https://www.pilotonline.com/entertainment/books/sns-bc-schools-banning-books-art-trims-nyt-20220201-yowzqtaognb3jg6iw3uyqjdq5u-story.html

The idea of banning books because of “uncomfortable” themes and discussions is an affront to the 1st Amendment. I say if books can be banned, then so can guns.

Found some important pieces in various outlets today.

Locally, Rabbi Zoberman, my Jewish Spiritual leader, shares his thought:

https://www.pilotonline.com/opinion/columns/vp-ed-column-zoberman-0127-20220126-jemsl7txkncehigudmexujrwhi-story.html

From Boze Herrington at The Week:

https://theweek.com/crime/1009426/why-resurgent-antisemitism-in-america-is-a-problem-for-us-all

In 1995, while deployed to the Med, I was blessed to be part of a tour to Jerusalem during a port visit to Haifa. The last stop on the tour was the Children’s Memorial at the Yad Vashem museum. It was heartbreaking and brought one of the many horrors of the Holocaust into very vivid focus. The frustrating part was hearing a couple of my younger shipmates say, “So what’s the big deal?” “Never Forget” became more important to me than it ever had been.

Some years later, when my children were old enough to appreciate it, we took a trip to D.C.. One of our many stops that weekend was the US Holocaust Museum. Part of that experience is walking through a mock up of a Polish city, which throughout the course of the walk, transforms to a Polish Ghetto. My kids asked how that could happen. I explained it as best I could, and they understood that something like that should never be allowed to happen again.

For those of you who have accused me of being oversensitive to the issue, I invite you to read these pieces, visit the museum in D.C., and if ever given the opportunity, walk through that children’s memorial in Jerusalem. Maybe then you MIGHT grasp my feelings.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/01/texas-synagogue-anti-semitism-conspiracy-theory/621286/

Based on some comments recently, I think it is important for some here to read this to try and get some level of understanding concerning Anti-Semitism.

I do await the comment where one of the posters here says something to the effect of, “I’m not anti-Semitic. Some of my best friends are Jewish.” Or, “I would only trust my money management ot some old guy wearing a Yarmulke.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/590717-boebert-asked-jewish-visitors-to-capitol-if-they-were-doing-reconnaissance

Claiming it is a joke is as bad as saying what was said. This is more insensitive than posting “gun celebration” pictures of her family shortly after a school shooting.

Constitutional conservatives seem to forget about Art. 1, Sec. 4 of the Constitution.

“The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations, except as to the Place of Chusing Senators.” (emphasis added)

Congress has dominion over federal elections. Anyone saying that the election laws proposed by the Democrats in Congress constitutes “federal overreach” is, in a single word. WRONG.

Justice Scalia in a 2013 opinion wrote, ““The power of Congress over the ‘Times, Places and Manner’ of congressional elections ‘is paramount, and may be exercised at any time, and to any extent which it deems expedient; and so far as it is exercised, and no farther, the regulations effected supersede those of the State which are inconsistent therewith.’”

“The legal scholar Pamela S. Karlan put it this way in a 2006 report on the Voting Rights Act: “The Supreme Court’s recent decisions under the elections clause have confirmed the longstanding interpretation of the clause as a grant of essentially plenary authority.” In other words, Congress has absolute, unbending power to regulate federal elections as it sees fit.” – from Jamelle Bouie opinion piece in today’s NYT.

And the 15th Amendment …” ratified in 1870, expanded and reaffirmed the power of Congress to regulate federal elections, stating that, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude” and that “The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.””

So how does one square the idea of overreach with what the Constitution says? I’m talking to our moderator and EVERY single GOP member of Congress and the right wing talking heads.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/589995-conservative-pundit-ann-coulter-says-trump-is-done?rl=1

Ms. Coulter, a right wing firebrand talking head, who wrote a book entitled “In Trump We Trust”, now says he is “done”.

I don’t buy it. If he were, there wouldn’t be a line of candidates at Mar-a-Lago BEGGING for his endorsement.

But to Ms. Coulter’s new view: Is she saying he’s “done” because she really means it or has she been left out of the limelight for so long, she’ll do anything just to be remembered? I lean to the second posit.

Some on this forum said several months ago that Mr. Trump was irrelevant. I didn’t buy it then, and I sure as heck not buying it now.

https://theweek.com/political-satire/1008740/give-that-guy-a-raise

Chris Cuomo got fired from CNN (rightly so, I might add) for assisting his brother in a crisis (of his own making).

Fox News Hosts provide assistance and guidance to Mr. Trump, WHILE IN OFFICE, and they probably WILL get a raise. If they already haven’t.

For those who regularly blast the so-called MSM on this forum, I wonder what the excuses are for this being OK at Fox, but not OK at CNN.

…that Rand Paul is an idiot:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/rand-paul-ridiculed-after-accusing-dems-of-stealing-elections-by-persuading-people-to-vote-for-them?ref=home

One word: Duh!

And eye doctors convince people they need glasses by telling them their vision isn’t perfect.

Also, further evidence that the GOP has ZERO plans for improving the lives in this country. They have no plans for ANYTHING, except to keep the Defense budget bloated and to be able to sit in the chambers of Congress. I guess the seats are quite comfortable.

https://thehill.com/homenews/media/581443-michael-flynn-says-of-the-us-we-have-to-have-one-religion

If that is the case, I pick the oldest one, Judaism.

Y’all can get onboard or realize that Mike Flynn does not believe in the Constitution, the Rule of Law, or anything else except maybe Q and Trump and Bannon. The NEW trinity.

Came across this Pew Research poll posted in one of the Bulwark newsletters.

I was not surprised by where I came out: Mainstay Democrat, along with 16% of those polled. But that does not, as some here will say, make me a Radical Leftist. Those here on the Right of the spectrum tend to think ANY and ALL Democrats are Radical Leftists. It just ain’t true.