I haven't written here for quite a while, but I think that I made it up for in the length of this article. If you are interested enough, you can follow the link to my website for a PDF copy. I have been having a debate with my friend Jack (shout out!) about the proper way to view Edward Snowden and Bradley Manning. Both young men came into contact with secrets that they felt obligated, for whatever reason, to reveal.  Whether you consider them heroes, traitors or something in the mid...

Tomorrow is the 14th anniversary of the assassination of Israeli Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He was murdered not by a Palestinian terrorist, not by a member of an Arab terrorist organization, but by Yigal Amir, a right-wing fanatic and Orthodox Jew. Amir opposed Israel's participtaion in the Oslo accords. Along with his brother, Hagai Amir, and their friend Dror Adani, he plotted and carried out an assassination as Rabin left a rally supporting the peace process. May Rabin...

I have recently written an article on Sarah Palin's resignation (see http://kupe.joeuser.com/article/358346/Palin_Resigns_as_Govenor) and as one of the minority of Liberals still writing on JoeUser, I have no doubt that I will catch flack for my opinions. I don't mind the grief that I get for my decidedly Liberal point of view, but it does offend me when it is implied that Liberals are in some way un-American. I love my country and, even during the darkest days of Vietnam and the Bush Presidency...

For the past three years, May has been Jewish American Heritage Month and I am curious as to whether this is clebrated or even recognized in reader's communities. On April 20, 2006, President George W. Bush first proclaimed that May would be Jewish American Heritage Month. The proclamation was in response to resolutions introduced by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania urging the president to proclaim a month that would recognize the more than 350-y...

We had a very special 8th Grade Class today. We were privledged to have a guest speaker, Larry Hiss, a Holocaust survivor, who shared his personal exparience. As readers of my blog know, I teach both 8th Grade Sunday school and Adult Education classes for the JCS (Jewish Cultural School) of Ann Arbor. I asked Larry Hiss to come to speak with the 8th Grade class and to share his experiences. One of my goals was to ensure that the class understands that history is not just something that you...

As regular readers of my blog know, I teach 8th Grade and Adult Education classes at the Jewish Cultural Society (JCS) of Ann Arbor. Today the 8th Grade and the JCS Youth Group visited the Muslim Community Association (MCA) of Ann Arbor. First, let me give the abbrobation due to the kids and their parents who attended. They gave up time on a beautiful Sunday morning, perhaps one of the last that we will see in Michigan this year, to learn about another faith. It should also be noted that duri...

One of my long-time contentions is that, despite the posturing otherwise, when it comes to actual implemenation, Republicans and Democrats are not that different. It is just the public face that is put on the actions. Today, the Federal government took the unprecedented step of seizing our nations two largest mortgage lenders, a move that, if we had a Democratic President, would certainly be decried as Socialism: ****************************************** CNN- Federal officials on Sunday u...

George Carlin has died of heart failure at the age of 71. Like his predecessor, Lenny Bruce, George shocked us by pushing the boundaries of comedy. Also like Lenny, George figured in a Supreme Court decision on obscenity. Perhaps his most famous (or infamous) skit, " The Seven Words That You Can Never Say on Television " shocked, offended and changed the way that we looked at the world. At least for many of my generation. I have memories of a very young George Carlin performing on the ...

Like a phoenix rising from the dust of history, once again the original partners of what was once known as the Iraq Petroleum Company are on the verge of gaining access to the wealth of Iraq's oil fields. Exxon Mobil, Shell, Total and BP, as well as Chevron, are about to sign two-year, no-bid contracts to provide technical guidance and refurbish equipment for the government of Iraq, designed to take oil production from 2.5 million barrels of oil to 3 million barrels a day. The contracts are seen...

Last weekend I was informed (loudly, repeatedly and, in my not-so-humble opinion, obnoxiously)  that I am a supporter of genocide. The story follows and you can judge for yourself.

Ala Abu Dehein had an unremarkable life, by all accounts. But he will be remembered in death as either a martyr or a terrorist, depending on your political and religous idealogy. He entered the Merkaz Harav yeshiva, a school for Rabbinic students, with an AK-47 and an automatic pistol and began firing. When he was done, eight students would be dead. The bodies of some of the students would be found laying among copies of the Torah, the Talmud and other religous works. The gunman was from E...

Misha Defonseca is a sweet looking woman, 71 years old, living in Dudley, Massachusetts. She is also the author of a best-selling book that chronicles a remarkable story of how she, as a child, traveled 1,900 miles across Europe, sometimes in the company of a pack of wolves, in search of her deported parents. The book, entitled "Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years," has been translated into 18 languages and made into a feature film in France. Not one word of it is true. Defonesca...

Despite the bold words that are being bandied about ("Failure is not an option" by example) there will be no peace in the Middle East. This week's incident at the Rafah Gate shows why. Hamas has been firing hundreds of missiles into Israel. Why? Aside from the usual hatred of Jews, they want to make sure that the current round of peace talks is derailed. Hamas is heavily invested in making sure that there is no peace. The have refused to acknowledge Israel's right to exist under any...

Every year there seem to be more and more articles by people who complain that Christmas isn't getting its fair share. There aren't enough Christmas specials on TV (something less than 24/7), the (obvious) Christmas Tree in the office is called something else, people say "Happy Holidays" as if Jews, Muslims and Hindus might think you actually know what our holidays are.....but the real truth is that people in America need more of an education in tolerance, not less. Last week in New York C...

Thanks to my son, Jon, for making me aware of this. According to the witness, the driver of the Cadillac said "I'm a ninja in my Caddy" and then ran Brian Deneke down. The date was December 12th, 1997. The place was Amarillo, Texas. The driver of the car, who would be convicted for the murder, was Dustin Camp. Dustin was an athlete, a high school football player and a "clean cut" kid. His lawyer kept on stressing how clean cut he was at his trial. It must have worked, because Dustin got...