SAY WHAT?

  At times these days we have to wonder, "did I really hear that? or "did he/she really say that?" We check the screen, we check our eyes and ears, and wonder what the heck is going on today, in this apparently warped world -and, excuse the pun - doing so at Star Trek warp speed. We are taking a wormhole of our own production, based on tales woven out of nothing but vile, putrid hatred, and absolute madness. 

"Enough is enough with the "stolen election" mantra. It clearly can lead to a dark, dangerous place and must be shut down. Only one person has the power to stop this in its tracks: Donald Trump. For the good of our republic, he should quickly condemn all talk of a "coup" and encourage his followers to peacefully and legally work within our political system to make their voices heard. That is what patriotic Americans do."

Those are words of reality and truth, an ugly truth, but say what reaction or not, this is the current state of affairs in these here United States of America. Damningly so. What are we going to do about this? When do we go into survival mode and is it too late? Why have we procrastinated, refused to believe what was taking place right before our eyes? Why were we deaf and blind to the troubled future? Why did we sit and bemoan rather than take action? Why?

Why? Because though far seeing pundits and think tanks and plain old people like me spoke of the dangers of Trump and Trumpism, warned of his dictatorial aims and goals, his insanity that threatened, more and more, the actual continued existence of this country as we know it - or rather as we knew it, we spoke into a too slowly evaporating vacuum of reality. We are almost at the point when American democracy will be referred to in the past tense, with all current and future thoughts being Big Brother controlled. The extreme religious right. The fake and dangerous 'patriots'. The crazed but believed Rep. who advocates elimination of education because it teaches the wrong things! What? Like thinking for oneself? Like adhering to the Constitution? Like guarding our country against dangerous people who aim to overthrow the legitimate government?

What exactly are we saying here and why, oh why, are too many people refusing to hear it, to follow the trail back and forth to the true goal - a coup one way or another. Michael Flynn, the pardoned by Trump felon, asks, openly, questioning, proposing, why can we not have a Myanmar style coup here? "It should happen here," That is what he says. That is what was cheered. That is what we are ignoring or just beginning to hear. Too late? Too slow? Too little?

For months I have been writing of this man and his followers, shouting out to all and sundry about the definite and obvious plans of this demented but dangerous man, running right along the path of Hitler and other dictators throughout history, with the deluded plebes following in his wake. Like lemmings, we, too, are following Trump et al, right over the cliff, falling to the existential death of this country, of democracy, of hope, of a future. 

"That there exists even the smallest undercurrent of such a completely un-American coup fantasy in the minds of some citizens is the stuff of nightmares. It's a fuse that must never be lit."  This is the only way to approach this whole mess. But then ask the question of yourself - can that horse be restabled? Questionable. At best.

Say what about the increasingly spouted and spewed statement, a strong and growing belief that Trump will be "reinstated" in August - now with an addition to that belief, that the GOP majority in the Senate will be reinstated at the same time. Folks, this is not democracy. This is danger. Pure and simple. The fact that finally, those who have been shouting, spitting into the wind, lo these many a month, are now being heard, well, it does not obviate the fact that we have wasted too much time, allowed too strong a growth of the roots of evil.

Read the following statements and think, wonder, say what, ask it of yourself. Then ask yourself what is upon you to do? We laughed Trump off. We tried to continue to do so, ignored his obvious derangement and dementia, his IQ, apparently lower than his age, and for that inaction and blindness, we reaped what we wrought. Environmental danger. Loss of public lands. Loss of humanity as we shredded the social safety net, abandoned our humanity in the face of differing ethnicities, religions and races. We boasted along the line of Noem, who said "My people are happy" even as she ignores they had the highest death rate due to COVID, ignoring the facts and reality that Trump and crew, their incompetence, their criminal incompetence, led to this situation. But - truth is not a factor in their world. Newspeak in real life.

We demoralized the world, turned our backs on our allies and embraced the authoritarian philosophy of our enemies. We engendered hatred, the growth of prejudice, the mounting deaths of Blacks, deciding that capital punishment was fair for traffic offenses or even for a felony. We trashed the Brown, attacked the Asian, and, as always, decided that once more, the Jews are at fault, so let's kill them, destroy them, once and for all.

This is the Trump statement released Saturday. Yes, yesterday. We are not done with this fight yet. Or are we? Say what? Jan. 6 again. For always? 

"I want to thank everybody for the tremendous support you've shown. We're gonna take back the Senate, take back the House, we're gonna take back the White House and sooner than you think," Trump said'

Now the other side of the coin.

"warned that he presents a "clear and PRESENT danger to our democratic society and national stability."

"Trump has the ability to kill and destroy with the spoken word. His words; his lies, delusions and conspiracy theories have caused bloodshed. That is what happened on January 6th. His words will surely kill again," 

 Folks, clear as the nose on your face. Clear as once was within this country. Now, we have a choice. Say what?? SAY WHAT?  SAY WHAT!!!!!

AND SO, TO CONTINUE.........

 Yesterday I wrote of the confusion of a poor old lady, taken aback at the strange, demoralizing changes in the conscience of the world, in its politicians, even in many of its plain ordinary citizens. It seems as if we have lost our identities as Americans - period - tacked on the hyphenated determinants - and lost the magic that was America. Many of us are left to wander in the unknown now, hoping and praying that the true America will return and soon at that. However, upon reading headlines every morning, the hope grows dimmer and dimmer.

So what is left? The rest of life, and I hate to bust your bubbles, but the rest is not always so great and easy to enjoy. Take travel, which I used to love. The unknown in new places. The return to others that we loved - Hawai'i here we come - hopefully! Israel where we have wonderful family, where the past, the present and the future all merge. Where my Jewish studies come alive. Even the long flights allowed for meeting people, stuck together in the same aluminum tube.

Now, though, what a difference. Flying during COVID was a bit scary, but actually somewhat a pleasure. When else could you walk into the JETBLUE terminal in JFK and zip through it all in that echoing huge chamber? Where else did you have a plane for yourself, just a few hardy souls along with you? When else did your baggage come out so quickly? When did people act so kindly and patiently? The only time I remember that was after 9/11, stunned in the same way, but determined to carry on.

Yesterday was a shock to the system of this old gal. The airport was actually crowded. My previous flights this past year faded into the mist of time as we waited on line to check in, to hand over baggage, to go through security, to wear the mask but pull it off for security inspection and then the viewing, as I call it, and never does it fail. There I am getting patted down, due to knee replacement, a diabetic measuring gizmo, metal screws in one foot, and an ornery body that never fails to delight itself in making life a tad more difficult for me.

Finally, after walking down a concourse that get longer each time we fly, always having the most distant gate, there are no seats available unless one walks back half the concourse! Then the threats. We are fully loaded. No more seats. Standbyes, you are out of luck. People, check your carryons with us, as if we run out of room, which we will, we will have to take then away anyway. The horror of it all! But, a slight glimmer of hope, when I show them the contents of my carry on - all bottles and medical needs, they back away in awed horror, wishing to themselves never to be that person. Oh well, at least the carryon stays with me.

Now the seats. We paid extra for more leg room or comfort seats or whatever name the airline chooses to extort more money out of us. These are the same seats that once upon a time, during civilized times, what we all had, but evidently, the powers that be in the airline industry, have decided that our legs, our knees will survive the crunch, so they cut the space and then charge more to get it back. So lovely! Add to that the hip and back pain of the elderly, me included, factor in an oversized passenger squooshed into the seat beside you, with you answering so politely, lying through your teeth when he asks if you are okay if he lifts the arm up and overflows into your already tiny space.

Ah, snack time. Already pathetic prior to the pandemic, now we are denied a decent one, getting stale peanut or hard cookie of strange ingredients, never to be taken if you value intestinal peace, and then a drink poured into a cup, no cans, too expensive, and the constant reminders not to throw your litter on the floor or place it in the seat pocket. Do they think we are all little piggies living in homes disguised as sties? And what happened to recycling as now all the trash is thrown into one plastic trash bag? All the better to restart another pandemic era?

We old folks find travel a tad too strenuous and straining now. When we do this trek and do it all over again at the other end, after we stand impatiently for half an hour waiting to get off the plane, even as the person in front cannot seem to remember that we landed and he must get his bag out of the overhead compartment, there we stand, dancing away, from one foot to another, bodily needs calling to us, the airline having forbidden use of lavatories for half the flight and now we wait. Let me tell you, folks, that ain't easy for we old ones. So we stand there, hoping and praying that the embarrassment we all fear will not come true.

Oh dear Lord. Now the whole thing in reverse! What the hell did we sign up for? Why are we doing this? Why torture ourselves do? Aha! The grandchildren we have not seen, at least physically, for so long. Forget all the above. Not important. Get on those planes and get your share and more of those hugs and kisses. Plenty of time to kvetch when you are home again. And plenty of time and motivation to plan another - soon.  

I DON'T KNOW-----MAYBE IT'S ME

  Perhaps the title of this posting should be called, following the style of many distinguished writers, "On Being Old", a paean to the disappearance of sanity, of righteous causes, and to the growth of nastiness, of the lies of a champion liar and the deluded souls who maintain his fiction, to the approaching, ever growing encroachment of enemies of the state on its very fabric of life. All to the confusion and sad amazement of a least one lady getting up there in age.

I do not know. It used to be, should still be, that one ran in an election and one either won or lost or even tied; if a recount was performed, that was it. Now, now, I do not understand. How many recounts does it take to get a GOP member to concede a loss? How many outrageous demands of recounts, growing in density,, spreading the poison of lies, of  ruination of democracy within our borders, precisely how many will it take for the enemies of democracy to win - and we lose! Why is this happening and why are we allowing it?

We have a conference of dangerously off kilter people, many well known on a national level, not necessarily for good things! Goetz, a sleaze if ever I saw one, accused of sex trafficking - of underage girls, is cheered as he revs up the constant injection of poison into the life breath of this country. Hawley is writing a book - about what, I ask? About how he supported the insurrection, the attempt to overthrow this nation's government? Even as he gets cheers when he rants, on nonsense, dangerous nonsense at that.

20 GOP Senators are too "busy" to meet with the family of an officer brutally attacked while defending his country, died as a result, and they are too busy? Too busy to show support, sympathy, for a hero? Too busy to condemn these rebels, these traitors? Too busy to acknowledge that the GOP has turned not to the right, but way past, solidly into the midst of anti democracy crowds, into the midst of those who, no matter how long, how often or loudly they proclaim their 'patriotism', are the direct opposite of it and a danger to the continued existence of this country.

So what do we do? Do we shut them down? No, apparently we dismiss cases against them, absolve them of their guilt and complicity in that rebellion, downplay the coup attempt to a "riot"?! Even as at the same time a former aide of Trump states - "the bottom of the bottom of the crazies in the barrel."   is where he took his cues. Oh dear, the GOP moral wimps, valueless characters, almost to the last one, continue to rally round, whether the people out there are doing the same or not. Evidently, this same feared man, this boogeyman of the GOP, has had to shut down his blog because - wait for it - no one is listening, no one is out there. Yes, despite his statement on that blog - get this - “In a time of silence and lies, a beacon of freedom arises,” a video introducing the platform last month advertised. “A place to speak freely and safely. Straight from the desk of Donald J. Trump.”  I vomit! It is such a lie, that people see right thru it. That is, all but the GOP legislators on all levels of government in this country. 

As for the Department of Justice, why they are too busy trying to sandtrap the investigations of Trump, the very same ones they torpedoed during his reign - yes, reign, for that was, and remains, his ultimate goal. We laughed, but that man does not kid about himself. Never. He means all of his out there statements. He says it and we refuse to understand that - or worse, believe in those very same goals. Maybe I am nuts, but so far every out there prediction and statement of mine, have taken place, uncovered,, or are becoming, the truth. Damn that!!

Rand Paul continues to rant re Fauci: the very same man who powered through the insults and threats thrown at him, the same man who pulled this country out of the depths of a pandemic. Despite all the attempts to shut him down by those very selfsame GOP nonthinkers.

I don't know. Maybe it is me. But there are so many others who agree, who think the same way, who recognized a rebellion the same way I did. We shudder at the people who cheer on a convicted criminal, Michael Flynn, who cheered and spoke about the imitation, American style, the goodness of, a Myanmar coup! Right there. Right here. IN this country. In print. At a conference. To cheers. And then I am told it is me? Uh uh! No way. 

We, the country of America, its citizens, are facing an existential threat. Are we going to wake up, tie our shoelaces, hitch up our pants and ignite our brains, or are we going to continue to fight the sand shortage as we try to find enough to hide our heads within? We are running out of time. Tick tock. Whoosh! Goes the sand in the hourglass. Gurgles are heard as the country, its world revolutionary Declaration of Independence, its venerable Constitution, this imperfect country, still the best chance for the survival of the globe, and.... gurgle.

End story. Print. Oh, what we have done.

Travel

 Due to travel on Wednesday the blog will return Thursday morning

WORDS!! WORDS!!!!!! WORD!!!!!

 The amazing power of words. They can encourage or oppress. They can share love and they can spread hatred. They can speak peace or raise the ravages of war. The same words can mean diametrically opposed intentions, and how they are interpreted is the crux of the matter.

John Legend, the amazingly talented singer/songwriter, said at a commencement that "we all do better when we all do better." A rioter said, defiantly, treasonously, "You want war? We got war. 1776 all over again." This from the man whose attorney is excusing him from responsibility for his armed rebellion participation because "This is why he was here. The reason he was there is because he was a dumb*** and believed what he heard on Fox News,".  I kid you not. Anything to excuse us from the responsibility implied in John Legend's much more inspiring words. Good, life inspiring words as opposed to the words of a GOP Congressman, words of an overt threat to this country, as he spoke of a united front to do it all over again.: "Where we go one, we go all."

We need to increasingly choose between the rhetoric of both sides. Both are choosing to ramp and amp up the temperature of their words. They both are becoming more antagonistic, as if they are two opposing armies from two different countries, fighting over the bones of the country in the middle.

 "at a certain point you have to draw a line and you have to decide what is right and what is wrong."

That time is reached after a long and devastating war of words and their covert or overt meanings. The Texas state Democrats walked out of the legislature as the GOP horrifyingly, ran back to the future, attempting to maintain a majority and power via severe cutbacks on eligibility and ease of voting, all meant to discourage, in fact, make impossible in a massive and dangerous power game of chicken! 

These words demand courage, a firm heart and a soul, items desperately to be wished for, to return to those in whom they have gone missing, particularly those of the GOP who man the ranks of the cults of QAnon and Trump. Trump has been elevated through the words of too many, amazingly including supposed religious figures, onto the level and status of a god whose foibles, big and small, are explained away. Well, it does not work. The words that oppose this, that oppose the proposed insurrection's return, will not stand for it.

QAnon held a conference in Dallas, Texas, in that benighted state that remains stuck in the mire of the Big Lie, adding to it, spreading it, endangering the very democracy they say they are protecting. Well, this country does not defend by tearing down and destroying. Never. This country's true patriots do not gather in a meeting where a sign to hang Hilary is made, to cheers, eerily reviving the real one at the Capitol. They do not gather, Congressman and politicians of all levels, to speak, cheer at the thought of overthrowing this country.

"A new Inauguration Day is set and Biden is told to move out of the White House. And President Trump should be moved back in....he should definitely get the remainder of his term and make the most of it."

 Frankly, all these people, speakers, politicians, legislators, who attended and spoke and cheered at the thought of another and successful insurrection, all need to be imprisoned as the traitors they are. Always we have a choice. Always, we are responsible for our own actions. The excuse of "following orders'" has long ago been invalidated.

"you can call it an insurrection or you can call it a war and fight."

The choice is ours, yours, mine, all of the individuals that comprise this nation. We are all at a crux that will determine the future for our kids, for this country, for the world which desperately needs the true America. We can choose the words of inspiration, of responsibility of "we all", or we can fall prey to deceit and danger. The choice, again and always, belongs to each and every one of us.

On the other hand, hmmm.... there is a skyscraper size asteroid passing by Earth today. Wonder what G-d is thinking?..... Who could blame Him?!

Deputy superintendent resigns after her speech to graduating seniors

A former associate of Trump ally Roger Stone appeared to gesture for Hillary…

RABBIT HOLES

  For some reason, rabbit holes were to symbolize all that is weird in our world. Strange behavior, thinking deemed way out there, even if not, is deemed going down that proverbial rabbit hole. Poor Alice and poor us, as the number of occupied and in use rabbit holes are proliferating at a great rate in these here United States of America. Why? Well, many reasons, but chief is the fact that people are willing, even eager, to take that amusement park thrill of fast slides, steep and long - only these slides are for real,  not the minutes long roller coaster ones. Worse, is that we fail to distinguish the real from the fake and down that hole we go - and stay.

Take "woke". As a teacher of English, grammar played an important role in my lessons, for if one does not understand the structure of a language, one cannot express opinions, verbally or written, in the best manner possible. My students knew my thoughts on this, and poor things, actually had to learn diagramming as a tool to further understanding of the structure and use of words. In that sense, woke is the past participle of 'wake' but has changed greatly, not truly in a positive manner.

"I stay woke" means what? Here are two dictionary definitions: "aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)." "originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice." and I am still left in the dark, apparently not 'woke' to its use. It has become an accusatory word, as in "you are not sufficiently woke to the true nature of society". Yes, I am, but why can we not use aware, onto, alert to, understanding of, rather than pervert the language, as after overuse, the new word becomes  a joke used cynically or accusatorily and down the rabbit hole we go again.

Seriously, there are too many rabbit holes for my liking of the situation, a condition wherein I find myself in a sea of uncertainty and worry, even unto the point of fear. Particularly when I am told that my fear does not achieve the rank of importance necessary to be included in the "woke" category.

 Really? Truly? I beg your pardon, as anti-Semitism has the rather dubious distinction of being the oldest and most persistent and vile form of prejudice in the world, and rather ironic, as today, the Black community, a beneficiary of heavy duty Jewish participation in and fighting for civil rights, engage in rife, bitter, and nasty anti-Semitism. The co-founder of BLM, now embroiled in a financial scandal, in 2015, called for the ending of Israel, apparently having no right to exist at all. 

Part and parcel of the demented shouts for the Jews there to return to whence they or their parents and grandparents originated. So, back to the ovens of Poland. Back to the pogroms of Russia. Back to the Easter yearly slaughters. Back to the Blood Libel. Back to the forced conversions. Back to the periodic bloodlettings of the Moslem world. What the hell!!! Rabbit holes are evidently dangerous, existentially thinking, particularly to those of Jewish extraction. And in the meanwhile, one hears nothing re returning the Arab residents to the countries from whence they originated - Greater Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and not to worry, there are 22 countries there for them!!! Woke is woke. Or apparently not.

Woke is when to defend Israel or to speak out against anti-Semitism has become verboten! A Rutgers University chancellor was taken to task, pushed right down that rabbit hole, for daring to do so, forced to apologize for he did not include Islamophobia within his statement. 

Excuse me, but  the mosques and institutions of Islam in America are not the ones being attacked now nor are there personal attacks on the bodies of those walking down the streets of America or the world. Yes, there is anger, but mainly anger seems to fall upon the shoulders of the Jewish community, blamed, as usual, for all that is wrong in this world, and who knows, possibly into the next world as well. Be that as it may, 'woke' is deficient here. Terribly so. One need not, in fact, must not, dilute every conversation or reference to anti-Semitism with reference and/or inclusion of every other prejudice found within this world.

Now we are apparently wrong in our understanding of American history and the Constitution. How? In this new rabbit hole, the Second Amendment was founded on the reasoning of fear of Black People. Huh! The right to carry arms, in fact, the necessity as people moved into frontier areas, as they intruded upon the territories belonging to others, people and animals of prey, there was a need, unfortunately, for weapons, for defense. Were they always used properly? No, but certainly, in all deference to 'woke', American history is not all about Black people and White fear of them! 

Please! This is a rabbit hole of great danger and major insanity, of great and incorrect revision of history, equally as bad as some of the twisted versions we can find in textbooks today.  People came to America in search of a new life, of new hope, of dreams being fulfilled. They came because they were brought here as slaves or indentured servant - the same as slavery. They came because they were deported from England for crimes, or they deserted the army, be it the British or the Hessians. They did not come here so they could shoot Black people or Native Americans or any White person they could find, or, have a Kill the Jew day! Seriously, a bit of common sense and rationality here and a rope to pull us all out of this rabbit hole. Let us leave behind all the revisionist theories for they are all garbage, exaggerated. For once, could we not print the truth. Simply that!

Rabbit holes are all around us. QAnon is one huge one. The insurrection at the Capitol is yet another. The words of Trump and all hate inciters are another. No, Trump did not win the election. No, the Democratic Party does not engage in child trafficking using a pizza store and a national furniture company to do so! The violence too many Black drivers and women as well face, too many,  too much, is a fierce and dangerous rabbit hole. It must be closed down, filled in, permanently out of order! So must all crazed people and crazy, out of whack, dangerous theories.

Could we all please just walk away from those rabbit holes, help those caught up in them to get out, rescue them, put an end to all this? It is the only path to sanity, to repairing the firmament of our country and indeed, that of the world. We are well on the way of beating back the worst of the pandemic of COVID. Might we not do the same with the pandemic of hate, of exaggeration, of revisionism, close those damned rabbit holes and just be normal! Can we? We sure as hell need to try.

ALERT!! ALERT!! CRITICAL SAND SHORTAGE HITS THE USA

  So now some of you are scratching your head, wondering what sand shortage? Will the beaches be none existent this year due to a severe sand shortage? Or will they - meaning the authorities, whomever they are - truck in more sand from somewhere else, perhaps inducing yet another sand shortage. That would be typical - solving one crisis by inducing another. 

The powers that be think that these temporary solutions are the answer to sand erosion, the beaches shrinking, even as they take part in the bigger sand shortage, as they overlook the fact that a more permanent fix would be to tackle the larger problem of ongoing environmental damage. But, a huge but, a universal but, there is another sand shortage, the sand that people use to bury their heads!

Here is one blatant example that people have known about, yet ignore, as its import to the very existence of some towns is simply pushed to the side. There are towns - in California, New Jersey(!), and other states that are shrinking, literally sinking into the ground, in some cases as much as 11 feet a year. Think of your home and what would be. Imagine the city of NY disappearing downwards every year, more and more. While some might think that  a great idea, others certainly would not. The reason for this downward trend? The overuse of water drainage from underground, giving the land nothing to hold it up, hence - down we go! But never you mind: just continue to hide heads in the sand, ignore the sinking and bury the head in whatever sand is near you.

But seriously, I am not referring, for the most part, to the sand shortage at beaches. I am talking how the world is at a loss to find enough sand in which to bury their heads, to ignore the danger that the shifting of politics has wrought, and the danger of over reaction to one prejudice manifestation,  inducing yet another, deeper, more widespread and violent prejudice. But not to worry, for we have become so adept at burying our heads that we can comfortably do that even as we pat ourselves on the back for our new "woke" position and what the hell is 'woke' anyway? Does it really have any true meaning or revelation to us, for us, beneficial in any which way to us? I think not. Or certainly not as it is manifesting itself right now.

Prejudice has been with us since the beginning of time. We have overcome some of it yet it remains, always there, waiting to rear its ugly head ever and always. What we have done in our time, is wake up more devils than we know how to handle, and the ugliness of prejudice, its contagion, is overwhelming us, even as we bury our collective heads in the sand, running out of that burial sand as we ignore consequences and truth.

Forcing others to "acknowledge" implicit prejudice, whether it is there or not, to 'admit' their bias, whether it is there or not, to take the blame for thousands of years of wrongdoing by the world, rather than tackling the problems of the present - well, I am confused and so are many others. Why has it come to this, that we have Communist style self criticism meetings, and the more extreme, the better it is. Bowing one's head in public 'shame' even as others are buried in the sand, is just not good. We ignore the damage to society, to the ties that are meant to bind people together as they strive for similar goals.

I will probably get some nasty comments for this, but I do not feel guilty. Do I have prejudice within me? Yes, most certainly. I hate violence and those who perpetuate it, allowing, causing, it to serve their selfish purpose. I hate hatred of others, particularly  for "hate crimes - crimes in which perpetrators act on a bias against the victim’s race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or other categories."  But why should I take or assume guilt for that which I never did? While slavery was ongoing, an abominable practice -and remember, my people were slaves too- read about that in the Bible! - the Jews were being chased from pillar to post all over the world, being slaughtered, burned, demonized, persecuted, starved, on and on, continuing into present time, even growing once again. Why, therefore, am I assume guilt for  crimes of the past by others, offenses which have been taken against me as well, simply because I am not Black, nor Brown, nor Native, nor Asian, even as me and mine have suffered the same things.

But we continue to bury our heads in that ever present sand, though its shortage increases. Pushing hatred is not the answer. Excusing all for wrongdoing because of color, ethnicity, or any other category is also wrong. The intense effort to introduce a curriculum which will pile on guilt, which twists history into yet a different ethnocentrism is not any better than another, as it continues to push a different prejudice, even as all prejudice remains an offense against humanity, no matter who is the hater or the hatee!  As usual, though, we bury those heads, again and always, disregarding the backlash, the growing divisions  where there were none before, or small, weak ones of no consequence. 

We attempt to usurp the power of people to think for themselves. We make people feel guilty for a natural tendency to live with those who are more familiar, follow the same customs, but certainly, also be able to live wherever one wishes - if you can afford it! I would love to live in a huge beach house, with a guest "cottage", have employees to take care of the daily needs of life for me, work hard on planning vacations, check my growing stock account, send my kids to the best schools, no school loans to be hovering over us, and on and on. But I cannot. The fact of that is not a result of either prejudice of "white privilege", of "white entitlement' or anything else. My standard of living is based on the salary for my work. Another time we will talk of gender prejudice in the work world! 

Meanwhile, our heads, buried in the sand, raising irritation of society rather than using sensible balm practices, do not see what else is going on. 11 cowardly Senators absent from the critical vote on investigating Jan 6, an armed insurrection. Cowards, one and all. The 35 Senators who voted against it, still afraid of the demented one, Trump, still avoiding responsibility for their words that lit a spark, 5 years ago, a spark that fired up the engines of hate, making it okay, even accepted, admired in some twisted minds. 

We ignore the growing anti - Semitism, from the right, the left, and the middle as well. Do not accept excuses of imbecility for acts that were wrong -as they are trying to do re Jan. 6. Make the world see the truth when "ethics" are a tool of anti - Semitism. Hey, even the FBI is "woke" to this. About time. Even as the head hiding continues, we have people forced to retract statements protesting anti Semitism. The Human Rights Council of the UN is a joke, a sad, seriously misguided, dangerous joke.

I close with this statement “Regardless of what state or which side of the political spectrum antisemitism comes from, we must respond forcefully and immediately. We cannot wait for another attack to turn deadly before we respond,”  “We find our nation in a tense moment …. We come together to urge a strong response to the rising antisemitism spreading in our country.”  

  It should be coming out of the mouths of all, though at present their mouths and minds are interred in the shrinking sands. As a Jew,  I detest prejudice, hate hatred for any reason other than causing harm, intentional and malicious. Once attention, "wokeness", shall we say, is paid to this everlasting and longest prejudice in the word, an existential prejudice, then we can finally realize that we cannot separate hatreds, for they all are together in one stinking, disgusting manifestation of the worst of mankind.

Let us pull the heads out of the sand and get on with fixing the other, remaining problems of this world. If we do not, we will all go down with the ship. Get the heads out - Now!!   

ALLEGEDLY REPORTEDLY POSSIBLY

  Well, folks, and here we are again. To continue the theme of lexicon, today we discuss the apparently, reportedly, allegedly, actually! limited lexicon of some people, allegedly , especially, from the reportedly, acting as unbiased, New York Times. If one were to rate their articles, no allegedly business here. The slanted feelings and statements towards and about Israel are blatant. Real. Actual. Harmful. Just as inciting as the open hatred and words of Omar, Tlaib,  AOC,  Cori Bush and Pressley. For the Times to do what they did today, first page, top of the fold, center spot, was absolutely dangerous, wrong and so inciteful that my first reaction was to hurry to the phone and call my kids to keep their kids home, for surely, not allegedly, not maybe, there will be some crazed, off balance  'motivated' shooter who will try to make up the supposed imbalance, go for the Jewish kids sitting at their desks.

Yes, no changing the facts. There were more Palestinian children fatalities during the latest war between Israel and the terrorist Hamas. But why is that? Whose fault is that? Surely there is adult responsibility here on both sides for intransigence, for refusal to accept a reality neither like and get it done, make some peace.

There is also a reality in the fact that the funds given to this group, and the PA, on the whole, have mostly gone into the pockets of officials, of supposed, alleged, leaders rather than into the educational, medical, and all needs of the people. The people then suffer, are angry, rightfully so, but will the leaders fess up? Of course not. Hence the need for another reason. Aha! The Jews again. Yup, apparently we are a full service nation and people, serving and fulfilling the needs of all, the jam in their sandwich of scapegoating and hatred. And please, do not forget the oh so peaceful policy of paying the terrorists and their families wages as reward for killing Jewish Israelis, with Arab casualties caught up in the attack deemed collateral damage, so blessed to die as martyrs!!!

The Jewish kids, the 'enemy" according to the rules of this deadly game, are at fault. Why? They were born Jewish. They belong to a race? A religion? An ethnicity? Take your pick -  that has served mankind oh so well, performed oh so greatly as the sacrificial lamb, the excuse for all that is wrong in this world, and yet irritatingly, annoyingly, actually, no allegedly about it, they manage to survive and thrive and contribute to this world that continues to wish them dead, doing their best to make it so.

So, back to the NYT. They list the dead from this war , those under 18. Blessedly, Israel cares for its citizens, Arab and Jew alike, all with legally stated and followed equal rights under the written, stated and enforced laws. There are shelters all over, all  welcome to come in, to survive the malicious,  vicious rockets aimed purposely, no allegedly here, by Hamas, at the civilian territories in Israel. New homes built within Israel - by anyone - are mandated to have a safety room. All new construction built legally, with permit. So, I guess there we are again, in the wrong again, daring to save our people the best we could in an extremely, not allegedly, hostile world. How dare we?

We dare because we hate war, we hate death, we hate putting our children in danger, care for them,  do not use them as shields of human flesh and blood, so as to enrage the world with their deaths. 

We do not callously, actually, really and cynically use their deaths in order to facilitate and fulfill our own political needs. No, they are our future and we protect them. We will not allow them to needlessly die to make a political point, And if the world resents that, feels that we must be 'equal' in the number of deaths, must place our children out there in order to satisfy this barbaric desire and need, yes, need, of the world in general to see more Jewish blood spilled - well, tough shit!!!Too bad. This will not happen. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not yesterday. Not ever.

The world needs to accept its share of responsibility for this repetitive bloodshed, instigated and accepted by the world as part and parcel of their innate anti Semitism. This is the official definition of anti Semitism. "the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism. Examples under the IHRA definition include: "applying double standards (to Israel) by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation," "claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor," and "holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel." 

Does the world not fulfill these requirements, and if the shoe fits, then wear it. Wear it with disgrace. Wear it with the squooshing of the spilt blood of  Jews a continuous and continual state of reality. Do not try to disguise it with the tragedy of the deaths of children and try to incite more blood and violent anti Semitism by playing the card of the deaths of children so cruelly, in order to further your political needs and goals. We cry at the deaths of all, particularly children. Even as we accept and treat these 'enemy' casualties as equals in our hospitals. Even as the leaders of these terrorist organizations plead special rights and have their own family children treated in Israel for any severe health issue.

Yes, no alleged here. No reportedly here. The truth is the truth. The NYT shares in the blame and guilt of the world. Anti Semitism is alive and well, not only on the streets of Europe. Not only in the Arab and Moslem countries. But also here. In America. The land that not necessarily welcomed us, but allowed us in, sparingly, used our contributions, and thanks us now with the shedding of blood, with attacks on people and property, with the threat of more to come.

When, when, will it ever end. When? When? Dear G-d in Heaven, I know that the promises made to the Jewish people have come true, often at too great a cost. The tale goes, that as the great Rabbi Akiva walked with his friends  through the ruins of the Temple, yes, our most holy building, built right there on Temple Mount . Anyway, as he walked there, in mourning, as they all were weeping, suddenly he laughed, with joy, with confidence. Aghast, his friends asked why? What was in his mind at that moment. Simply this. There were foxes slinking through the ruins. The prophecy foretold this happening and Rabbi Akiva stated that if that part of the prophecy came true then the prophecy predicting a rebuilding, a better future, also would come true. Hence the laughter of relief, of belief.

 So, G-d in Heaven, I call upon You to fulfill Your promise. Enough of the blood and terror of Your people. I call You into account. Teach the world. Allow peace and sanity to reign.

AND YET ANOTHER LEXICON ADDITION - A PLETHORA OF WEALTH!

  Well, folks, we have yet another addition to the lexicon of words connected to the burgeoning hate related words, all meant, I think, to either ramp it up, or explain it down, but somehow, it never adds up does it? White privilege. White shame. Critical race theory. Red Pill. Woke and waking. Cancel culture. White shame. And now "goysplaining".

So first, what is goy? That is a term derived from the Biblical word goyim, meant to refer to the 'nations' - goyim - of the world. The term was shortened, as many words are, to goy, particularly when referring to one individual non Jew, or Gentile. It was not meant to be a pejorative term, just a term of description and explanation of the space between the Jew and the 'goy'. Now it is often stated with a sigh of impatience as in how could we ever expect a goy to understand where we are, what it means to be a Jew in a perpetually hostile world. It is a chasm of difference, of a vastly often at odds life experience and outlook and at times, many times, it cannot be bridged, or bridged with a somewhat shaky one.

Now to goysplaining. Related in construction to mansplaining. or any other kind of 'splaining'.

 As a Ha'aretz column once explained, goysplaining is the tendency of non-Jewish people to "condescendingly explain to Jews why they are wrong at being offended."

 It is when we are told that anything we complain about, up to and including violence against the person for being a 'Jew", seemingly an object available for contempt, derision, denial of humanity and rights, a perpetual target, is all just in our mind. This is not anti-Semitism, but rather a more intense version of anti Zionism. Yup, and we are meant to believe that, accept that, and live with it.

Well, sorry, folks, but it does not work that way. We are tired of that attitude, tired of the goysplaining that is rife with a vile anti Semitism within its very construction and derivation. It is just as hurting to us as the term Negro is apparently today for Black people. In fact, I wish, along with many other people in this world, to stop the differential terms from growing, and stick to human being! Why is it that I can sit in my home with a group of women and talk, laugh, worry, cry and just love each other for the friends we are to and with each other? Our ethnic origin or religion does not divide us, our religious preference does not draw a line between us, for bottom line - we are all simply a group of women talking with and enjoying the company.

However, it seems that too many are self denying, blinding themselves to the truth of the matter. Hear the words of hate, of instigation, that emerge from the mouth of the 'Squad' - words of incitement against Israel, of accusations and lies, of words demanding revenge, consigning Israel and consequently, in their minds and the minds of their followers, all Israeli Jews and by extension ALL Jews to a special place in hell on earth. Denying that their words instigate and aggravate, denying that their words provoke and provide an evil motivation for violence, for growth of hatred, denying cause and effect - well, that does not change a thing in reality and truth. If Omar, Pressley, Tlaib, and AOC were to shut their mouths or at least better patrol the emanations from those mouths, the world might just possibly become a bit better. But with too many others now intimidated about protesting this 'new' version of anti Semitism, with 'defenders', you should excuse me, in their own world of hate of so many and who now use this as a political toy, well, I would rather they simply go away. 

Rocks and hard places, folks. We Jews have been here before, and actually, it is not too often or for too long that we can emerge from this condition. But goysplaining is tiring and demeaning. It is a dangerous and foul toy that only incites more ugliness, that allows people to deny the truth of their anti Semitism, the one now raging throughout the world. Because there is one Jewish state, emphasis on Jewish. Because these Jews have the temerity to survive, to build, to invent, to discover, to fight. Because the Jews are too much everywhere according to their opinion. Goysplaining is just wrong. Period. It needs to be excised from the lexicon as do all these new terms to explain hatred and actually simply raise the temperature to a fever pitch.

When will we learn, folks? When? I am so tired of it as are many others. I do not like having my fears actually part of a real situation, a real world. Nor do I like my kids to be in danger, to feel the wounds of hate, the knife stabs in the back, the demeaning terms, the acid of hate. Why? Does it ever end? Not too optimistic right now and very tired, actually, of this new lexicon. Tired to the very depths of my soul. Really tired. Exhausted.

RED PILL? NEW ONE ON ME!'

  Live and learn. Is that not what we say, trying to keep our hands and minds occupied and refreshed? However, this new business of making up new terms that essentially pigeonhole people, well, not happy. This whole 'woke' business for instance. People wake up all the time, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly but now this term induces jest and enmity at the same time. The same, I predict, will happen to the new term- red pill. It all ties in with a theme of the sword and the pen, as old as time. Just as valid and just as questionable.

Red pill refers to (becoming enlightened to) the truth about reality, especially a truth that is difficult to accept or exposes disillusions.

Online, red pill is especially used among anti-feminist and white supremacist groups to refer to "waking up" to the truth that women and liberal politics are oppressing men and white people.

And there you have it, the creation of new terminology that immediately takes a side on the political fence, usually not a beneficial one either. Quite frankly, I believe the entire nation right now is in one form of red pilling or another. One is against women. Another is against Jews. Another, and another, and another, will be applied to more anti positions, ramping up the dial on hatred and its growth here and around the world. Here we go again and again and again and I wonder about this and the state of mind of humanity. Not optimistic.

So, is the pen mightier than the sword, the pen that creates these new additions to the lexicon of modern day speech? Do these expeditions of the pen into this area help or hinder, damp down the flames or pour oil on it? Yesterday, a poet, a member of the poets' opposition to the military coup in Myanmar, said, "The people with weapons are afraid of pen wielding hands."

But is that true? Is that the case anymore. There are so many words spewed out these days, (including mine), that we lose the effect and importance of words. We, instead, take to the streets, to the guns, to the new sword of the day, and havoc ensues while separation of society into heavily slanted groupings grows tenfold. Every damned day!! And all the words of the day seem not to be able to put our modern day Humpty Dumpty back again. In fact, the words simply re-shatter the pieces into even more fragmented form.

The words repeated, taken from medieval times and before, the words of hate, the words of antagonism, raised not only the spectre of anti-Semitism, but raised its physical presence. The physical part of this equation then ramped up the word temperatures so 'inspired', written by the hatemongers, by the Jew haters, by those jumping on the bandwagon to indulge their darkest nasty wishes. An evil synergy.

Most frightening to me, not surprised though, is the manifestation of too many supposed intellectual Jews among the ranks of Jew haters. From Bernie Sanders to Dov Zakheim, these people have seemingly never found anything that is positive re Israel, other than in their imaginations, or explain it away with a taint or two, and never, but never, take off after the terrorist, after the horrific attacks, by members of that tribe of supposed 'Palestinian's. Never. Incidentally I wonder, how is it that classmates of mine can end on such opposite poles when we all learned together. Puzzling. "Is a  puzzlement" as the King would say. This puzzle has been with us, the court Jew, for all eternity. Even allowing for the optimist side, that these people are there to aid their fellow Jews, the taste, the odor,  the sight, all grow bitter, jagged, and reeking, for it ultimately never works. There we are again, fleeing for our lives - right down the streets of the world, down the streets of LA, of NYC, of Miami, of Pittsburgh, and the list is never ending.

All are entitled to opinions, but we are not entitled to shove people into categories such as 'woke' or "red pill' if that encourages the cracks in our firmament to grow, to the point of no return. The ridiculous continued attempts to challenge the election results. The diminished, but still there, rants of Trump, as the vision of orange jumpsuits grows ever clearer in his mind. The partisan wreck in DC which stalls this nation, much to its detriment. The cynical use now of anti Semitism as a political tool, mouthing words but attaching no swords to those words.

"A catastrophe for Jewish Americans but also for pro-Palestinian politics.".

"I have not heard of ordinary people in public places being afraid. That's the situation in Europe. Talk to Jews in Belgium, in France, in Germany, in the U.K., and they will tell you that they modulate, they hide their Judaism."

"It would be a disaster if this were to happen here, and not just for Jews."

Really, as the Jews die, and the rest of the world cries crocodile tears, too little and way too late? As the world loses all the future contributions of Jewish minds to the world, as they have done for centuries? Am I to feel sorry for them and for this situation they have wrought and brought upon themselves and others? From the grave, where I molder?

"The anti-Semitic worldview is always Judeocentric----obsessed with Jewish behavior as the supreme factor in domestic and international political life. The left has lately been awfully Judeocentric....they have indulged an anti-Israel movement that keeps descending into the crudest forms of anti-Semitism.....what to do about the burgeoning anti-Semitism ... As for Jews, they should take the events of the last few days less as an outrage than as an omen."

I believe these quotes say it all, along with my commentary, though they are pretty clear in meaning and warning. Which was written or spoken by a Jewish analyst and which by a non-Jew? You guess and while you are guessing, figure out where you stand on this issue; not a vague esoteric one, but rather one of life and death, of healing or harming, of tainted word attached to sharpened, bloodhungry sword? The time to choose is upon us.

A little tidbit to add to this: I, and many others, are downright afraid. We have called our children and grandchildren who have not felt this hatred so open and so vitriolic before. We call upon them, plead with them, to tuck their tzitzit (prayer garment) into their pants. Wear a baseball hat over the kippah. Tuck the telling jewelry inside the shirt, or better yet, leave it in the house. Do not speak Hebrew or Yiddish in the streets. And they refuse. And you know what, so do we. Enough already! Enough!

RIDDLE: WHAT DOES 4,369 AND MY FATIGUE HAVE IN COMMON?

  Hint? Okay. The number has to do with things that fly through the air. Aha! The light bulb begins to light up in the minds of some. Yes, finally, someone got it right. It is just too bad that the connection is overlooked, or worse, discounted. That number, 4,369 is the number of rockets sent over by Hamas to Israel in ten days time, all aimed purposely into civilian areas. The fatigue? That comes from the frustration, the energy expended, the breath wasted as I try to explain how and why this is extremely pertinent to the whole discussion. Then one must try to explain to others that no, this is not an intellectual discussion meant to be solved in bull sessions in dorm rooms or in what purports to be the national legislature of this country.

Some more numbers. 1,500 rockets that survive malfunctions, empty fields, and landings on their own people in Gaza, headed to populated areas in Israel, to long suffering cities and villages like Ashdod, the kibbutzim of the Negev, Ashkelon and now the suburbs of Tel Aviv. Millions of people. Millions of Jews. Millions of Arabs. Thousands of refugees from other countries such as the Sudan. What to do with this number?

Well, ask yourself this question: If Mexico or Cuba, or any nearby country were to send over 4,369 rockets into civilian areas within the United States, what would the reaction be? Well, the people would scream for relief and aid. Then they would push and shout for return rocket fire, to flatten the capacity of the enemy to do this again. Would these calls for action speak of 'disproportionate' reaction? Or of moderating the defenses so, okay, more Americans will be killed, but is that not the 'fair' way!! Would people advocate for a one on one  death as equivocally satisfactory? Who do you think would volunteer for that? Certainly not those advocating that approach.

So why is it okay to demand that Israel should, a tiny little country that literally pulled itself out of the ocean of centuries of blood and hatred, took in battered,  dazed survivors of genocide. And yes, AOC, they were most definitely suffering from PTSD! Alone, no surviving families, and now add in Jewish refugees from Arab lands, oppressed, threatened, jailed and killed, airlifted, several times, the Black Jews from Ethiopia, took in the Asian Jews of Myanmar and India, and accepted those Jews of Sephardic descent, lost through the centuries as they fled from the long and bloody tentacles of the Inquisition.

Anyway, back to the numbers. Of those estimated 1,500 rockets, about 90% were shot down by the Iron Dome defense of Israel leaving the others to carry out their planned damage - to destroy property, to kill, to rain terror upon the people living in Israel. And sorry to inform you, bigots and anti-Semites of the world, yes, Jews are people too. No, they are not pseudo 'white' nor mud people, nor subhuman, nor spare scapegoats for the having and the slaughter. Shakespeare's Shylock said it all in a plaintive attempt to explain his motivations. No one heard. No one listened. No one cared. All took the wrong interpretation and approach, all the way down the years in all the countries of the world. The Church, be it Catholic or of Protestant origin played a great deal in fostering this anti Jewish attitude, taking revenge on these stubborn people who refused to give up their religion, who refused to die out, no matter the restrictions placed upon them.

So yes, "only" 12 died throughout the shelling but thousands were wounded, many grievously. Property damage was immense. The toll on the sanity, the lives of Israelis, is enormous, but discounted by the rest of the world, as 'only' 12 died as opposed to the 200 plus people in Gaza, ignoring the fact that of that figure, 200 were terrorists - not militants - terrorists, calling a name by its true name. Israel, the country that has given the world so much, including leadership in fighting COVID, use of cell phones, and on and on, dared to survive yet another attack on its life. How rude of them!

So, back to the fatigue. I am tired of trying to explain this over and over again, particularly to those who are battered by the biased news media, by those who give weak statements re anti-Semitism, and then immediately swing over to Islamophobia or Black Lives Matter, or the latest fad, anti-Asian sentiment. Well, so do the lives of Jews matter and yes, this is what it is all about.

 Jews are not hated because of Israel and truthfully speaking why should there be any hatred of that, for are Italians hated for their return to the home country, or Irish hated for checking their ancestors in County Cork? So why Jews for Israel? The answer is to turn around the components of that equation. Israel is hated because it is Jewish. Plain and simple.

The attacks on the street are accompanied by shouts of "Kill the Jews", not "Kill the Israeli or Kill Israel supporters". No, it is the other way around and it is time the world accepted this flaw that has run through most of them throughout the ages. Numbers carry significance. The numbers are repeated in Rent. The numbers are repeated in Pajama Game. The numbers that have meaning and carry truth are also to be repeated here. Include, the billions of Moslems, the overwhelming number of Arab states. The territorial size of Israel, surrounded as it is by hostile countries.

While you are at it, type in Newsweek article by Gregg Roman and anti Semitism. Or the article by Tiana Lowe from the Washington Examiner. Or the speeches of those who actually dare to speak the truth, but again, please, Hawley, Cruz, Greene - go away. We do not need the politicizing of this critical life and death issue usurped by people who speak of hate at other times. 

Must we hear more numbers of Jews dead and then cry crocodile tears as tsk, tsk, who allowed another Holocaust to occur. Not me, each will say, but oh, yes, you, is the truth, the damning truth.

For everyone's sake, as I have long stated, hatred spreads, is always hungry for more bodies and blood, more agony. Heed the words that ALL Lives Matter. It is not an attempt to downgrade the troubles of some, but is instead an attempt to remind us all that prejudice affects us all, damages all, and it needs to stop! Now!!! 

And then explain to me how it is that people who speak in derogatory terms re Blacks, or Native Americans, etc. are fired, but when a Brooklyn principal uses the school's email to send out a mass mailing reeking of her hate towards Jews, of what needs to be done to push against them and Israel, why does she remain in position even if she did send out a grudging forced weak apology. Those apologies are meaningless. She needs to go -as do all haters.

Any more questions as to why I have such fatigue?!

FEAR - TANGIBLE AND REAL

  We all have faced fear in our lives. From real to imagined, from trivial to existential, from possibility to reality, but the fear today, of all Jews, living in this country and around the world, has risen to just about a fever pitch. Facing a fear such as not been seen nor felt since the end of the Holocaust. Yes, there has always been that undertone, the snarky and snide remarks made sotto voce, particularly about a boss, a co-worker, a neighbor, anyone within the scope of the closet anti-Semite.

"There is a stain of anti-Semitism that still lurks in this city, in this country, around the world. It has been here for thousands of years and every time people try to say it's gone away, it hasn't gone away. Anti-Semitism is too alive and well. It must be stopped."

That is one of the best statements that I have read in approaching the truth re the growing attacks on Jews, their buildings, their reputations, the accusations growing in depth, in applause, and in real danger to the lives of those attacked already and those who will be. There will be no end to this, not quickly, not in strength, for politics and the ugliness that lives underneath the surface of too many refuse to allow it to be destroyed, even muted. It is much better for the politician today to praise the terrorists of Hamas than condemn the attackers of Jewish teens, people walking on the street, anywhere their presence is detected, seen, hated. There is a freedom, a permission, to attack Jews such as not has been seen for many decades. Apparently, this hatred, this despicable cancer of humanity never actually dies out, just goes underground for a bit until circumstances are favorable for its emergence once again.

Most detrimental to combating this cancer is the supposed support of known extremists who insert their own agendas into their rants re anti-Semitism. To equate a mask mandate with the yellow stars of the Holocaust is both inane and dangerous for it trivializes the reality of the fear. No one is packing refusers of masks off to their deaths. No one is breaking into their homes, ripping the children away, or the adult men, or grabbing anything they want as their right. So please, Taylor Greene, leave the Jews out of this mess as they, as we, as I,  have enough real problems to combat. We thank you for your words against this ugliness, but again, leave this fight to those who concentrate on the reality rather than dilute it to fit political purposes.

Worse, or perhaps necessary, is for these attacks to out the true nature of the screamers, the attackers. It is in their very own words and actions. They truly outline the reality, the truth, that anti Zionism is but a euphemism, an attempted disguise, for anti Semitism. The shouts are not kill the Israelis, but rather, kill the Jews, kill the Jews, over and over again. While there are brave individuals who step up, actually rescue, defend the people under attack, the rest of the world is silent. Again. And again. And again. What will it take this time for the silence to end? No clue, but the palpable fear is that this time, it will not end. It will continue to overspread the world with its fetid hatred, with its ugliness. It will attempt to reach the point in time when Jews will not be told they cannot live here or there, but that they can not live anywhere, and in fact, they cannot live. Period. End topic.

Take a look around at the lies, the obfuscations, the refusal to accept responsibility for harm they have caused with careless words, or open hatred. AOC has indeed fed this vicious and viral hatred. Speaking out with her words and tone re Israel, ignoring the fact of millions of Israelis, Arab and Jew alike, living in the fear of rockets perpetually raining down on them, their families, their homes, ignoring the terrorism, ignoring the history, defying truth - well, what does anyone with sense realize or actually wish to bring about. She claims she is traumatized, suffering PTSD from Jan. 6?! Well, what does she think all the Israelis are feeling and have felt from time immemorial!!!Yes, AOC, you have a great deal of ownership here. Face it, fess up, admit the truth of your hatred, your political ambitions. Your own personal internal anti Semitism.

So it goes for the rest of the haters out there. This time you cannot hide. This time, hopefully, the truth will out and you will either out yourselves, your hatred of Jews, or you will step to the side of justice and call out the world against our homegrown and  flourishing anti Semite terrorists, be they from the right or the left, for there is no difference between their hate and their hopeful outcomes. In fact, the attempt to place all this in the laps of the two most recent presidential candidates is foolish and dangerous. This is a mass people thing, and its growth, its boldness of open rants and attacks have always been there, needing only the typical circumstances of life at the moment to lead to  finding a scapegoat, allowing oneself to justify this anti social behavior, this criminal behavior, this crime, these many crimes. To take joy in the growing presence of a dark and threatening cloud of fear over the Jewish communities all around the world.

There is apparently no end to the crimes that Jews are charged with. Having been scolded for years for daring to defeat the enemy in numerous wars of survival, defamed for the supposed 'settler' movement, now get this. Now, the world is openly advocating policies that will surely, they hope, lead to the lessening of the Jewish presence in Israel, or in fact, the elimination of this one Jewish state. Joining their anti settler thoughts, now the world is complaining that Jewish Israelis are moving into mixed towns, making these towns more Jewish! A crime such as the world has apparently never seen before and certainly cannot tolerate. To allow Jews within their own country to move freely within that country - Never!!! Jews. They must be restricted. Where else in the world is any country chided for allowing freedom of movement for its citizens. The Arab Israeli moves freely into the French Hill section of Jerusalem, or into Nazareth, and that is fine, but for a Jewish family to move into the mixed town of Lod! Never!! A crime against humanity according to the thinking of the global anti Semites.

So where can we live? Where can we walk freely? Where can we leave the fear behind? Where can we be reassured that our children are safe? Where can we be assured that the history books will not perpetuate the eternal false tales, the hate inciting tales against Jews? Apparently these hopes are too much for the Jews to have. Forever and a day is not long enough for the haters to push their agenda. So yes, the fear is real. It is palpable. It is within the hearts and throats of every mother watching her children leave for the day. Will they be safe? Will they return?

No, AOC, your PTSD is nothing compared to what you have encouraged others to bring upon your fellow New Yorkers, your fellow Americans, your fellow members of humanity living on this globe. Where should we go? Mars? Drop off the face of the earth? Will that satisfy you and your fellow haters? Where is the end of this this? Do you think the way to cancel prejudice against one group is to allow, to foster, its growth against a traditional target?

To hell with you, AOC, all your hateful crew and followers, here in America and around the world. We have suffered this before and have come through; this time will be no different..

Am Yisroel Chai - the Jewish people live -for all eternity.

THE OXYMORONIC LIFE

 

An oxymoron is created when two diametrically opposed terms are joined together, thus creating a new term of description and understanding. An example would be "a thunderous silence". A most famous and self explanatory oxymoron would be the opening paragraph of Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities, with the very first line world famous: 

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only." 

An oxymoronic world and if you think that there is a startling resemblance to the world of today, then realize that you are correct. It is a world where one is bubbling over with the desire to speak, yet stunned to silence at the same time. It is when it is such a good life for some, while others, suddenly and frighteningly, find themselves begging and picking in the garbage for food. It is a time when traditional enemies are actually turning into defenders, and doesn't that want to make you cry.

When Taylor-Greene takes on AOC for her anti-Semitism, for her instigation and rabble rousing even as AOC 'decries' anti Semitism, well then we have to rethink this world. This is the same person who previously backed those who spoke, who shouted, against Jews in Charlottesville and elsewhere.

It is when Americans of Jewish background have climbed the ladders to success, become an integral part of the nation's framework, yet suddenly find themselves in the midst of an overwhelming series of attacks. Attacked and beaten in Manhattan by a mob. Verbally assaulted, physically threatened by passengers in a car, threatening to rape the women present,  rescued by a gun bearing motorist. Killed within institutions. No, this is not unlinked, separate ones that were perpetually taking place, but rather an organized series of attacks, an encouragement of such attacks, even as 'protest' marches against Israel, its very existence - the very right to exist -  are wallowing in the stink of anti-Semitism very thinly disguised as anti-Zionism, actually one and the same thing!

It is when one is confused. Am I American, or am I a perpetual stranger in strange lands, denied a home wherever I go, including in my own homeland? Am I to be allowed to speak the truth or am I to forever be drowned out by the lies of so many haters? Is the world to be told slanted stories or outright lies fed to them as pap is fed to an infant and then believe those lies? A house built in a Jewish cemetery previously defaced, destroyed by Jordan, renewed by Israel at great cost, financially and emotionally, is then rightfully razed as an illegal structure and is then presented to the world as an incident of "picking on the underdog". And the world believes.

When proportionate is the term used to describe a defense of itself, of its citizens, Arab and Jew alike, foreign workers and citizens alike, what does that mean? Should the shelters be destroyed? Should Israel give over the Iron Dome to Hamas to further their ability to rain constant destruction and death upon the people in Israel, burn their fields with incendiary devices disguised as toys, the better to lure children to them and die, horribly? Should we count the number of dead and wounded, mainly enemy combatants, and give over an equal number of Israelis to 'even' the score? Has this ever been done by any other country? Ever? Even ever asked to do so? Never!! Yet why with Israel?

It is because we have the presence of oxymoron philosophy. Believe in and spout the "Judeo-Christian" tradition, but kill off the living embodiment of the Judeo side. Disallow them, particularly the modern counterparts. Disguise traditional and violent anti-Semitism as anti-Zionism, ignoring the fact of 22 Moslem states while one tiny size of New Jersey state for Jews is to be disallowed, attacked as anti anything one can think of. It is not a political question but rather a religious one based on a perpetual hatred of Jews, perpetually put forth as scapegoats for the defects of the countries where they reside, unto the point of being denied the very first right of all humans - to live. To simply live as do all people. To be left alone to worship or not as they please, to work and raise families as do all others. To be safe, expect to be able to walk the streets in dignity and safety. Why is this so difficult for the world to accept? And then the very same people who should be actively crusading (to use an oxymoronic term, as the Crusades were a period of great murder of Jewish people), are now the very ones pushing, encouraging, anti Semitism, unto violence. Unto murder and death.

Kristallnacht. A night of terror and death under the Nazis. A term of beauty, of glass sparkling under moonlight, termed and teamed with ugliness of hatred. The sanctioned murder of Jews, prejudice against them in every area of life, from the very act of breathing and living, to education, to work rights and professions, to live where they chose. To live. All this once thought to be gone, in the mists of the past. With the practitioners of modern day hate being a terrible aberration, but still, an aberration, not the norm. Well, oxymoron comes in again, for the truth is revealed. The light of the sun shines upon it, so hinting of the beauty of the world, of its possibilities, even as its exposes the anti Semitism still alive and flourishing, even encouraged by so many. By too many, if we are to be honest with ourselves. 

"A pandemic of hate," says Eric Adams. No, it is a pandemic addressed against and towards Jews. Please do not link this viral and vile hatred with others. I see no one organizing parades protesting, holding signs that "Jewish lives matter". I see no recognition of the role that Jews have played in fighting prejudice within this country and the entire world. I see the oxymoronic attitudes, admiration for their achievements and hatred and jealousy for those very same things.

I see the oxymoronic effects of the proposed new curriculums and history to be taught within schools. Contrary to anyone's viewpoint, no one group of people built this country. True, slavery played a great part in the economy of the South and was one  reason for the Civil War. And the indentured whites coming over from Europe were as slaves for the long terms of their indenture -and often did not survive. The Jim Crow laws continued this behavior. Wrongly so, but at the very same time, the Chinese, the Irish, the Italians, the Scots, and the Jews were seen as targets of disgust, of being worthy of nothing but the worst jobs, the worst housing, of discrimination in every area and yes, even death, as members of all ethnic groups faced  mobs, denial, by starvation, all from hatred in the "land of the free" where the "tired, the poor, the wretched refuse" of the world were to be accepted and recognized as humans, as equals. But from the very beginning, from Stuyvesant up to and including modern times, this very day, Jews faced prejudice, even as others welcomed them, even as Washington wrote his wonderful letter re Jews in America. Oxymoronic indeed, but that is the world towards Jews.

 The hatred continued and continues, with laws passed to limit their entry. even as they lived and died under the swords of the Cossacks, the peasants, the rich, the Nazis and yes, the British and the Arabs as well. Welcomed in some places, but always the undertone of hatred, of anger, of doubt of their loyalty. The old accusation of dual loyalty, even when there was no State of Israel!!! Oxymoronic life to the hilt!

I am a Jew. I am an American. I love my country - when it is as it should be or striving towards it. I support and love Israel, but do not always agree with all it might do -just as I do with other countries. I am denied as to being white. I am called a 'mud' person. I am linked with whites when it suits others. I am praised and criticized for the same things. I face prejudice against myself even as I fight it against others. I am asked to join in, even as I am excluded. I face the traitorous ways of those who would deny their Jewishness, the truth of the attitude of so many others, as they follow the shameful tradition of trying to "fit in, be separate from other Jews even as they 'espouse' and shamefully use the term 'Jewish".

I am a hopeful dreamer of the future even as I fear and dread the crashing of the past right through the present as it meets up with the future in a most awful scenario. I am a social liberal, idealistically, perhaps foolishly, believing that we are all people, and that is what matters and counts. But I am a liberal who is being pushed to the wall with the hatred coming from the left, the so called "progressives". I resent that. A great deal. It was a joyous time when we beat the haters and treason on the right, but then, in an active state of 'oxymoroncy', the left took a wrong turn and usurped the right's place  in the spouting and espousal of the same garbage of hatred and anti Semitism.

The reek of hatred, the stink of hatred, the pollution, the absolute horror of anti-Semitism, in all forms, its long duration, contains no oxymoron. It is evil. It is wrong. It is clear through and through in its destructive power. It must stop, in all forms, with no disguises attempted. Truth is truth. Call it what you will, but it is frightening. No oxymoron there. It is a hateful, shameful reality. The truth is - I am afraid. Period.