Racist hate knows no colour boundaries

Racism is racism. Period. It is not acceptable when white people engage in it. It is not acceptable when brown people engage in it. It is not acceptable when black people engage in it. It is not acceptable when *any* human being denigrates a whole race or community.

Unacceptable.

This is an especially troubling aspect of Sen. Obama and his candiacy, however, it is not the most alarming one. I've known about this particular nasty for many months now. Anyone paying attention and looking into presidential candidates can tell you this is just a beginning of the troublesome aspects of Obama the man and politician. People who have been paying attention have now saved the true faces of various websites that are even now being scrubbed before too much light can shine on them.

In viewing various tapes and listening to audios of the Rev. Wright, the hate comes through loud and clear. The hate and the rejection of personal responsibility to make one's life a good and healthy place plays into the 'eternal victim' mentality-- never a good thing. How can a person, indeed, a community advance if it is continually told they are *never* responsible for their own condition? How does one engage in positive, proactive ideas and plans for personal and communal living if they are told no matter what, someone is always keeping them down, out to get them?

And the language used. If I ever attended a service with such profanity, I would be leaving immediately. What does it say about people who sit through these 'sermons' week after week, and expose their children to such diatribes? Seems to explain the language I hear during my commutes. It breaks down basic human decency and respect, coarsens and limits people's ability to use language to effectively communicate. Not only for people 'outside' a preceived community, but within the community as well. It is NOT healthy. It is NOT a way to improve the individual, and certainly not a way to build a healthy community.

So why would two well-educated, well-off people attend a worship community like this? Perhaps Mrs. Obama was raised in a similar worship atmosphere. Sen. Obama, however, I fear has other, deeper issues focused on his mixed blood heritage. Does he feel he needs this community to verify his African heritage? Because it is African, NOT African American-- his heritage surrounding African American history is linked to his American European heritage. Would a more inclusive community not also celebrate his diverse background? Because, let's be very clear, Sen. Obama is a mixed blood. Lots of people in the U.S. are. I am. So the 'racial' aspect is not of real import. So he's a little darker, she's a little lighter, blah blah blah. Didn't we get over this yet?? Who cares? The Rev. M.L. King had it right when he spoke of the CONTENT OF CHARACTER being more important than the color of your skin.

I'm not sanguine about Sen. Obama's character, looking at the people he surrounds himself with and associates with. He has unsavory and distinctly anti-democratic connections in Kenya-- R. Odinga being at the top of the list. Odinga has orchestrated civil war in Kenya and is attempting to get his own way by killing and terror. The newest update to this story is here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/17/AR2008031700479.html

This Kenyan election was monitored by international groups, none of whom had a problem with the way the elections were conducted, and none reported widespread or significant corruption or fraud. Odinga decided to solve his problems the way many dictators enjoy-- whip up your supporters and go terrorize the general population. This is a man Sen. Obama considers a personal friend, and he took time out of campaigning in Iowa to be speaking with Odinga.

And then there are the Illinois political connections. There are bombshells dropping from the Tony Rezko trial almost daily now, it seems. Huge amounts of money were funneled from Rezko's connections into Obama campaign coffers. Rezko is NOT a minor player in Chicago. I have a suspicion that the Obamas' house deal will be the least of bad news to come to the campaign from this angle. This guy Rezko has fingers in a lot of pies, locally and internationally, with again, connections with suspected and proven anti-democratic and actual terror operations. Doesn't seem to bother Sen. Obama, as he has no problem meeting socially and/or politically with domestic terrorists in his ward (the Weathermen couple, proud and unapologetic domestic terrorists).

Add all these factors onto a campaign that has no substance, no clear policy agenda, and a political couple who do not seem to understand how well they have done in their lives and how U.S. laws and policies have helped them to do so; and this is a candidate I cannot support. Skin color has nothing to do with this. It is his own connections and statements that make him unsupportable. "Change" in and of itself is a double-edged sword, and I for one would like more substantive information about what this change is and how it will be good for everyone before I cast my vote.

The morass of Illinois political life, or, Obama finally gets some scrutiny

Very, very interesting investigative journalism from the Chicago SunTimes.

And given the swamp that is Illinois party politics, in all likelyhood the tip of the iceberg. No, no candidates are clean, but if you're going to *claim* you're different, don't have situations like this in your financial dossier.

"During his 12 years in politics, Sen. Barack Obama has received nearly three times more campaign cash from indicted businessman Tony Rezko and his associates than he has publicly acknowledged, the Chicago Sun-Times has found.
Obama has collected at least $168,308 from Rezko and his circle. Obama also has taken in an unknown amount of money from people who attended fund-raising events hosted by Rezko since the mid-1990s."

Too many questions. Too many unconvincing denials. Too much whining now from Obama, now that he's being subjected to real scrutiny-- c'mon, who thinks 8 questions amounts to *anything* approaching a press conference??? Too many un-democratic connections (small "d" here).

A time of sorrow, trying to pound knowledge into the willfully ignorant

As if the continuous missles fired daily into Sderot weren't enough. As if the continuous attacks on civilians going about their daily business in their own country weren't enough.

What other country in the entire world would allow such things to happen without a response? What other country in the entire world would be critized when it did response as using "disproportionate" force-- especially as the 'government' of the areas from which these attacks originate are supposed to be "peace partners?" (derisive snort)

Imagine if say, these rockets were falling on... oh, Albany NY, having been launched from Canada. Then imagine if not only the Canadian gov't were to do nothing to stop these attacks, but indeed, praise and throw money and sweets at the terrorists carrying out these attacks.

How long would it be before the U.S. swung into military action to protect its citizens? My bet is that count would be hours.

It has been MONTHS, YEARS for Sderot now. And at a frownie look from Ms. Condi Rice, Israel draws back again from protecting its citizens.


And March 6/7, also Rosh Chodesh Adar (II, this year). The beginning of a month containing one of the happiest yom tov in the Jewish calendar-- Purim.

What could possess a human being-- ANY human being to go and slaughter fellow humans like this?

Sadly, I can answer this. An Arab of Judea/Samaria. The arabs of these areas have been raised in an even more frighteningly hostile, evil environment than is usual in the Middle East. They are raised to believe that death is their highest calling, and to take people of a different community with them will allow them to collect the highest reward their community can think of. They are taught hate, disrespect for human life, and love of blood and murder. Their 'government' promotes this and also staging faked 'crises' and news stories to keep their population simmering against an invented 'enemy' and directed away from the amazing corruption and abuse perpetrated by said 'government.' Such as ordering bakeries to shut down when plenty of flour is on hand. Such as staging candlelight legislative sessions in the middle of the day. Such as blaming *everything* wrong and their OWN actions on others.

And people who should know better want SO MUCH to buy into someone's 'victimhood' they go along. Because, and let's face it, its easier to sympathize with a 'victim' than say-- Go look at what you are doing and change it pdq to better your own situation. Than to say-- perhaps you shouldn't be teaching death as the highest goal of life, perhaps you should concentrate on bettering your community and economy rather than focussing on killing people, and then celebrating the misery you've caused.

End their handouts. Expect them to behave like adults instead of toddlers throwing temper tantrums. Don't reward it. Demand CIVILIZED, RATIONAL behavior.

Words still fail me for the events at the Mercaz HaRav yeshiva. May the families of the murdered be comforted along with all who mourn in Zion.