Xenophobia Has Nothing To Do With It

As you may have noticed, I haven't written much over the past month. Part of that reason is because I've been traveling a lot this summer. I've been back for about a week now, but still have a difficult motivating myself to write. I think there are two reasons for this.

For one thing, life has been a bit overwhelming lately. Between family and social obligations, plus looking for a real job, my time has been limited as of late. The other reason is the following:

There has been so much written about the Ground Zero Mosque that I just don't think I can add anymore to the discussion. The reality is that those who I wish to convince of my point refuse to accept that I am anything but a racist xenophobe. It seems to matter not to them that I have made it perfectly clear that I accept the "right" for them to build wherever they darn well please. Of course, as much as they wish to make this a "First Amendment issue," that amendment does not authorize that a religious group can build whatever structure they want on private property in contravention of local zoning and use laws.

However, my point has always been that if this Imam is building this to bring the community together, he is doing just the opposite by ignoring the 70% who are vehemently opposed.

To me, slapping the very people wish to bring together in peace and harmony in the face is ill-conceived at best.

Of course, when Governor Patterson offered land to move the center away from the area were Moslems, in the name of Allah, murdered 3,000 people, his refusal told us a great deal about his willingness to work with the community. Many people understand that Islam has a dark history of conquest and even the name of the organization that is building this Mosque (Cordoba Initiative) are named for the famous Mosque built over the ruins of the Moslem conquest of Spain. Furthermore, it seems to have escaped those on the left (and some on the right, but not many) that the target date to open this Mosque is September 11, 2011 - exactly 10 years from the day the 3,000 victims of 9/11 were murdered.

A dedication ceremony by a religious group that follows the tenets of a religion that was directly responsible for these murders is beyond insulting to the memory of those who perished, as well as their families.

Of course, there is also the issue of just who this Imam is and where he is getting his backing. Aside from his deeply troubling comments following 9/11, as well as his open admiration for the terror group Hamas (that alone should disqualify him from building a "peace" center), the Imam himself has some very dubious and troubling connections.

With all this weighed in the mix, it is obvious why so many people are against this Mosque being built where it is planned. As far as the xenophobia, I do not recall hearing one conservative say that they have no right to build Mosques. Just this one there.

It's shameful that my liberal friends can not get past their desire to paint us conservatives with this brush of intolerance. By refusing to acknowledge that there may be valid, non-xenophobic reasons for opposing the Mosque, they are once again showing exactly who the intolerant are. It is the same regarding President Obama. The left's constant refrain is that anyone who opposes Obama must be doing so on racial grounds. It couldn't possibly be because he is the most far-left radical President we have had in at least my lifetime, and perhaps ever.

I honestly could care less what color the leader of my country is. As Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted, I care about the content of ones character, rather than the color of their skin. It seems to me, that the left is overly concerned with race and attempt to interject it at every chance they get.

The shame is, the more they play this race card, the more hollow and meaningless it becomes.

All I can say to my liberal friends is please take off the blinders and realize that Keith Olbermann (or whomever you get your news from) is crazy. I don't know if it's a matter of the left projecting, or if they have just been so brainwashed to believe the right is the true enemy. We clearly disagree in a great many things and I recognize that we all have our own strong opinions. But calling us racists, xenophobes, homophobes or whatever you call us, just makes you look foolish and convinces no one of the value of your points.

That's my rant.

Being De-Friended

When I began recovering from my transplant, I decided to make it my goal to reconnect with as many old friends as possible. As I wrote in my transplant story, I was having a very difficult time trying to understand how my life turned out the way it had. Without going into detail here (you can read the story if you're that interested), I felt that the key to my future was by understanding my past.

In some respects, I was correct. I managed, over the next 8 years, to reconnect with everyone I set out to find. Some found me, and others I had to track down. There are a couple of people I decided against finding because I do believe some things are best left in the past.

What I discovered, though, is how precious every relationship was. Even though I don't communicate with everyone on a regular basis, I have kept up with them all - either by email or Facebook.

So, as I am now almost 8 years post-transplant, I find I have become Facebook friends with most of them. Add to my friend list my brothers, sister, nephews, nieces, aunts and uncles, children and other relatives; I find that I have more Facebook friends than I ever dreamed I'd have. Some of these friends are from my childhood, some from when I worked for NCSY (in a number of places) and yet others are people I've become acquainted with over the past 8 years. Each one is a different story and each one means so much to me.

So it is with sadness that I discover someone unfriending me. Granted, not everyone wants to be my friend, but once someone does, I like to believe they will be a friend for life. I have learned that life is so very short and we are only able to succeed upon the shoulders of those who support us.

This friend who unfriended me was not a lifelong friend from my youth, but someone I only met about three years ago. The details of how we met is not important, neither is the name. Since we met, we developed a nice connection over many miles. There were some very nice qualities about this person and I enjoyed the friendship.

But then, just a couple of days ago, this friend sent me a message, asking me to "like" (which is a Facebook way pf supporting a particular person or thing) something I felt was in poor taste. The thing was in support of removing someone from a particular show for their conservative views. While I may not watch the show for many reasons - one, because the others on the show are not only very liberal, but are quite insane - I don't believe having a different point of view is reason to fire someone from their job.

I worked for the past two years with a boss who was an extreme lefty. While I disagreed with many of his points of view, I never questioned his right to express them. On the other hand, he often would lambaste and embarrass me because I hold conservative opinions. Did it bother me that he was so condescending and intolerant? Absolutely. But because he was my boss, I mostly held my tongue. However, there were times he crossed the line and I argued with him.

This friend, however, never gave me that chance. This friend's first reaction to my comment was to de-friend me. Now, it should be pointed out that the comment I made to this person was neither mean-spirited, nor antagonistic in any way. I simply wrote to this person that I disagreed with the idea because I felt expressing a different point of view is important not only for that show, but for this country entirely.

See, I still remember when Hillary Clinton said that to disagree was patriotic. And yet, since Obama has become President, it seems any opinion that isn't in lock-step with the left is either hate speech, or racist. I do not begrudge anyone from having liberal views - in fact, a number of my Facebook friends are quite liberal. However, that does not mean I will just sit back and shut up whenever I am confronted with someone, or thing, I disagree with.

Earlier today, I posted an article written by Harris Senturia, a member of the Cleveland Chapter of the National Jewish Democratic Council. The article, titled "President a friend of Israel, reflects Jewish values," explained why he believes Barack Obama is, and has been, good for the Jews. Upon reading it, I came to the conclusion that Mr. Senturia is either very foolish, or else he really does not understand what being good for the Jews really entails. He uses the idea that Obama - and I can only assume by extension, the Democrat Party - shares the same core values as the Jewish people.

And what, exactly, are those same core values? Well, for one, he claims that President Obama was steadfast in his support of Israel's raid on the Mavi Marmara. But that is so far from the truth, it makes my head hurt. Aside from certain Obama "friends" being directly involved in the launching of this ship, Obama allowed the condemnation of Israel to proceed in the United Nations.

In addition, Obama's treatment of the State of Israel, since he took office, is nothing short of shameful and dangerous. He has surrounded himself with far too many anti-Semites - Reverend Wright, Samantha Powers, Joseph Cirincione, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Susan Rice, and Robert Malley, not to forget Rashad Khalidi to name another. Furthermore, his treatment of Prime Minister Netanyahu, along with his backtracking on his promise at the AIPAC meeting that "Jerusalem shall remain undivided" AND his slobbering over the Islamic world (while disgustingly insulting our allies) just adds to the proof that Barack Obama is no friend to the Jewish people.

When you look at the people who come out in support of Israel on a daily basis, what you see is that the overwhelming majority of them are conservatives. The liberal left has long ago aligned themselves with the enemies of Israel and the Jewish people. Yes, I know an exception is Pat Buchanan. But he is an exception rather than the rule. In general, if you want to read blog, or watch a talk show in support of the State of Israel, you need to read (and watch) conservative, right wing websites.

Are there liberals who support the State of Israel? Of course there are. But what Mr. Senturia wrote was not supportive of Israel. In fact, it was quite damaging because it gives Obama's treatment of Israel a cover to continue his policies, which are absolutely feckless and dangerous.

In addition to his claim that Obama stands with Israel, he also added "at home, Barack Obama is one of the greatest champions against intolerance and exclusion that this country has ever seen." Is he serious???

Since taking office, Obama has been the most divisive President in recent history. From his calling out the Cambridge Police Department, to his claim that the Arizona border laws are racist (assuming that, unlike his Attorney General and Homeland Security Secretary, he actually read the bill), he has shown a remarkable ability to divide this country even more than his predecessor.

Unfortunately, people like Harris Senturia are so blind by their ideology that they can not fathom that someone like Obama holds different values than he does. Of course, some will say that because I am a right-wing conservative, I am also blinded by ideology. But I do not see it that way. I do look and listen to the other side. But again, I will not just sit idly by while someone says, or writes something I vehemently disagree with.

Of course, one Facebook friend said I was "so angry" and that I "let someone else offer an opinion, even if you disagree"

But I didn't stop that man from stating his opinion and I'm never angry. However, I am frustrated by the condescending tone of someone telling me I'm somehow not letting anyone else have an opinion. What I have found from many of my liberal Facebook friends (and I've heard this quite a bit outside of Facebook), is this overwhelming feeling that because I do not tow the liberal line, I have to be careful what I say.

My ex-friend - the one who de-friended me - exemplified this attitude. It is condescending, it is rude and it just shows me who the intolerant ones are. Nowhere did I say Harris Senturia had no right to state his opinion. NOWHERE.

I simply stated I disagreed with him and felt he was ignorant and a self-hating Jew. Because anyone who could not only believe Obama has been good to the Jews (and shares the same values) and then write about it for all the world to see, can not truly love the Jewish people, or the State of Israel. What he is suggesting is for us to simply accept Obama's "purity" and allow him to continue to destroy this country's relationship with Israel.

Of course, this attitude is what allowed so many people to just walk into the ovens in Auschwitz. It is foolish and it is dangerous. And telling me (or anyone else on the right) to shut up and sit down is arrogant and disgusting, as well. If you don't agree with my views, that's your prerogative. You have a right to your opinions. But do not try to shame me for my having my own.

That just makes you look stupid.

No More "Glee" For Me

I think I'm about to stop watching one of my favorite shows.

I've been watching "Glee" every time it's been on, since it debuted last year. I find the show vastly entertaining and I think the characters are very believable. But that all changed in the past two weeks.

Last week, it was an obnoxious quip about Rachel, one of the lead characters. Rachel is a neurotic, Jewish girl. Of course, in Hollywood, what other kind of Jew is there? Anyway, because of her burning desire to be a star, not to mention her nerdiness (we can't have a "cool" Jew, now can we? And don't say Puck - he's only half-Jewish), she is pretty unpopular. This week, when of the "cool" cheerleaders called her "Pipi Longstocking," one of the other cheerleaders mocked her by saying, "yeah, an Israeli Pipi Longstocking."

Now what was the point here? And no, Rachel is not Israeli - not on the show, not in real life. The only reason for someone to make that distinction is to insult them, or at least to attempt to do so. It would be as if one of the black characters were called the "African Pipi Longstocking." No one would excuse that.

In last week's episode took it one step farther. Again regarding Rachel, one of the cheerleaders told her to "go back to Israel." And again I ask you, what would have been the outcry if they told the black girl to "go back to Africa?" Or the Asian girl to "go back to China?"

See my point?

Look, I recognize that these things are said in real high schools across America. But if a television show is going to put this in the dialogue, then they should use it to show how wrong and unacceptable this type of language is.

But I suppose that wouldn't fit the agenda of Glee's writers. After all, tonight's episode glorified Madonna as if she were a modern day saint - even going so far to simulate sex scenes between the supposedly underage cast. Granted, two of the three couples who were losing their virginity ended up backing out. Not out of any moral epiphany, mind you, but simply because one partner was too scared. The was nary a word spoken about the idea of abstaining, nor was anything said about the damage pre-marital sex (between two people who do not love and respect each other) does to one's self-esteem.

Look, I'm certainly no angel and I'm no prude, either. Sex is a wonderful thing, if shared between two loving people. But when not done in that situation, it can be ugly, abusive and in the case of being the first time, deeply regretful. Why couldn't the writers of a show geared towards the youngest, most vulnerable among us, show some responsibility and tell it like it is. Instead of making it appear to be "no big deal."

Hell, they allowed one young girl to become pregnant. Couldn't they have had her at least warn her friends of the perils? No, instead they made some fly-by comment that if you blinked, you missed it.

Of course, Glee is the show where last year, when this girl became pregnant and told her father, he was portrayed as a mean, intolerant ass who watches Glenn Beck (as if that were a bad thing). Tonight, the anti-conservative crack was about the students not having anyone to look up to. One of the teachers whined that all they had was "Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Ann Coulter."

Last I checked, Ann Coulter wasn't shaving her head, losing her children and running away from rehab. But I digress. Last week, it was a stupid quip from resident evil woman Sue Sylvester, saying that she can't believe how dumb her Cheerios (the cheerleading squad) were, by saying, "and I taught a young beauty queen from Wasilla, Alaska." Any guesses who that might be?

But I know Hollywood is grossly liberal and I do have a thick skin. But that doesn't mean I can accept Antisemitism to go unchallenged, either.

It's just a shame because I felt this show had so much promise.

And there was another liberal lie mentioned on tonight's show, as well. Quinn, the pregnant teenager, commented that "The fact is that women still earn 70 cents for every dollar for doing the same job. It starts in high school."

How many times have we heard this crap? Carrie Lukas has a great, honest rebuttal to this liberal myth, which you can read here (h/t Newsbusters for the link). But in a nutshell, it isn't as cut and dry as the liberals (and feminists) would have you believe. Think about it for a minute and read the her article. I think it will open your eyes.

So I think I'm done with Glee. Thanks Hollywood, you screwed up another great show.