questions and they should be looked into but there are so many problems with the tenor and direction of this story I hardly know where to begin with this critique. Let me start by asking some questions. Is this really slavery as we have come to know the word? Flor was not taken from her home forcibly, she came of her own free will. In other places where slavery is a confirmed problem, like the Sudan for example, slavery is a brutal, vicious condition that cannot be denied. Iabolish.org writes that in the Sudan,
--------militiamen destroy villages and take their pay in human booty. Grown men are shot, but women and children are the marauders' most prized reward. Forced labor without pay, severe beatings, acute hunger, forced religious and cultural conversion, rape, and ritual female genital mutilation are grim realities for the tens of thousands of children and young mothers now in bondage.-----------
Yes, Flor was treated unfairly but her experience doesn’t reflect the inhumanity described above. She was forced to work long hours, and I’m sure her treatment was a crime but, again is this slavery? Slaves aren’t generally paid for their work but Ms. Klein indicated Flor received pay, even though she was cheated out of some of that money which only adds to the crime already committed. “Her trafficker wrote up her pay stub for only a few hours' work and made Flor sign it.” Slaves in the Arab world , as they were historically here in the United States and elsewhere, are never paid for their work.
Were any black people interviewed for this story? I think the black community might have a problem calling this “slavery” the same way Jews might have a problem with the ease of how the word “Holocaust” is used in today’s lexicon. “The Israelis are committing a holocaust against our people (The Palestinians).” Yasser Arafat, 2003.
Ms. Klein seems to be selective in her condemnation of the problem. “Traffickers sell slaves to Europe, Israel and, increasingly, to North America.” It is entirely suspect that the Arab world is left out of this equation. I only used the Sudan as an example above, but a relatively easy Internet search will reveal that slavery in the Arab world is wide spread and strong. And it exists in its most barbaric forms. Almost every international human rights group lists slavery in the Arab world as a huge problem. I can’t believe that this was just some editorial oversight. It is noteworthy that only the west is mentioned as a proponent of modern day slavery. We here in the free world allow the worst form of human bondage imaginable. And, that according to Ms. Klein is embodied in Flor’s story. Outrageous!
But, Ms. Klein, in her mind set wanted to draw attention to the problem, but the solutions she gave naively will not solve it. She does not identify the real source. Instead she by passes it and blames the problem on Western values. If we want to eliminate American slavery as exposed by the Flors of the world then we must attack the problem at its source. That is the runaway, chaotic, anarchy that exists on the Southern open border of the United States. There are so many serious cultural and legal issues arising out of our de facto open border policy that Flor’s predicament is only the tip of the iceberg. The increase in crime across the board and our inability to combat it is seriously eroding the quality of life in this country. America, in certain microcosmic areas is beginning to show signs of disintegrating. Southern California is one of those examples that the rest of the country can look to if they want to understand exactly how serious this problem has become. One only has to study the siphoning off of revenue to other social services to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves to understand the desperate situation in education, health care, police and fire, road building and repair. All social, political and economic services are affected by this problem. Illegals coming from south of the border just like Flor cover a large portion of that population.
I wondered, as I was reading, why there was no mention of racism. Surely in an anti Western accusation such as this there has to be room for racism. It just wouldn't be complete without it. Did Ms. Klein forget to include it? I fully expected to see it sometime before I finished the article. And, then I come across this, “Flor's trafficker is a cousin of the mayor of her hometown.” One can only imagine the field day that Ms. Klein would have had if Flor’s trafficker would have been white. It would have increased the length of the piece at least three paragraphs.
Ms. Klein points to several Los Angeles politicians who are working hard to see that Flor and all others like her are to be set free. “On Jan. 11, (Councilman Eric) Garcetti, Councilman Tony Cardenas and LAPD Chief William Bratton gathered with other officials to announce the declaration of National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.” What a pompous gathering that must have been. Those three gentlemen are part of Ms Klein’s America that says we do not need to be concerned about illegal immigration. They support special order no. 40 which forbids police from investigating a criminal’s immigration status. They support legislation which promotes and continues to strengthen an already out of control sanctuary policy for L.A. They refuse to do anything about the problem usually citing it as federal government responsibility. That’s the George Bush government that claims "they only do the jobs that Americans won’t do." I wrote to all three cited in the article asking for clarification and none would respond to my query. I don’t know if they are just plain cowards or they actually share some hidden delight in watching American sovereignty disintegrate with each passing year.
There was more than one crime committed in this story. First, and foremost, the innocent young woman named Flor should have never gone through this kind of treatment. The people involved on both sides of the border should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. Second, and maybe the more insidious of the two, is the continuing denial of the political left in this country that refuses to acknowledge where these kinds of problems originate and their hijacking of the political process to keep them hidden.
This article has less to do with slavery than it does an unwilling population to have the courage to stand up and say that is enough. It certainly holds no positive reflection for Jews at Passover. We should not be proud as Klein’s article is meant to make us feel, we should be ashamed that we have allowed this to happen. We should be slightly fearful that it is getting worse, not better. Amy Klein’s article has a maligning seditious ring to it. It confirms a continuing slide into chaos and cultural disorder. Remove the possibility of open southern borders and you will clear up at least 95% of this problem almost immediately.
Ms. Klein could have chosen to write about the real horrors of slavery in the Islamic world, the brutal capture of human beings treated no better than animals, the death and the stench of oppression. That would have been a real Passover message. All would have benefited from such an article. Instead she chose to write something that would satisfy left wing thinking, filled with progressive psychobabble with politically correct distortions and revised truths. Only a few misguided people who have lost their sense of freedom somewhere along the way, can read Ms. Klein's article and shake their heads yes and say to themselves, “now I can have meaning to my Passover Seder.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)