BUT WHAT IF IT IS?

  Broke, that is. We are all quite familiar with the saying," If it ain't broke, don't fix it". We never seem to follow through with what inevitably comes along with that saying. We never add the corollary - what if it is broke? What then? And what do we do when the definitions of being broke differ greatly from one person or group to another? Is there any way to meld these differing opinions? Is there any patented way to fix these "broke' things, along with the challenged mores and promises of society? Unfortunately, I believe the answer is in the negative.

What is broke, you question. For one, America is broke. Its spine has been shattered and it is only via a stubborn cadre of those who refuse to give up on the beautiful idea and reality of an America, keep it going. But are they breathing air, doing CPR on a doomed idea whose time has come and gone? Honestly, I find myself shifting from one opinion to the other. 

America is not the nation it was once upon a time. No, it was never perfect, but then again, the only perfection to be found is up there, you know with G-d and His angels. Not here. Humans tend to err. Humans tend to favor some negatives of life behavior. But humans also seek to improve, and along with those seekers come the camp followers. Those who see its importance, those who have come to understand and accept, who know that the 'broke' must be addressed. Sadly, among these camp followers are those who wish to destroy this movement, to frustrate any attempt to fix the broke, To the point of denying that it even exists. Much easier to deny reality than try to fix it.

There is a growing 'meanness" in our modern America. We are returning to a time of hate, skipping over the progress made over the centuries. W deny truths, refuse to follow their threads, and refuse to acknowledge the harm done nor recognize the danger these troglodytes are to the survival of America as we know, or knew it. 

Full disclosure, there is a growing meanness in me as well. So tired of all the delay, of the astonishing cynicism of the GOP who back a manifestly evil, dangerous traitor to the country, a man who along with his enablers has brought this nation to its knees, teetering on the brink of falling over on its face. They back him or not based on his "electability', not on his crimes, his moral breakdown, his evident dementia. Nope, that would be too correct and an admission that indeed, the system was broke, much due to the machinations of Trump and the acquiescence of the GOP. Destructive spanners can still be thrown into the mess, and we must be watchful. So yes, I did a happy little jig that at last he was being booked.

The nation and in fact, the world, remains 'broke' to the point of indulging a bloody retrogression to a hatred seemingly from the time of Abraham, the first acknowledged Jew, through the ages, right to the very times we live in. In fact, it is indeed a good time for the purveyors of a vicious and violent antisemitism, which encompasses any and all pertaining to the Jewish nation; to the contradictory espousal of Holocaust denial even as they praise it and then condemn it for not going far enough, for falling short of is goal- the destruction of an entire people. 

So yes, things are indeed 'broke' these days. We must address the brokenness. Haters stood with banners flying outside Disney World, pushing hate and violence. The strategy behind this small, but not so small 'protest'? 

" ... that OBS and other extremist organizations “work together in the state of Florida in order to make themselves appear bigger than they are to both intimidate communities, but also to normalize their anti-Semitism and normalize their other forms of hate as well.”

“You know, they want these sorts of things to be a common occurrence. So that people will sort of get used to this and become desensitized.”

Unfortunately, in trying to fix this crack in the structure of our nation, we often go to the other extreme and thereby turn off those who would follow a more moderate, tempered, path to equity. To address the issues that are contained within the broke part of society is not to encourage this hate by turning society against itself. Claiming embarrassment of one's origin, of denying one's ethnic background or skin color or religion, whatever goes into the soup of identification, is not the way. It merely encourages further negativity within society.  To do so, to follow that path is to create more antagonism, more brokenness.

 Certainly, Jews have waited long enough, been persecuted, oppressed, murdered, tortured, through the ages. Certainly, Black people have undergone the torments of slavery, of denial of their very humanity. However, to do to others as they have done to you is not the answer. Violence is and should always be a last resort. Violence is an admission of failure, of victory for the ignorance and failings of humanity.

We must get it right and quickly. The cracks are growing. It is certainly not a good feeling when one awakes to leaflets on the lawn urging your death or to be pulled over for DWB. To be derided as an Asian or to be called any derogatory term and threatened with active hate is grossly wrong. For anyone, as we all have been in the same boat. separate or together. Time enough to take that forced separateness or togetherness and turn it and its pushers upside down.

Use that togetherness to upset their applecart. Use it for the good. For tikkun olam, the Jewish imperative to fix this world, to do something, even a little bit, for little bits add up, do they not?

We can fix 'broke'. 

We must act together, in concert, in harmony.

Together - Together we can achieve it all. 

Together we can

HEAL THE WORLD.

HEAL YITZY!

Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu. 

May he be granted a timely and complete healing.

May he always remain on the road of faith, healing and strength.

May we all walk on that same road.

May Hashem hear all our voices raised in prayer. 

Amen. Amen.