Still Fighting For Our Rights

This picture about sums where we are in having to protest the same things we’ve been fighting for since the beginning of time:

I can not believe I still have to protest this crap!!

Just went you thought humanity (at least Western civilization) had mostly evolved past all the discrimination, biases, bigotry, prejudice, and racisms.

We arrive in time only to find out that HATE is still brewing in our societies and people’s evil hearts. 

What a shame–that we misinterpret what divides us as taking precedence over what unites us!

What a pity–that we misjudge people by the color of their skin, their race, their religion, etc. instead of by the worthiness of their deeds. 

What a disgrace–that we mistreat our fellow man simply because they are different from us and in the most superficial of ways. 

With all our scientific advances and technological progress, we are still in stone ages of the evolution of our humanity.  😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Three Sides (At Least) To Every Story

I liked this saying:

There are at least three sides to every story:

Yours
Mine
And the truth

Everyone sees the world through their personal filter. 

And they present their side of things in a distorted way to make themselves look right and righteous. 

Calls it what you will:  a slant, bias, twist, falsification, or a distortion or perversion of the truth. 

Sure, sometimes one person is right and the other is clearly wrong. 

But more often than not, there are elements of truth and of lies in each person’s story to greater and lessor degrees. 

Hence, the truth often is it’s own entity and exists independent of those presenting it. 

It’s not a bad mission to seek out and promote the truth in this world of many falsehoods. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Not WHO They Seem

People may all sort of look alike. 

But they are not all the same.

It’s NOT a matter of race, religion, color, sexual orientation, etc. that is important.

But rather it’s what is inside people’s hearts. 

Some hearts are pure in intent (even if not in every deed). 

Others are sullied with hate and abuse of others just because they can. 

But why hurt others when you can help them?

People are not all the same. 

Inside they are different.

Luckily G-d looks at the inside; the outside is just the packaging. 😉

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

A Disgrace On The Democrats

The Democratic Party should be ashamed of themselves. 

They have become the new hate-mongering party!

Progressives no way. 

Their bigotry, racism, and hatred are taking us backwards. 

Their members’ attack friends, allies, and patriots of this country. 

And these bigots are worshipped and placed on the cover of Time Magazine. 

To the 3,000 that were killed on 9/11, it is a disgrace. 

To this great nation, it is bringing us down from being a light unto nations to ushering in darkness and prejudice. 

Shame on Pelosi and Schumer and the other democrats who are allowing extremism and hate to dominate their agenda. 

First they hated on Trump 

(Ilahn Omar even hated on Obama!)

Then they hated on Israel and the Jews. 

Who are they coming for next America?  

(Source Graphic: Adapted from Time Magazine By Andy Blumenthal)

Democrats and Anti-Semitism

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel, called “From Belgium To The Democratic Party.”

There are terrible anti-Semitic events happening in parallel in Europe and right here in America. This past week, Belgian hosted mocking and hateful caricatures of Orthodox Jews in their carnival procession. And right here in Washington, D.C., the Democratic Party made a complete farce of the handling of one of its own, anti-Semites, Rep. Ilhan Omar. Omar continues to vent her hared against Israel even going so far as to denounce its supporters as having “dual loyalty.”

It is so disheartening to see the Democratic party reverting back to its ugly days and roots of hate just like during/after the Civil War when they were the party of “opposition to civil and political rights for African Americans.”  

The question is how far down this evil path will things go again?  😉

Impotency of our Democracy

The U.S. democracy is severely broken. 

We are supposed to be “one out of many,” but instead we are many out of one.

There is a tearing at our nation’s fabric. 

Resistance.  Obstruction.  Polarization.  Gridlock.  Shutdown.  Identity Politics.  Hating on each other.  Can’t get anything done. 

Legislatively we’re at an impasse.

It’s not just the border wall…

– No full year (let alone multi-year) budgets for all Federal agencies.

– No Healthcare Fix

– No Immigration Reform

– No Education (STEM) Improvement

– No USA Infrastructure Bill 

– We are losing our edge to a resurgent Russia and a China taking world stage militarily and economically. 

Executive Branch has its hands tied. 

Special Counsels.  Congressional Inquiries.  Judicial injunctions.  Media Lynchings.

Alone.  Thwarted.  Unable to lead or act. 

Presidential hand tied by mommy Pelosi and Daddy Schumer.

State of the Union cancelled. 

Presidency is compromised in the eyes of every national competitor and demagogue in the world. 

Without a strong leadership reestablished and permitted to act, we are running a very strong risk of losing our superpower status and becoming just another has-been nation.

Don’t think it can’t happen.  

The three branches of the government should be working together and helping each other to strengthen our nation’s survival, prosperity, and success.

If we don’t stop the madness, then we will implode and it won’t be a pretty or a happy day for anyone–Democrats or Republicans. 

Last chance for E. Pluribus Unum.  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Trump Vs. Pelosi — The Citizens Lose

Yesterday, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, majorly dissed President Trump by attempting to cancel his State of the Union address for Tuesday, January 29 citing lack of resources to secure the National Special Security Event (NSSE) due to the government shutdown. 

In turn, CNN applauded Pelosi for having:

– Just pulled a major power move on Donald Trump’s State of the Union

Today, President Trump reciprocated by refusing to provide military aircraft for Pelosi’s trip aboard citing the same shutdown. 

In this case, The Guardian condemns President Trump stating that he:

– Escalates shutdown row by cancelling Pelosi trip

I am not taking sides (seriously), but just can’t help but notice the incredible bias in the “Fake News” that we are all being fed in the massive media “echo chamber.” 

Again, Pelosi cancels Trump and its reported on as she did a great thing, while when Trump responds and cancels Pelosi, then that is reported on as he is escalating the situation. 

Something is very wrong in this country–regardless of which politicians and parties you love or hate and whether you agree with a border wall or not–shouldn’t we get news that is honest and even-handed. 

The system is broken and we are the masses that are being controlled in our thinking and our voting.  

This is not democracy–it is social control and b*llsh*t brainwashing! 😉

The Diversity Tapestry

I really liked this sign with the saying by civil rights leader, Maya Angelou:

“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value, no matter what their color [or race, or origin, or religion, or age, or gender, or sexual orientation, or disability].”

Ok, I added the “or” statements at the end. 

But the point is the same and important.

Discrimination, bigotry, prejudice, and bias are stupid. 

They are a function of ignorance. 

– We learn from diversity. 

– Life is richer with diversity. 

If everything was in monocolor…if life was homogeneous…if there was only one type of everything, then what type of humdrum, monotonous, and boring place would this be?

Value the variety.  Value the diversity.  Value the differences. 

They make us better and stronger than we could ever otherwise be. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Controlling The World, Really?

So, unfortunately, there is a lot of discrimination and hate out there. 

Often, I see, hear, or read lots of anti-Semitism. 

People don’t like what I write in my blog, that I eat Kosher, Keep Shabbat, or that I wear a head covering or whatever. 

I get things like “Dirty Jew!”

Sometimes, “Get out! Go back to Israel!”

Or when I try to express myself, “Uh, the Jews control the world,”

The funny thing is if Jews control the world, why do I feel like I don’t control anything!

I feel so small and insignificant in a way in the realm of G-d’s great universe. 

Where I am but a speck of dust.

I see tall skyscrapers.

Huge mountain ranges. 

The deep oceans.

The rolling plains. 

The infinite stars in the sky. 

I see a world with hundreds of countries. 

And billions of people. 

And I see me, and I am just a person. 

And I see the Jewish people–a tiny minority.

One that has been subject of pogroms, inquisitions, exiles, destruction, and genocide–over and over again. 

I grew up pretty poor and watching my parents work so hard trying their best to support the family. 

I think Jews don’t control the world. 

I certainly don’t think I control even my day. 

The reality is only G-d is in control. 

And for that, I am most humble and grateful to the L-rd above. 😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Sexual Harassment No, No, No

So I took this training about sexual harassment etc. 

There were some good general tips for managers confronting these challenging situations:

1) Address it quickly

2) Discuss it privately

3) Specify the problem behaviors

4) Get commitment that it won’t happen again

5) Document what occurred

It’s not rocket science, but thought this was useful guidance. 

Unfortunately, people don’t always behave appropriately, but hopefully, individuals and society as a whole can learn to do much better.  😉

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)