Random Thoughts on Gun Control and Voting

A background check and license should be obligatory to buy a gun, is the argument that I hear a lot of after the Newton horrific massacre. In the USA, a license is required to drive, but neither should be required to VOTE?

Something is significantly wrong with that equation. The right to keep and bear arms, and the right to vote are guaranteed to me by The Constitution. That being the case, if an I.D. is mandatory to even purchase a gun, why should it not be mandatory to vote?  I heard so many times that the Republicans are trying to supress the Constitutional voting rights of certain demographics.  The liberal media was having a field day accusing the republicans of suppressing American voters during the 2012 election year.   If this is the argument of the Left,  that it's an effort to suppress someone's right to vote by requiring them to prove they actually are entitled to do so, why is it okay to attempt to suppress that same person's rights purchase a firearm legally by requiring an even MORE strenuous burden of proof.

It may interest you to know that I have no problem with requiring a background check to purchase a firearm. I simply believe that the same standard should apply to voting.

Vetting Hagel

Chuck Hagel is being considered for the position of the Sec. of Defense of the US. He is a former United States Senator from Nebraska. A member of the Republican Party, Hagel was first elected to the Senate in 1996. He was reelected in 2002 and then retired in 2008. He is currently a professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.  During his political career, Hagel voted 78.1% of the time with the Republican party.

Here is a picture of Hagel’s voting record (small example of issues that should be important to many of us, regardless of our political affiliation):

·         Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers.

·         Voted NO on background checks at gun shows.

·         Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions.

·         Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions.

·         Voted YES on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion.

·         Voted NO on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines.

·         Voted NO on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation.

·         Voted NO on capping of foreign aid at only $12.7 billion.

·         Voted YES on requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections.

·         Voted NO on funding for National Endowment for the Arts.

·         Voted NO on factoring global warming into federal project planning.

·         Voted NO on tax incentives for energy production and conservation.

·         Voted YES for continued increase in aid to Israel.

·         Voted NO for sanctions against Iran, opposing even those aimed at the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, which at the time was orchestrating devastating bomb attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq.

·         Voted NO on to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization

·         Voted YES for Iraq invasion.

Chuck though has a major problem with Israel. A deeper look at Hagel's record exposes a deep-rooted detestation of Israel far outside the norm for average run-of-the-mill Israel critics. 

Modern day anti-Semitism has taken a more insidious form; this monster masks itself as legitimate criticism of Israel, with the purported aim of advancing "human rights." 

Old fashioned anti-Semitism is calling for the destruction of Israel, old fashion anti-Semitism is calling Jews kikes. Denying the Holocaust, that’s all that we are accustomed to as anti-Semitism. 

This right here, is new day, modern day anti-Semitism.  Make no mistake about it.

·         In 1996 The AJC asked senators to join a statement against anti-Semitism in Russia that would appear during then-president Boris Yeltsin’s visit to the United States.

Harris, the President of AJC says “We published the letter as a full-page ad in the New York Times with 99 Senate signatories. Only Sen. Hagel’s name was absent.”

·         Hagel's 2006 libelous reference to the so-called "Jewish lobby," raising the old anti-Semitic canard -- very big in the Arab world and among Nazi conspiracists -- of rich, powerful Jews influencing Washington and American policies.   He didn’t call it Israel lobby, he called it a Jewish lobby.  Almost 50% of Jews are not Israeli.

And finally, there is this little gem, of Hagel’s shady past:

As a Democrat, would you be comfortable with him as a Secretary of Defense?

As a Republican, would you be comfortable with him as a Secretary of Defense?

Israel Thrives: Obama is Not a Friend

Israel Thrives: Obama is Not a Friend

Obama's Foreign Policy Flubs

Since Obama took office, the Middle East has been burning.

Russia has been mocking the US literally everywhere, including threatening the US over the Missile Shield.

Our Emb. Gets murdered in a well-coordinated effort. Prior to his murder, the Americans have asked multiple times for help, which the US government denied, and eventually told them to stop asking.

Egypt, Libya, Tunisia etc.. were all more or less stable, until Obama set foot in office.

Iran’s nuclear weapons program is progressing.

He couldn’t win over China and Russia for even a simple symbolic UN condemnation of Syria’s Assad’s regime.

Morsi, the newly elected Egyptian President, a former Muslim Brotherhood member, has renewed their relationship with Iran. And openly stated that the US is neither foe nor ally (To the tune of almost USD 3BB annually).

The Peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians has tanked. The Palestinians have approached the UN in a unilateral move, seeking statehood.

His certainty that we can successfully wield soft power without hard power to back it up is giving encouragement to foes like Iran, Syria, Libya etc … (Libya is no friend to the US).

Obama is however excellent at, unfailingly I might add, tossing human rights, democracy, and a strong U.S. military under the bus, as he’s so fond of doing with allies.

Huffington Post Practices Yellow Journalism

Shame on the Huffington Post, for once more practicing yellow journalism.  Have a look at how they chose their words, when they published a story about Aly Raisman.

Raisman won a gold medal in women’s floor exercise representing the US.  An 18 year old Jewish American girl, that bravely expressed what needed to be stated. 

Here is what she state:

 “Having that floor music wasn’t intentional,” an emotional but poised Raisman told reporters after her performance.

“But the fact it was on the 40th anniversary is special, and winning the gold today means a lot to me.”

Then Raisman stuck the landing.

“If there had been a moment’s silence,” the 18-year-old woman told the world, “I would have supported it and respected it.”

It was 40 years ago at the 1972 Munich Games that members of the Israeli Olympic delegation were taken hostage, tortured and eventually brutally slaughtered by Palestinian terrorists.

Here is a screen capture of how the Huffington Post opened their  piece about this:

Please note how the HP writer is implying that Ms. Raisman declared her solidarity to the palestinian terrorists, no where in the entire piece is there a mention of who the victims are,  but a mere statement that they were Israelis chosen for their nationality.     

Obama is anti Israel

Jews that vote for Obama are voting for the demise of Israel

ACT NOW FOR ISRAEL: Remove UN Official Who Spreads LIES

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, has called for the immediate dismissal of a Jerusalem based U.N. agency employee who is widely known for her blatant anti-Israel activism.

Khulood Badawi, the information and media coordinator for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Jerusalem, (OCHA), tweeted a controversial photo, on March 10, showing an Arab girl covered in blood laying in the arms of her father, with a caption that read, “Palestine is bleeding … another father killed by #Israel … another father carrying his child to a grave in Gaza.”


The photo, however, was later identified as a 2006 Reuters photo. The girl died in a playground or car accident, not as a result of any actions taken by the IDF.
Yet, the Twitter message, which was re-tweeted by hundreds of other users, was highly instrumental in spreading a new wave of libels against the Israel Defense Forces.
Prosor sent a letter to the U.N. emergency coordinator, Valerie Amos, calling for Badawi’s immediate dismissal.


Prosor wrote that Badawi’s actions not only “violate conduct expected of a UN official,” but that she also “actively engaged in the demonization of Israel, a member state of the United Nations. Such actions contribute to incitement, conflict and, ultimately, violence,” according to Fox News, which obtained a copy of the letter.
“Although Ms. Badawi’s portrayal of this photo was clearly a blatant falsehood, her post became the top tweet for anything related to Gaza on Twitter,” Prosor affirmed.
Amos issued a reply saying, “It is regrettable that an OCHA staff member has posted information on her personal Twitter profile, which is both false and which reflects on issues that are related to her work. The opinions expressed in her tweets in no way reflect the views of OCHA, nor has it been sanctioned by OCHA.”
Badawi, who has neither retracted not apologized for her inaccurate tweet, will remain employed by the agency during an internal investigation, Fox News reported.
Source: IsraelNationalNews

ACT NOW FOR ISRAEL: Click below to DEMAND that UN employee Khulood Badawi immediately be fired.
http://www.un.org/en/contactus

Obama Playing the Jewish Voters 2012

It is March 2012.  Much is taking place in Washington.  Campaign speeches and interviews can be heard everywhere.  This month, the annual AIPAC meeting is taking place.  They have an impressive panel lined up.  Unfortunately I could not attend.  President Obama is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Netanyahu to discuss the Iran nuclear situation on Tuesday March 6th, 2012.

I watched as Obama spoke on March 4th, 2012 at the AIPAC meeting.  He moved his lips in an attempt to sway the audience.  He attempted to convince the Jewish crowd about his "undying support of Israel."  The audience clapped and roared, and each time I wondered why.  For the past 3 years Obama has mistreated Israel and disrespected her and her leaders.  He applied and continues to apply pressure on Israel but extends zero demands toward the Palestinians.  In this commentary, I will attempt to put together a list of some of his actions and incidents. 

"Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided" 

(AIPAC speech 6/4/2008).  We know that he didn't mean that. He "misspoke." 

Obama began his term with appeasing the Arab world, his very first interview as US President was granted to Al Arabiya news channel. 

At the Global Summit in the spring of 2009, he greeted the SA King with a deep bow from the waist. 

He then proceeded to visit Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but never made it to Israel.  He delivered the infamous speech in Egypt, promising them a Palestinian state within 12 months, to make matters worse in the same speech he made a moral equivalency between the Holocaust to the way Israel treats the Palestinians.   In other words, in less than 3 minutes, he delegitimized Israel in front of her enemies.

In July of 2009, Obama met with 15 American Jewish leaders.  Where he proceeded to question Israel's intent for peace, demanded that Israelis must engage in self-reflection.  In other words, he feels that Israel and Jews are not serious about peace with the Palestinians.

In 2010 the US, per orders from President Obama, has diverted a shipment of bunker-busters designated for Israel.  The ship was diverted to a military base in Diego Garcia instead.  387 smart munitions was to join the pre-positioned US military equipment in Israel Air Force bases.  Obama has also refused to approve any major Israeli requests for US weapons platforms or advanced systems.  Which included but not limited to: AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, advanced munitions and data on a stealth variant of the F-15E.

In 2010, the Obama administration demanded a settlement freeze, cessation of all building on land the Palestinians claimed as theirs.  Zero demands were laid on the Palestinians.  Even a simple demand, to stop indoctrinating Palestinian youth would have sufficed, but that never happened.  Israel froze settlements fully for 10 months. During Biden's trip to Israel, the Israeli department of buildings announced that it authorized the building of 1600 apartment units in Ramat Shlomo, a north Jerusalem neighborhood inside of the 67 lines (not an area that the Palestinians are claiming as theirs).  In fact, Jerusalem was not part of the agreed freeze altogether, yet the Obama administration decided to use this as a diving board for Israel condemnation and humiliation.  Public shaming of Israel was shocking!   But certainly gave the Palestinians a green light to continue with their narrative and anti Israel rhetoric.  When Bibi arrived in Washington to put out the fire, Obama let him in through the side door, would not eat with him, and served Bibi and his group non Kosher meals!

Fast forward to the Turkish Gaza bound Flotilla, a fleet of six ships that sailed toward Gaza in an attempted to break the blockade on Hamas, a terrorist organization that is recognized as such by literally the entire world.  The Israeli navy, succeeded in stopping the five ships, but Marmara was different.  The Marmara carried knives, metal rods, Molotov cocktails, some guns, but most importantly members of the IHH, a group of terrorist thugs that chanted antisemitic anti Israel songs as they sailed toward Gaza.  A group that expressed their desire to die inorder to become Shahids/Martyr.  

The Flotilla incident was played out in the media as a one sided incident.  Israel was guilty without investigation.  Israel was condemned again, even though they were outnumbered and acting within the law.  Despite the fact that weapons were found, Israeli soldiers were wounded, stabbed and beaten, Israel was vilified and humiliated by the Obama administration. The Prime Minister of Turkey Erdogan, has boasted to the media that the US is in full support of Turkey. 

A claim that the Whitehouse has never disputed!

And then there is this little gem:

"We believe that the border of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps" ( Just hours before PM Netanyahu was to board a plane heading to the US to meet with Obama. May 2011). 

No U.S. president has overtly endorsed the '67 lines as the root for negotiating a lasting border. Michigan's Juan Cole, not at all a supporter of the Israel lobby, referred to it "a major turning point."  He's advocating that Israel cede territory, place itself into a weaker position, let the chips fall where they may and pray, hope for the best.  How does that parse the land for peace modus operandi?

And then there is that not so little incident of the open microphone at the G20 meeting, that Obama apparently had no idea was still on when he responded to Sarkozy's disparaging words against Benjamin Netanyahu;

Sarkozy: "I can not bear Netanyahu, he's a liar"
Obama: "You're fed up with him? I have to deal with him everyday!"

It is un-presidential, it is describing precisely the Obama attitude not only toward Benjamin Netanyahu, but the state of Israel.  And while President Obama is notorious for his apologies to the Islam world, he has not apologized for his insult to the leader of US's strongest ally in the Middle East.

In summary, it is blatantly obvious that Obama's view of Israel is lining up with the European view.  That Israel is the root of the problems in the Middle East.  That it isn't Iran's race toward an nuclear armament, but that it's Israel's conflict with the Palestinians.

In my opinion, Obama's tilt in the Palestinian direction has actually harmed the peace negotiations.  With all his negative actions toward Israel in the past 3 years, it has sent a message to the Palestinians that it's okay to seek statehood in UNESCO, it has instilled false hopes in them and the idea that they will gain statehood without peace.

It is my sincere hope that the Jewish people in America remember this when they go to vote, that they think long and hard about how drastically things changed in the past 3 years.  

Andrew Adler, 'Atlanta Jewish Times' Publisher, Apologizes For Obama Assassination Comments 

Andrew Adler, the owner of the Atlanta Jewish Times, has resigned but not before issuing an apology after suggesting that assassinating President Obama is one of three options that the Israeli government should consider. 

Here are the 3 options from his ill thought out article which by some people's speculations will land him jail time:

1- a per-emptive strike against Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist groups that he said would be emboldened by a nuclear Iran; 

2- a direct strike on Iran; and

3- "three, give the go-ahead for U.S.-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel in order for the current vice president to take his place, and forcefully dictate that the United States policy includes its helping the Jewish state obliterate its enemies."

Below is just a small number of public condemnations and outrage spoken against Adler's comments:

* The Birmingham Jewish Federation joins the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish organizations in condemning this column and the writer for these abhorrent views.*

*Ophir Aviran, the Israeli consul general in Atlanta, condemned the column "in the strongest possible terms."*

*In response to a JTA request for comment, Aviran said in an e-mail that he was "appalled at this deranged and morally repugnant assertion."*

*The Anti-Defamation League condemned Adler's column as "outrageous."*

*"An apology cannot possibly repair the damage," said the ADL's national director, Abraham Foxman, in a statement.*

Like most Jews that I know, I feel strongly that Adler's words are ill thought out, and possibly treasonous.

On the other hand, holding an entire race/religion for the stupidity of the few is bigotry, ignorance, racism, and a deliberate attempt at inciting violence against all the Jews.   

In response to the article that the Huffington Post published about this unfortunate incident, here are a few examples of what I speak of.  These are the posts that the Huffington Post Moderators put through, keep in mind, they are a moderated forum:

Original link

 Original link

Original Link

 

Original Link

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Occupied Wall Street - Sunday Oct. 16th, 2011

We parked the car on Washington Street, and schlepped to Zuccotti Park which was approximately 30 minute walk from Tribecca. It was a windy day, but the sun was out, so it didn’t feel too cold.

As we neared the park, we heard chants and drum beating. About an 1/8th of a mile from the new WTC the park was filled to capacity. I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowds. People from all walks of life, holding up signs with different messages everywhere.


I felt choked up, it's worth repeating that I was overwhelmed, the smell hit me first, then the people, how they dressed, how so many were so thin, so dirty, surrounded by filth, the very first thought that hit me was, why would anyone subject themselves to this if they had it better? Why would they want to be there unless their condition was so terrible, that this actually looked better.

Each one has a story, each one wants to be heard, to be seen, and most importantly they’re looking for a change.

Though I haven’t been able to pick up one centralized message, the protests ranged from unemployment, to rage against Israel. Young, old, the in between, the healthy, the ill, all came together to voice their unhappiness, to express themselves, to ask for help to ask for change.

I’ve seen Code Pink, Raging Grannies and Their Daughters, lots of other peaceniks.

It appeared peaceful, people were singing, chanting, laughing crying, yelling, whispering, smoking pot, drinking, tattooing (The old fashioned way with true tattoo needles and no tattoo guns). The energy was beyond description.

It humbled me