An Open Letter to the Republican Candidates for President

Dear Candidates,

I am tired of attacks on Mitt Romney based on his Mormon beliefs. I am a politically conservative Jew, and as such, I have no interest in the question of whether or not Mormonism is really a part of the Christian faith or not. In fact, it disturbs me to hear of such attacks since the Constitution itself explicitly states that there is no religious test for office.

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. - Article 6, Paragraph 3 [emphasis added]

If you feel the need to attack Romney please do it based on differences of philosophy, ideas and policy - things that effect all of us.

Mitt Romney has been a gentleman throughout this entire primary season. He has stuck to the issues and has focused on bringing his message to the public. I would appreciate if all of you would do the same.

Sincerely,
An undecided voter

Michael Coren on the Muslim Middle East

Thank you Regis!

After growing up with Regis Philbin over the years, it is time to thank him for the laughs that he brought us, and the feel-good start to every morning. We will miss him on television and wish Regis all the best.

Happy Feet Two - Can it get any Better (or Worse)?

I saw an advertisement on the side of a bus for Happy Feet Two. My first thought was 'oh no'! I saw the first movie with my brother and wrote a review which I am republishing below. All I hope is that the sequel won't be as bad as the first - but with that in mind - we know that sequels in general are never as good as the original... which leaves us an even worse movie.

Avi and I went to see the movie Happy Feet. I will, unfortunately, claim responsibility in choosing the film. I will also admit that I don’t read reviews, so I was not warned that it was an environmental piece of propoganda. I was hoping for a nice, cute movie with dancing penguins. But no. That would be too much to ask for.

It was a horrible movie, it just dragged on and on. I kept hoping that it would end. It begins with the mating season between emperor penguins. It seems that they sing to get a mate...let’s pause here and mention that this is not a kids movie.

So the penguins are singing to each other and we meet our Ma and Pa penguins...Pa penguin, Memphis, singing Heartbreak Hotel and sounding like Elvis or some backwoods Kentuckain. Ma penguin, Norma Jean, is a smooth singing penguin who could have anyone on the block but falls in love with Memphis. They have an egg together and while Norma Jean is off on her trek to the sea he is left with the egg singing/praying to the god that gives them a good fish harvest.

During the course of this praying to the fish god, Memphis lets go of the egg and it rolls in the snow -- the equivilent of dropping a baby on its head. When the egg hatches and we meet the new chick, Mumble (huh?), who is incapable of singing like all the other emperor penguins, but instead can’t control his happy, dancing feet. However, this is a problem in their rigidly, static, stuffy religion run by a penguin that looks awfully like a Puritan of the 1600s, where there is only one way to do things.

Mumble and his dancing feet get blamed for the lack of fish and is banished from emperorland. Mumble promises to return when he figures out why the fish are disappearing...and so begins his incredibly non-interesting journey.

On his way he is chased by a lion-seal, befriended by shorter stereotypical Latino penguins, who of course accept Mumble for his dancing feet. He is brought by the short penguins to the great, “all-knowing” Sunday morning preacher penguin with the fancy feathers Lovelace. Lovelace had a set of plastic rings (from pop cans) around his neck. We all know what that means. People are bad.

To go on and on would be a disservice to all of you reading and would be quite painful. I’ll summarize. Mumble ends up chasing a fishing boat and realizes that “aliens”/people are the ones responsible for the loss of fish. He ends up chasing the boat across the globe and ends exhausted on a beach somewhere, where he’s taken to a zoo. It’s somewhat humorous (not) when Mumble realizes that he finally has an opportunity to bring his plight to the aliens, but is ignored. He begins to lose his mind...when all of a sudden a little girl taps a beat on the glass. Mumble regains his mind, and of course starts dancing.

This dancing catches everyones attention. Of course, a dancing penguin would be quite a sight to see. Mumble is let loose to go back to his own kind with a homing device attached to his back. There he confronts the Puritan penguin who then tells him again that his backsliding is the cause of the penguin population starving. Then lo and behold a helicopter lands to watch the penguins. The penguins realize that this is the moment to start dancing for the people. Even the Puritan penguin dances. Obviously, the old ways of religion are no good. Obviously, all of it should be tossed out the window.

Then, miracle of miracles, the people divine from the penguins dancing that there’s a food shortage and the penguins are starving. When I see a penguin dancing - the first thought that crosses my mind is that they need food (not!). But wait, it gets better. Since people have read the dancing the issue goes to the United Nations where it is discussed and of course SOLVED! We know that the U.N. solves world problems every day. Then finally, by the grace of the fish god, the movie ended.

The first word out of my mouth when I turned to Avi was, “What?!” As we discussed the movie I realized how absolutely rediculous it really was. I don’t mind an environmental message on occasion, but I do mind being bludgeoned with it. People are bad. People destroy the environment. People kill defenseless animals. Whatever.

Then there is Mumble and his journey. He’s on a mission to talk to those taking the fish. We come along on this mission wondering how he is going to accomplish such a task. There’s a buildup and no real confrontation. I was left empty.

I could not even say that Mumble grew up through his adventures. First of all, they were not adventures. He met some characters; the Latino penguins were fun. But Mumble never changed. He didn’t grow. He didn’t learn. He didn’t effect others around him till the end when the people figured out the dancing. Nothing substantial happened during the entire movie.

It ended with what Avi called the Mack Truck ending. (There’s a fancy name for this but never mind.) A Mack Truck ending is when the main character is in a real bind, with no solution, and a Mack Truck comes in and runs over the problem to end it. That’s exactly what happened. It was painful to see.

One last note. The movie was one long song track. I counted approximately 44 songs in the credits. 44 songs at a minute and a half apiece...you do the math.

The up-side in all of this was that I hung out with Avi and made fun of the movie for hours afterward. My recommendation - don’t see the movie.

The World's Sliding Scale of Moral Values

Imagine a world where destruction of historic and archeological sites is dismissed as unimportant and irrelevant by the World Community. Imagine a world where the murder of innocents gets a moment of silence but is otherwise ignored by that same World Community. Imagine again, that this is not a make-believe world, but truly the one we live in. The World Community seems to be quite a tolerant bunch depending on what group you belong to. Perhaps they'll even admit you into their little organizations - despite or perhaps because of past 'activities'.

Let's start with the UNESCO vote to allow the "Palestinians" into their agency. UNESCO stands for United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. I wonder if anyone could list what the "Palestinian" contributions have been to humanity at large up until this point? Anyone?

Aside from the fact that the "Palestinians" deny Jewish history - denying that the Jewish Temples in Jerusalem ever existed, denying that modern day Jews are the descendants of those Jews of 3000 years ago, denying 3000 years of Jewish existence in the Land of Israel, and even denying the Holocaust - is the fact that the "Palestinians" actively destroy Jewish historical artifacts and sites.

One would imagine that actively destroying anyone's historical artifacts and sites would be frowned upon by UNESCO - but I suppose that it depends on who is doing the destruction. The "Palestinians" seem to be exempt.

Here are just a few examples of important Jewish holy sites being attacked and destroyed:
* In Septemer 1996, Palestinian rioters destroyed a synagogue at Joseph's Tomb in Schem/Nablus.
* Rachel's Tomb near Bethlehem has been repeatedly attacked since 1996.
* In October 2000, Joseph's Tomb was torched after the Israeli garrison guarding it was temporarily withdrawn. It was subsequently rebuilt as a mosque.
* Also in October 2000, the ancient synagogue in Jericho was destroyed by arson and a second historic synagogue was damaged.
* The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the holiest site in Judaism, home of the First and Second Temples, has also seen tremendous destruction of historical artifacts. From 1996-2001 historic parts of the Temple Mount were destroyed to make way for underground mosques.

In November 1999, the Islamic clerics opened what they called an "emergency exit" to the new mosque. Over three days and nights, the "exit" expanded into a gaping hole, 18,000 square feet in size, and up to 36 feet deep. Thousands of tons of ancient fill from the site, subsequently found by Israeli archeologists to contain artifacts dating as early as the First Temple period, were dumped into the Kidron Valley.

In February and March 2001, an ancient arched structure built against the eastern wall of the Temple Mount enclosure was razed by bulldozers in order to further enlarge the "emergency gate" of the new mosque at Solomon's Stables.

Furthermore, without any archeological supervision, approximately 6,000 square meters of the ancient surface level of the Temple Mount were dug up by tractors, paved, and declared to be open mosques. The previous director of the Antiquities Authority has called this "an archeological crime." No Israeli official has seen any plans or has set limits on the work being carried out.

One would imagine that the destruction of a 3000 year site would stop a world body from allowing these "people" from joining the ranks of those who care about history and the preservation of ancient artifacts. But again, I suppose it matters who is doing the destruction and whose property is being destroyed.

I also suppose that we shouldn't be surprised by any of this. World organizations seem to like to reward egregiously destructive behavior such as those demonstrated by the "Palestinians".

The 1996 Olympics in Atlanta saw the "Palestinians" participate in the Games for the first time. Only 24 years after the Munich Olympic Massacre of the Israeli athletes - unarmed civilians there to complete on the world stage, the "Palestinians" were welcomed to compete as well. Once again, it matters who is doing the murdering and who is being murdered. The "Palestinians", of course, again get a pass.

So which world organization is next to admit the "Palestinians"? Would it be the World Heath Organization (WHO)? Perhaps using ambulances (Red Crescent and UNRWA) to transport bombs and terrorists would be sanctioned by WHO. Is this scenario really so far fetched?

Everything seems to be morally relative when it comes to the "Palestinians". Destroy historic artifacts and sites, holy sites not withstanding, and get admitted to UNESCO. Murder innocent Jewish athletes at the Olympics, and be admitted to those same Games a few years later. All is forgiven. Moral relativity at it's best - all dependent on the parties at hand. The World at large seems to have a sliding scale of standards, but then again, no surprise there.

Veterans Day/Remembrance Day 2011

Please take a moment today to thank a veteran. It is because of them, who are volunteers, that we have our freedoms here at home - and so many millions(!) of others across the world have theirs.

Veterans Day

Remembrance Day

The Story of the Flanders Fields Remembrance Day Poppies

Happy 236th Birthday US Marines!

Happy Birthday to the best of the best!

Please take a look at this link - excellent videos honoring the US Marine Corp

Also excellent - 236 Years of the Marine Corp in pictures

The Cain Question

The question - Did he or didn't he?

The answer - We don't know.

The upshot here is that all these sexual harassment allegations have taken Herman Cain off his game and off his message. I like Cain for a lot of reasons, while not fond of his national sales tax idea, he is a great example of how the American Dream really can come true.

It's time for Cain to bring out the National Restaurant Association's findings from their own internal investigations into the initial allegations to support his claims of innocence. While it won't fully answer all the women bringing complaints, it will certainly bolster Cain's side of the story - especially when some of these women have questionable characters.

This whole scandal has turned into a 'he said - she said' situation that is dragging Cain down. He needs to end this distraction as soon as possible and get his campaign back on track.

Happy 125th Birthday Lady Liberty!

History of the Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island

Statue of Liberty Torch-Cam

Jewish Blood is Cheap

I cried as I watched the Hamas held Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, return to his family while throngs of people waving Israeli flags and singing Am Yisroel Chai (the nation of Israel lives) danced outside. It was a great moment. I'm happy he's home.

The prisoner exchange that set Shalit free, I believe, we can label a valuable "teachable moment". What lessons were learned and what were taught?

We learned that Israelis believe that every life is precious. Israel willingly traded 1027 terrorists - hundreds of them serving multiple life sentences for cold blooded murder - in order to see Shalit returned safely home after over 5 years in captivity without even one International Red Cross visit.

It's an admirable idea - to care for each soldier as if he were everyone's son, brother, father - and since military service is compulsory - Shalit really does represent everyone. This is why we saw that 80% of Israeli's supported this exchange.

While we learned that Israel cares about the sanctity of life, and was willing to go to great lengths to save Gilad Shalit - we also taught the terrorists a very important lesson as well: Jewish blood is cheap.

In other words: Kill a Jew, serve a few years and go home a hero.

The modern state of Israel rose out of the ashes of the Holocaust with "Never Again" the watchwords of the Jewish State. With this exchange, "Never Again" became an empty slogan. The idea that Israel was to be a safe haven for Jews, that Jewish blood could never be spilled in vain, is gone.

Some of the most horrific crimes against the citizens of the Jewish state: the 2000 Ramallah lynching, the 2001 Sbarro pizzaria bombing, the 2001 Dolphinarium discotheque bombing, the 2002 Passover massacre bombing, bus bombings and so many more - those terrorists who perpetrated them, or who helped those who carried them out are being freed to carry out more attacks on innocent men, women and children.

Life is precious, however, an innocent life is certainly more precious than the life of a murderer. Until now, Israel has reserved the death penalty for Nazis. It's certainly way past time to put terrorists to death as well. By allowing these murderers (and some mass murderers) to walk free minimizes the deaths of those innocents who were killed by those same people.

What of the victim's families? Their pain never ends. As Sherri Mandel, whose 13 year old son was murdered, explains:

Most people don't understand the continuing devastation of grief: fathers who die of heart attacks, mothers who get sick with cancer, children who leave school, families whose only child was murdered. We see depression, suicide, symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder. You wouldn't believe how many victims' families are still on sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication. We see the pain that doesn't diminish with time. We literally see people die of grief.

In allowing these unrepentant murderers to go free, we see that terrorism truly does work. Every Israeli (and Jew) has now become a target for kidnapping. Calls for another Gilad Shalit have already begun. It's no surprise. Terrorism works. There is no down-side to kidnapping (or murdering for that matter) Jewish innocents. Kill as many Jews as you would like - you'll be free in a few years and you can do it all over again.

There needs to be a new lesson taught. That Jewish blood is not cheap. There must not be any murderers held in prison for life sentences awaiting the next exchange. They should be given a trial and executed if guilty. There must be a serious disincentive for spilling Jewish blood. If there isn't, G-d forbid, we are going to see future exchanges which will only result in more blood spilled.

"Never Again" must really mean Never Again.

New Math: 1027 = 1

The Simple Truth: They Want it All

The "Palestinians" are Talking War

We know that Hamas, the terrorist organization running the Gaza Strip, wants to destroy Israel and all Jews within. They have always been clear about their goals.

On the other hand, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been considered the "moderate" wing of the "Palestinians" and that Israel has been negotiating with them - even offering over the years most, if not all, of Judea/Samaria (the West Bank) and half of Jerusalem.

We are finding out now what some have known all along - that the "Palestinians" are attempting to establish a state as a first step in the destruction of the entire State of Israel. We are hearing it in their own words.

Abbas Zaki [a senior member of the Fatah Central Committee, led by PA President Abbas] told the interviewer that any final status agreement between Israel and the PA “should be based upon the borders of June 4, 1967....everybody knows that the greater goal cannot be accomplished in one go....”

He noted that reaching the “greater goal” would be impossible initially, and that revealing it would not be smart: “If we say that we want to wipe Israel out, c’mon, it’s too difficult. It’s not [acceptable] policy to say so. Don’t say these things to the world,” he warned. “Keep it to yourself.”

Here we have more clarity from "Tawfik Tirawi, member of the Fatah Central Committee and a former commander of the Palestinian Authority's General Intelligence Force".

Tirawi told university students earlier this week that Fatah has never "thrown aside the rifle" – an indication that the faction could resume the "armed struggle option" against Israel.

His statement contradicts assurances by other Fatah leaders that they have completely abandoned the path of violence and seek a peaceful solution with Israel.

What happened to a "two-state solution" with a Jewish state and a peaceful "Palestinian" state living side by side?

If this is what is what negotiations are all about - taking Israel apart piece by piece - then negotiations must come to an end immediately. To ignore talk of war is stupid and downright dangerous. Continuing the farce of negotiations is unacceptable.

We know what the "Palestinians" want, and it isn't peace. It's time to accept the truth and stop fooling ourselves.

Palestinian Authority - "Wipe Israel Out"!

What if the Arabs said exactly what they meant - that the goal of negotiations was to destroy Israel? Well, they have. This article in the Jewish Tribune got my attention. This is a must read.

1949 lines Israel’s doom: Fatah official
Tuesday, 04 October 2011

JERUSALEM – A senior member of the Fatah Central Committee, led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, in an interview referred to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President Barack Obama, as “dirtbags,” and explained how causing Israel to leave Judea and Samaria would spell its doom.

Abbas Zaki told the interviewer that any final status agreement between Israel and the PA “should be based upon the borders of June 4, 1967....everybody knows that the greater goal cannot be accomplished in one go.”

Israel claims that Abbas and numerous other PA Arab officials have made it clear in many ways that the “greater” and ultimate goal has been and continues to be the elimination of the state of Israel altogether, but this was an outright statement to that effect.

Zaki made his remarks during an interview on the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera satellite television channel, which reaches millions of Arabs worldwide.

A video clip of Zaki’s remarks was translated by MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), a media watchdog organization that monitors Arabic-language media.

“If Israel withdraws from Jerusalem, evacuates the 650,000 settlers, and dismantles the wall, what will become of Israel? It will come to an end,” Zaki predicted.

“Who is nervous, upset and angry now? Netanyahu, Lieberman, and Obama.... All those dirtbags,” he said scornfully. “Why even get into this? We should be happy to see Israel upset.”

He noted that reaching the “greater goal” would be impossible initially, and that revealing it would not be smart: “If we say that we want to wipe Israel out, c’mon, it’s too difficult. It’s not [acceptable] policy to say so. Don’t say these things to the world,” he warned. “Keep it to yourself.”

For public consumption, Zaki advised Arabs to stick to the party line: “I want the resolutions that everybody agrees upon. I say to the world, to the Quartet, and to America: You promised, and you turned out to be liars.”

In his recent speech to the 66th United Nations General Assembly, Abbas referred to Israel as the “land of Jesus and Mohammed,” with no mention whatsoever of the ancient history of the Jews who dwelled there, preceding both, and who have maintained a continuous presence in the land to this day.

Knowing this should change everything - shouldn't it? If it's spoken in Arabic does it not count? Why not? Why is Israel being pressured to give away the historic lands of Judea and Samaria (West Bank)? In exchange for what? Destruction of the Jewish People?

Sure seems like it.