Eric Cantor, Anthony Weiner, and a nightmarish train of thought
The health care debate has caused fringe lunatics on both sides of the political aisle to descend into madness. That is the narrative America is being fed.
Eric Cantor, a conservative Republican from Virginia, had his office become the congressional version of the O.K. Corral. A gunshot was fired, breaking one of his windows.
Anthony Weiner, a liberal Democrat from New York, had an office filled with white powder delivered to his office.
Some will say that both of these incidences are overblown. The shot was fired into the air, hitting Cantor’s office on the way down. The envelope to Weiner’s office was not filled with anthrax or any other dangerous substance.
These arguments are Swiss cheese. The actions taken against both of these men fit perfectly under the description of domestic terrorism. The goal was to intimidate them, and use violent means to try and circumvent the democratic process. The people who fired the bullet and mailed the envelope should do hard time in isolated jail cells.
Yet what if the narrative is completely wrong? What if these men were attacked for reasons having nothing to do with health care?
It did not occur to me until Congressman Cantor pointed it out himself, but he has twenty-four hour security due to past threats. He receives some threats because he is the Republican Minority Leader. He receives other threats for a different reason, one that bonds him to his political polar opposite Congressman Weiner.
Both men are Jewish.
Dear lord, no.
Please let this be a health care dispute.
With Passover approaching, the last thing Jews want to think about it is violent anti-Semitism.
The story of Passover is about the Jews surviving against oppression. It seems all of Jewish history is surviving against oppression. Then we came to America. Yet we never got comfortable.
We achieved political power, but we never relaxed.
We achieved economic success, but we never relaxed.
We assimilated into a melting pot. The Christians accepted us here. The Irish, Italians and everybody else told us that they liked us. Yet we never relaxed.
Jews are taught to never get too comfortable. At any moment everything can be taken away from us. We try to tell ourselves that it cannot happen here, but anything can happen to anybody anywhere. We live in a world where our own planes can be turned into guns against us by people who despise Jews almost as much as they hate America. Israel is Little Satan.
This could be people going off the deep end over health care. Yet the world does not have a history of people rioting over employer mandates and Cost of Living Adjustments. HMOs vs PPOs does not inspire duels to the death.
The world does have a history of violence toward Jews.
No matter what the reason, the perpetrators of the horrific acts must be punished.
Yet on this Passover, I pray that these terrorists…and yes, they are terrorists…really are just people pushed into lunacy over health care. Domestic policy leading to domestic terror…that can be handled.
The alternative….I do not even want to contemplate it.
I hope that Congressmen Cantor and Weiner have peaceful Passover Seders, and that Jews everywhere during this holiday are the one thing we never truly ever feel for any length of time…safe and relaxed.
eric
March 26th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
Well, I have to admit that I hadn’t even thought of that. Aside from being Jewish, both Cantor and Weiner have one thing in common - there are some people that really hate them. I mean, I think Weiner is great. He’s one of my favorite pols. I don’t always agree with him, but I’ve never doubted his sincerity, intelligence or integrity. On the other hand, Eric Cantor makes my skin crawl. Every time the guy speaks, even snakes feel uneasy! I don’t think I’ve ever not doubted his integrity or sincerity! So, I think the case with both these guys is that they are both “love ‘em or hate ‘em” figures. I certainly hope it’s not because they’re Jewish! That would be even more terrible than terribly stupid! Maybe we’ll find out soon, now that the Sectret Service and FBI are cracking down on all this nonsense. If anti-Semitism is rearing it’s ugly head again, then we have a serious problem. There’s been too much division, vitriol and diversion in the public square these days. Once people start “blaming the Jews” again, we may have finally hit that inexorable slippery slope to national downfall.
JMJ
March 26th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
What if, what if, both of these “Jews” were eliminated, what then?
Would the liberal Jewish organizations who say that Israel’s occupation of
he W. Bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, is causing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Would they claim that the sanctions against
Iran (3) are a waste of time, and only embolden Ahmad and his
cadre of thugs?
I find it amuzing, that while Israel is condemned by the world for
reacting to over 6,000 Kassam and Grad rockets fired from the Gaza
Strip, under the watchful eye of it’s government (Hamas), these 2
instances become newsworthy.
What if Rahm and Axelrod were fired upon? I mean after all,
aren’t they the liberal house Jews who are behind Obama’s every
decision ( see LA Times 031910). But I guess they are
guarded day and night.
Yet Obama is still talking to Iran, Syria, and other dictatorships
in the Arab-Muslim world., hoping for a miracle, maybe something
from the Koran or the Judeo-Christian bible? I don’t know?
Miracles do happen..after all, the Israelites managed to leave Egypt
and afterwards swollow up the entire Egyptian army.
Don’t believe in miracles, you say they are fairy tales?
In 1967, 100,000 Egyptian troops, with 1,000 tanks, and hundreds
of warplanes, including 16 heavy Russian bombers, were poised to
attack little Israel, with it’s 300 planes and 300,000 man and woman
army (including reserves). The combined Muslim armies had 500,000
and 900 warplanes.
Israel, after much begging to the US and UN, decided enough was enough
and sent up it’s entire airforce..taking the Arab pilots by surprise.
The rest is history.
Over 15,000 Arabs were killed, wounded or missing. Israeli casualties
about 1,000 dead and a few thousands wounded.
Egypt and Syria lost over 400 planes, most on the ground. Israel lost
over 40. (The Ruskies replentished the Arab losses quickly).
Israel offered to give bac all the territory for peace., to the 3 famous
nos. One would think G-d predicted that in 1973, Egypt/Syria would
vilate the cease fires..and attack on Israel’s most holy days.
But, the Sinai prevented a massacre of both, being in Israeli hands.
Now, Israel, faces different foes…Hamas, Hez, Fatah, Islamic Jihad
and Iran..(and Syria).
Yet our great leader in Washington wants to talk, engage, use
diplomacy.
How many times have I repeated this absurdity?
And there was Jihad Jane..who wanted to blow up the NYCity subway
system, and recruited people to do the dirty work. She was sentenced
to jail.
Hmmmmmmm, I wonder, was the violence directed against two Jewish
legislators, part of some wider plot?
I am still waiting Bibi’s response to the DEMAND by our State Department
for their policy to build in Jerusalem? This should be most interesting.
And we haven’t seen anything yet.
March 26th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Well, authorities are saying the cantor thing was just a (really wierd) coincidence. So, that’s good news.
JMJ
March 26th, 2010 at 5:56 pm
The way I see it, the only person who needs to go is Obama! Before the day he stepped foot in office, there were no issues that involved and affected so many people! He has turned this Nation UPSIDE DOWN — in EVERY aspect of our lives! He is our first anti-Israel president! He is our first far, FAR left liberal president — FAR left. He is the first president to takeover healthcare — all previous attempts (before Obama) were rejected for obvious reasons — Americans rejected it!. But this president just rams it through using deceit and corruption. He is the first president to initiate government takeover of school loans, energy, insurance, banks, auto industry, all under the ruse of the well-being of Americans. We do not want a nanny state! We are not Europe, or France OR North Korea OR Cuba or Venezuela. We are the United States of America! GET A CLUE OBAMA! We WANT to be self-supporting and self- sustaining. We do NOT want YOU regulating our LIVES!
March 26th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Read about Cloward- Piven strategy! This president is taking us right down that path! It’s all planned! Here is a wikipedia brief, but research it and really understand what is happening — right before our very eyes! If America doesn’t wake up and stop with this incessant love affair with Obama, one day you will look back at the America we once HAD! And it will then be too late. I’m beginning to think it is NOW. We have 3 more years of this corruption!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloward–Piven_strategy
March 26th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Wow. That was nuts.
JMJ