WHO AM I?

 This is the soul deep question, the existential question that Joubert asked of himself before the answer shocked him and he jumped to his death. He could not bear what he had become, who he had been in the past, and what that all meant to his present and his future. Unable to withstand the pain, and the unveiling of the truth of his life, perhaps afraid of the consequences of that past and present, rightfully so as consequences must have a place in society else society is foredoomed to failure.

There, within that issue of consequences is a root of present-day dissolution, devolving society. We have taken upon ourselves a new standard of behavior and consequences. The murderer of parents now pleads for mercy as an orphan.  A bomber says he thought acting out was okay; he had been doing  that increasingly yet never truly received a consequence commensurate with his misdeeds. Hence - why not place a bomb; nothing will happen to me anyway. 

A misbehaving child escalating throughout his life,   finally falling afoul of the law, suddenly there is real shock as mandatory levels of consequences which must be paid fall into place. Till this point there had been nothing, zilch, nada, nary an iota of meaningful punishment for misbehavior. A time out. A loss of a privilege that parents lessen a week later. A sincere talking to wherein the parent explains the misdeed, why it is not acceptable, and a promise by the child to be good, never repeat his offense. He does not as he moves on and upwards in this nascent, and growing career.    

All leading to stupid college kids who insert themselves into venues of major consequence and import, giggling, wearing matching t-shirts so the media can pick it up, continuing the practice of giveaway t-shirts of younger days. Such fun this   game of makebelieve grownups.    Even as they disremember that indeed, the whole world is watching as are prospective future employers. 

Oops, there goes the job offer, rescinded when the CEO was horrified at your enthusiastic supporting of murder, of hate crimes legitimized, blaming the slaughtered, the raped, the kidnapped, the tortured, the burned, the infants, as arbiters of their fate. Simply for living. Simply for stating emphatically their right to live freely, safe from harm. Like everybody. 

Oh, you say, they are Jews, hence, the standards do not apply. Well, hate to bust your bubble - not really -  you are Jewish too and are being used by cynical murderers clever and diabolical enough to use the victims against their own, and then put them at the end of the line. To share the same fate. Friends? As history teaches us that they are either finished or become turncoats. Not such good friends after all. The hate they espouse, and champion will be internalized and turn around and shoot right at you.      You have forgotten who you are and where you   come from. You have forgotten history. You have abandoned decency, loyalty, a united society, turning on yourself as you are being hoodwinked by truly vicious people. 

Who am I? I am a Jew. I am an American. I was and am an educator. I am a mother, a daughter, a granddaughter and a grandparent. An aunt and a sister. I cannot live with the sights behind my   eyes, the pictures and the descriptive words of the attack and their stated motivations.   

Now -Who. Are. You.

 Who. Do. Others.  Think. You. Are. 

Who Will. You. Be. In. The. Future.

On your answers rests your future, rests your interpretation and definition of human being.

Most important -if you are human.

Come back to your people. They welcome you. Bring your friends if they are indeed friends.

Unite, together, for what is right.

HEAL OURSELVES.

• HEAL THE WORLD.

  HEAL YITZY!

  Yitzchak Elimelech ben Chana Sarah

  May he be granted refuah shelaymah bimheyrah beyameinu.

  AMEN. AMEN

  AM YISROEL CHAI.

"May the Omnipresent One have mercy on our brothers the whole House of Israel who are in distress or captivity, whether on sea or land. May He lead them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, and from oppression to redemption, now, swiftly and soon - and let us say: AMEN.