A Few Laughs But a Lot of Tears

[[[[[[[[[[[[The following is my rebuttal to Rob Eshman’s attempt at satire, but failed to disclaim that when he published in the Jewish Journal during the week of November 14-20^th. Satire or not, this still validates my argument that we are spending far too much time on this issue at the expense of some very serious, complex problems in our world today. For the text of Eshman's op ed go to http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/it_cant_happen_here_20081111/]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

I always seem to come away from Rob Eshman’s editorials asking more questions than getting answers. I guess I should be thankful that at least he isn’t a teacher in LAUSD. You would think with all the serious problems we have in this world, and moving ever closer to a collapse of Western civilization either through enemies seeking to destroy us or through our own devises financially, or maybe a combination of both, that even the hardest to convince would let the lesser issues go, but it is just not to be.

Somewhere in the world while you are reading these words someone is planning your demise. There is a malevolent entity scheming ,preparing, rubbing its hands together, waiting for the right moment to strike, just when we would be the most off guard.

It is quite possible, that Rob Eshman and his Left wing collaborators have provided that spark to light the fuse. (“It Can’t Happen Here,” November 14-20.) Gay marriage is a small insignificant issue. We are spending an inordinate amount of time discussing it. Gay people have already been given the same rights as heterosexual people through a series of passed laws that define their co habitation with one another, namely civil unions. But, Eshman as inane as it was, used his bully pulpit this week to strike fear into Jews saying that the passage of Prop 8 will bring on an Anti-Semitism never before experienced in our society.

Stratfor reported this week that Mexican drug cartels are now stockpiling large caches of advanced weaponry and they are using them against us. The warning signs are clear. The open southern border policy of the United States continues to deteriorate and now the drug cartels seem to have the intention of taking over that border by force.

Eshman’s convoluted logic draws some warped juxtaposed analogies. I couldn’t help thinking as I struggled to get through this embarrassing attempt at sounding an alarm that he was trying to compare and contrast the Right’s genuine fear that legalized gay marriage will lead to the legalization of currently considered aberrant behaviors, like incest, or NAMBLA. Eshman’s laughable contra-action, a movement in 2012 to make illegal, marriages between Jewish men and Jewish women.

This week Iran said it successfully tested a two-stage solid-fuel missile with a 1200 mile range, fully capable of hitting Tel Aviv. That is bad enough conventionally but how much longer until it can carry a nuclear payload?

Of course, he doesn’t name the source that’s giving this information. I wonder if Eshman or his staff that interviewed this nameless, faceless, unknown threat to the Jews he refers to only as “the organizer”, made a point of telling him that a ballot initiative preventing Jews from marrying other Jews is not necessary because Jews already are marrying outside their faith on their own at alarming numbers.

Israel just spent the week in bloody exchanges with the Gazans over…well… over nothing, probably just hatred of Jews and Israel.

Eshman instead reaches deep into the recesses of Jewish fears that the remnant of anti-Semitic Christian Europe will once again rise up to prevent Jews from practicing their religion by not allowing them to marry each other because “the organizer” believes this violates his rights and forces him to honor the Jewish choice of marrying each other. What?

The real anti-Semitism in this country has already begun its drive to force Rahm Emanuel to step down from his job with the unfortunate comments made by his revisionist father in Israel this passed week. That didn’t take long.

Eshman claims that the Prop 8 support coalition “feels the wind at their backs” and the momentum is building to move on to get the Jews. That is utter nonsense. Yes on Prop 8 people are under attack and are in no position to go on any offensive, whether it’s the Eshman argument in this article or any other. They are too busy hunkering down to protect themselves in the face of the most fascist inspired display of post election disregard for democracy that I ever seen in my lifetime in this country. I expect that kind of thing coming from the West Bank, not from West Hollywood. This is what we really should be fearing, not the passage of prop 8, but the totalitarianism of the elitist minority not to accept the will of the people. Rob Eshman and his allies on the Left should do the right thing and call off those dogs while there is still a chance to do so before somebody gets killed over it.

The election is over. It’s time to return to the business at hand, insuring the ushering in of the smooth transition of power of one administration for another. A foundational underpinning of the democracy we all cherish is where we should be focused at this moment. The next administration is going to have a full plate on January 21^st and we all need to be ready for it. I really hope that Rob Eshman returns to that mindset next week. He can choose any of the topics I mentioned here or go to another one of his choice. There is no shortage of important issues to be dealt with in this dangerously changing world of ours.

The Obama Khalidi Connection

A letter to the editors at Jewish Journal bringing out the shameful omission of Obama's connection with an enemy of the State of Israel.

I was shocked and disturbed that the Khalidi controversy was not covered in the Los Angeles Jewish Journal this passed week. Khalidi, the somewhat infamous but mostly unknown self described enemy of the State of Israel, is a very distinguished and admired professor, first at the University of Chicago and more recently of Colombia University in New York. He has an articulate manner of anti Israel bias that has wooed Jewish intellectuals, professors, and apparently journalists in the English speaking world to his way of seeing things. Could that be what is going on with the Jewish Journal?

Not a mention in this week’s Journal. But, that is not surprising, as the paper that broke the story The L.A. Times, is mum about what else they know about an infamous dinner engagement in 2003 when Obama broke bread with some of the worst terrorist sympathizers this country has to offer. The guest list probably read more like the hounds of Hell rather than a distinguish list of intellectuals, democratic politicians, college professors, and of course our future president. The Times has become part of the story since they will not release a tape of the dinner. Anyone who is familiar with the murderous tendencies of Israel’s enemies can guess what is probably on it. No wonder they will not release it. Can any clear thinking person who understands the simplicity of right and wrong sit while that was going on? One can only wonder how a future president of the United States can sit through so much hate and not walk out. Yet he did. And, he is about to become our commander and chief and the Jewish Journal can say nothing? Both The Times and the Jewish Journal of Los Angeles has enthusiastically endorsed Barack Obama for president.

Since the Journal has more interest in satisfying a political agenda than protecting its own, I have a few more questions. What will this portend for us as a people in an Obama administration? Can we expect Khalidi and others like Farrakhan, Reverend Wright, Bill Ayers, et al., to be invited to state dinners at the White House? Would the Journal be silent about that also? Could we be possibly looking at an end to the “Special” relationship between Israel and the United States begun 50 years ago by John F. Kennedy. Can we expect from the Obama “change” mantra the rape of Israel and its bloody violent death? If that happens in an Obama administration who do we blame? Obama? Khalidi? the Reprublicans?

Now, for the answers. We can blame ourselves because we have seen fit to keep silent from the warning signs. I hate to be so cheesy as to make Holocaust references but the last time we ignored signs like this was during Hitler’s rise to power. As the powerful and influential in the German Jewish community took out full page adds in the papers siding with Hitler’s National Socialism and writing off his threats to do away with Jews by saying “he would never do that, Germany cannot survive without its Jews.” Once again we are going like lambs to the slaughter. Does this silence mean the Journal believes that an Obama administration will live up to its campaign promises concerning Israel even though the writing on the wall is somewhat different. The State of Israel is in danger in an Obama administration. And, the Jewish Journal will not print the information.

I would call this cowardly but somehow that just doesn’t seem right. It is treasonous that a newspaper, with an almost exclusive Jewish readership, would choose to turn its back on a growing threat to Israel. In other words the Journal has now cross the line and no longer considers itself a Jewish community newspaper but a Democratic Party rag. Where is the courage in that?

An Open Letter to Mona Eltahawy

A response to Mona Eltahawy regarding “ Fear of an Obama Planet Grips Some Americans,” From the Jewish Journal, July 16, 2008. For the original Eltahawy article go to http://www.jewishjournal.com/opinion/article/fear_of_an_obama_planet_grips_
some_americans_20080716/

Mona,

Let me qualify myself so you don’t write me off as some online right wing kook. Well, you might but you should know anyway that I, like Obama, and you, have traveled. I have also lived abroad. And, I have family in several countries. I might add, in case you want to use it against me under your breadth also have numerous friends all over the globe. The difference is that I do not share your vision of your so called “Obama world.” Here’s why.

I would strongly disagree with your friend and dinner partner during that mystical night in Mumbai a few weeks ago when he “turned to (you) and proclaimed ‘Americans are inherently stupid.’” For someone whose country was torn apart because Hindu and Muslim could not find common ground to live together, I think he should hold his tongue. As far as Egypt is concern, that is certainly no bastion of freedom and equality either. I’ve been to Cairo, Mona, I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Americans are not perfect but at least we struggle with the questions of modern humanity, and because of that strive to solve some of those perplexing problems that face us as a world community. As far as I can see Egyptians and Indians have done none of that.

It is people like Sanjay and that Sri Lankan woman, who because of her noisy eavesdropping couldn’t help but join in, that creates all the hate in the world. You and your friends Mona, are small minded people who cannot see the bigger picture of all the good that America has done and the sacrifice that Americans have made on your behalf. It appears that you had a real good laugh over the ignorant questions whether Egypt had fresh fruit or Sri Lanka had bread. Mona, while your dad was growing up did he think that the streets of America were lined with gold?

You may be an expert on Arab and Muslim issues but you don’t know Americans very well. Ignorance of one’s people I guess works both ways. Americans who oppose Obama do not fear him because he is black. That is so typical of the bigoted, intolerant narrow thinking that regards us as “stupid.” First, You might just get that “Obama world” you seek, as he has an excellent chance of becoming the next President of the United States. If that happens that means that many of the same people who voted for George Bush in 2004 will have to vote for Obama in order for him to win. How do you explain that? I look forward to you answering that question in November in these pages. Second, the problem that some Americans have with Obama is not because he is black, it’s because of his politics. I know this is something that you and Sanjay might not understand but the vast majority of us do vote for people on that basis, not because of who they are, the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, or where they come from. I will remind you that this is America and are we are a free people. Free to vote for and choose the government we wish. I don’t think that exists in the Egyptian state system, does it?

Instead of asking your high browed, stuck up architect friend about Americans why don’t you ask the Africans whose lives have been saved because of the simple Mosquito net which was set up and mass produced American style, with the direct help of the Bush administration and has saved hundreds of thousands of lives because of its success. Or, why you are at it, ask them about that peanut butter substance, profiled on 60 minutes several times, the most recent a couple of weeks ago, that is literally saving lives of countless children who otherwise would die of malnutrition and starvation. Or, how about the Americans that sacrificed their lives in trying to help the Somalis during the now famous “Black Hawk Down” incident? Have the Indians or Egyptians done anything like that lately?

Americans do a lot of good in the world. They feed the hungry, clothe the naked and medicate the sick. Trillions of hard earned American dollars, the same Americans you think are so “stupid,” go into providing these programs. Americans give and give and give some more. Forget about Egypt and India, have any non white European countries practiced that kind of humanitarian effort lately? The Saudis? The Kuwatis? They certainly have the money, what have they done?

Frankly, I don’t know why the Jewish Journal puts up with your kind of hatred. You don’t have to be a “right winger” to love this country. Especially, for us Jews who after centuries of wandering have finally found a home that treats us as equals. And, without America and the clear righteous thinking of American, white, European descended Christians, it is questionable whether Israel would be celebrating its 60^th birthday this year. Again, these are the same Americans you had such a good time laughing about at your little dinner party in Mumbai. You might just get that “Obama world” that you are not able to vote for. But, remember this, this is not Egypt, a president must answer to his people, and even the radical principles of leftists like Obama will not bring this country down.

Just another Stupid American