The Virgin Mary Controversy in 1999-2/8/06

The current rioting over the Danish cartoon has been featured on all the cable shows ad-nauseum.
Interestingly the NY Times and most major American papers have not reproduced the cartoon. Certainly a victory for fear and Political Correctness. They certainly have no compunction about printing the “Pentagon Papers” or leaking the wiretap story-which could harm our national security.

Very few people ask why with each Islamic suicide bomber we don’t have similar outbursts for the insult that such an barbaric attack has on the honor of the Prophet.

No religion or religious person enjoys seeing their holy beliefs being either ridiculed or insulted. However, freedom of the press and free speech are paramount in our culture.

Had no riots or protests occurred, surely the cartoon would have long been forgotten.

I recall the Brooklyn Museum exhibit in Sept 1999 which featured a painting called “the Holy Virgin Mary” in which artist Chris Olifi had a clump of elephant dung smearing one of her breasts. The Church and Mayor Guliani were furious calling it “Catholic bashing”.

As President of the OU, I felt that though it probably had no discernable artistic value, the artist certainly was free to express his opinion, but not in a publicly supported institution, meant to serve the entire community. The artist certainly had the right to go to a private gallery and exhibit his paintings. I urged that a more sympathetic Lay Board be appointed. to oversee the Museum.

Despite its incendiary nature, there were never riots or threats to property or persons. This type of violent reaction we are now witnessing, with the encouragement of radical elements, certainly makes discourse all the more difficult if not impossible—unless we abstain from all critical remarks, editorials or cartoons. But then, we wouldn’t be America.

Islamic anger; An approach to the Energy problem 2/6/06

The torching of the Danish Embassy in Beirut ,and demonstrations against the Danish government in the Muslim world, speaks again to the cultural war we are undergoing.
Islam cannot function with criticisms by either their own or certainly from infidels from another religion.
We are slowly creeping back to the middle ages and only the uneven distribution of both conventional and nuclear weapons prevents some in the Islamic world from replacing verbal threats with military action. Islamic propaganda continually calls for a world that is all green,(100 % Islamic).
Thus the popularity of OBL,Hizbollah and suicide bombers among so many in the Islamic world.

It appears to me that Pres Bush in calling for an end of our dependence on fossil fuel missed the boat.
Today many countries in the world face the same problem of ME oil in the hands of OPEC .
Instead of viewing the solution as an all American one, this is a unique opportunity to gather together all of the governments of the world who are fearful of oil blackmail, and together with their respective scientists, create a well funded Marshall, Plan or Manhattan Project dedicated to solving this pressing world energy problem within 10-15 years.
It means doing away with SUV’s, and insisting on real mileage improvement per gallon on autos and trucks. Alaska oil and gas exploration, the creation of wind mills free of State interference will need to be on the agenda as well as the creation of economically sound new fuels as done in S. America. New nuclear plants will have to be built, and we should go back to encouraging solar energy where feasible.
When scientists are given a free hand, with proper funding, they can solve the mystery of polio, create a nuclear device, get us to the moon or solve our energy problem.

Sen Kerry ; Hamas and Aid ; Bi-lingualism 2/1/06

Now that the Alito debate has concluded, I would like to paraphrase my son Elli who said” Sen. John Kerry (D. Mass) is a gift to the Republican Party that never stops giving “.

Money is fungible and we should not be swayed by the argument that aid for the Palestinian people is “humanitarian” and therefore we should ignore Hamas as the new heir apparent.
The role of Iran is already a factor, and the threat to turn to them for help will not alter the Islamic fundamentalist outlook of Hamas one way or the other. In any case Arab countries should be the main source of aid to the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian people voted for Hamas, knowing they would have to sacrifice economically in order “to defeat Israel.” We should not relieve them of the burdens which they voluntarily placed upon themselves.
The President while quoting Sharansky supports Democracy as an antidote to Islamic fascism. The problem is that merely voting does not a Democracy make. The rule of Law, a functioning judiciary, the end of private militias and the acceptance of diplomacy instead of State terror are hallmarks of a society wherein a free election will have democratic significance. This does not describe the PA.

We just came back from two months in S. Florida. It is shocking how many people including young couples with children speak no English.
Bi-or tri-lingualism is terrific.HOWEVER all Americans should speak and learn English as our NATIONAL LANGUAGE This should be enacted into law.
Our parents and grandparents came to these shores as foreign speaking immigrants. They had no choice, and within one generation, their progeny were proficient in English .Bi-lingual education should be restricted to a short period of time until children can make the necessary adjustments that they will need to succeed in life.