GRIZZLY BEARS AND PEOPLE

  Edward Abbey, an American writer, conservationist from the 20thcentury, asked "Are people more important than the grizzly bear? Only from the point of view of some people." 

That alone raises the question as to why such a question needed to be asked. I believe it was and remains a clue to the extremes to which people can go to support a view. an opinion of theirs. The rankings people assign to their beliefs are often the sparking point for war -verbal and otherwise, properly or viciously. The choice of tone and conduct or approach remains with the participants in the debate, but unfortunately, particularly in todays' times, there is little remaining of the classic civilized tone. Scholarly refined debate has given way to the raucous debate, one of ignorance and noise, as ignoramuses who think that yelling and talking over another is the way to go. The result? A growing lack of functional intelligence, a dearth of correct information, and a whole lot of Shakespeare's "sound and fury signifying nothing".  It is a nothing which signals, in turn, the destruction of society as we know it -and a very poor substitute replacing it. WE chose it. WE accepted it. WE root for it. And WE are the ones who must repair it.

Hence the title. Our priorities are skewed. 100%, the people of this planet have ruined and endangered it and life upon it. Worse, even as the climate changes have grown in number and intensity, in harm to life and limb, there are idiots denying the changes, refusing any and all attempts to address the issue. The result is a conversation now conducted more in shouts and noise, no sane conversation possible, no livable compromises to be made. The result will be an unlivable planet as extremists on both sides choose an either/or approach, allowing only for a nearly upon us disaster and a very uncertain future.

Unfortunately, this either/or extremist approach has infected almost every point of contention. We see neither the forests nor the trees, blundering on in the worst manner possible. Topics of debate go from zero to 150 in a nano second and no one hears the other. Dissension and disagreement grow in toxicity, violence and bloodshed accompanying it.    

Today, I say that I vehemently disagreed with Netanyahu's fiddling with the Supreme Court of Israel, a dangerous fundamental meddling, inspired by extremists with nefarious goals. However, I also just as firmly believe he is a patriot and is exactly the wartime leader we need. After the war is time enough to challenge, to change government, to try to compromise sanely, to avoid cracks within the family which encourage the enemy.

  If we do not pull ourselves together and pull together, we will empower our enemies, and they are many and vast. Deep into their campaign to neutralize and then disappear the nation of Israel, deny it the right of self-determination, to an ancestral homeland, our internal dissension at this point feeding their external hate.    

This bloody damned war was foisted upon us by the critters of Hamas, who frankly do not deserve the right to surrender and regroup. Only hate lives within. Their tactics of war are vicious, criminal, yet the world blames Israel for the sins of Hamas. False claims of starvation even as there is plenty.     Retrieve it from Hamas and black marketers. The     Red Cross demands access to Gazan terrorists and sues for it, though apparently the hostages are not as important, merely Jews, so hang back on that.  Where are our babies? Where are the grandparents, the parents, the young women? The remaining young men? Who is alive? Dead? Too broken,   brutalized beyond all comprehension?

With whom are we to talk? With whom to compromise? A Hamas murderer and coward? To a world who wants us, the attacked, the aggrieved to immediately institute a ceasefire, on the cusp of victory. WITHOUT a hostage release simultaneously? No! 

There is, among the many sad tunes of this war a revival of an older song of defiance, singing loud, and strong that Israel will not be defeated. Not the state, not the people, not the Jews around the world. This defiance has kept us alive for millennia and the haters and bigots, the murderers of today will not win. Will. Not. Win.

This weekend we celebrate the holiday of Purim wherein there was an attempt to destroy, kill, the Jews of Babylon, falsely accused of disloyalty to the King. It was to be a surprise attack. However, due to the bravery of Queen Esther and the wise words of Mordecai, the Jews were forewarned and fought back, defeated the enemy. Haman and his sons were hanged high, and the message was clear.   

     DON'T MESS WITH THE JEWS.

IT IS A LOSING BATTLE FOR YOU.

DON'T MESS WITH US.

CHAG PURIM SAMEACH.

HAVE A WONDERFUL HAPPY PURIM.

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Yitzy, you have a great Purim up there. Get a costume, sing and dance, not too much wine, but lots of candy and hamantaschen, and lots of laughter and smiles.

Love you, sweet boy.

Saba said to be sure to remind you that he loves you a whole bunch. But you already knew that.

Always and forever. Always and forever.