Shabbat Shalom 17 Kislev 5767

Mary Having a Baby
Congratulations not Condemnation

It's one of the few subject's that my friends on the right and I just don't see eye to eye on. I am talking about gay rights. This past week you could not turn on a conservative radio talk-show and not hear the host and callers bitch and moan about Mary Cheney, daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, who has announced that she is pregnant.

Religious and conservative leaders have expressed their dismay over the Vice President's daughter deciding to have a child with her partner. I will be the first one to say that the best home environment is with a competent father and mother who love each other. However the next best home is with two competent adults regardless of sex who love each other.

The argument many will make is that Cheney and her partner are being selfish for bringing a child into the world without a father. Truth is, we do not know if the father will actually be a dad or just a sperm donor. I do hope the child will have a dad in addition to his 2 moms and It would be disappointing if that is not the case. Every child deserves to have a mommy and a daddy, but it is the fault of American society, not homosexuals, that in 2005 nearly 2 out of every 5 births where children out of wedlock. Throw in the divorce rate and I'm not sure if the majority of children born today are being raised with two parents living under the same roof. That is the real crisis religious and political leaders should be worried about, not the fact that homosexuals who love each other want to raise a child.

Every time the issue of gay rights, marriage, adoption or civil unions is at the center of the American body politic, I am sickened how both sides of the issues are inspired by hate before what they believe is right. I don't care how much religious leaders and politicians tell me that they are influenced by right over wrong or a higher calling, the fact is that homophobia is the main reason for their devout opposition to homosexuals. Too many religious people use the notion that since homosexuality is a sin they are justified in hating gays. They conveniently forget that man is not suppose to judge man, only God will.

Gay rights activists have responded by hating anything or anybody that has to do with religion, especially Christianity. Gay activists right now are making these shameful claims that Dick Cheney will have "years of sleepless nights" because of his positions regarding gay rights. President Bush has been betrayed by many homosexual leaders, who are nothing more than pawns for the Democratic Party, as being this crusader against gays. Fact is that Bush has been criticized by many Conservatives for his stance on Civil Unions, which is similar to the Vice President. Homosexual civil rights leaders share a similar trait as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. They are political whores for the Democratic Party before they are activists for civil rights.

The bottom line regarding Mary Cheney is that her pregnancy is a wonderful event. Her child will have loving parents, grand parents and opportunities that most children can only dream of. I wish her and her partner well and hope she has a healthy child. Everything else is meaningless as long as our children are happy and healthy. Isn't that what truly matters?

War is over...if you want it
Hamas doesn't want it

I warned everyone earlier this week that the Iraq Study Group may make recommendations concerning Israel that could be deadly for Jews. The group's call for renewed talks between Palestinians, Lebanon and Syria may be well intentioned, but it opens up a window to the incompetence regarding many areas of the report. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said "Israelis want with all our might to restart peace talks with the Palestinians." The problem isn't or has it ever been that Israel didn't want a peaceful solution, the main issue simply is can you negotiate with a partner who doesn't believe you have a right to exist.

Within the past few hours the Hamas-led Palestinian government Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh promised to never recognize Israel and will "continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem." This is Israel's peace partner. Furthermore the panel went as far as to recommended Israel give back the Golan Heights to Syria somehow believing that this notion will make Damascus change it's mind regarding Israel's right to exist. The panel also stated Israel should hold talks with Lebanon, which would be a good idea if the Lebanese government actually controlled their own country. Iran-Syria backed Hezbollah still is the power of that nation.

I understand the Iraq Study Group's mission is to make recommendations best for the United States regarding Iraq. However there is a very naive notion that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has anything to do with the insurgency or is the main reasons Muslim extremism exists. When the commission makes recommendations along this line of thinking the consequences for the United States can be devastating.

The enemy is an ideology, which is based in hate for those who do not believe as they do. I am talking about Islamic fundamentalism. It is also harder to defeat an ideology than a country. In the United States we continue to fight against the idea of racism, which we have been doing for 400 years. Sure we have made great strides and have laws to protect minorities, but hate still exists 400 years later.

The civility of the Western World still isn't capable of understanding the hate that exists causing 9/11 or the Madrid and London Bombings. We still are looking at what we have done to cause this hate. Israel is often an easy scapegoat, believing once peace exists between the Jewish State and the Palestinians, every other problem with Islamic Terrorism will go away. We are kidding ourselves.

As Jews, Christians or whatever religion we choose to practice, it is that concious choice to believe in anything except Islam that fuels their hate. Listen to the speeches of Muslim Clerics in Islamic countries, they have sermons justifying the murder of non-Muslims claiming it's written in the Koran. School Children in these nations and many so-called moderate or allied countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia teach hatred of Jews and Christians to children in grade school. Does the Study Group report address these issues or just Israel commiting suicide?

Justice System Guilty of Murder

The recent murder of a Burger King manager in the Northern Chicago suburb of Lindenhurst gets more shameful by the day. For those of you living outside Chicago or under a rock, 45-year-old Burger King manager Mary Hutchison was strangled to death during a robbery before the store opened for business.

James Ealy, 42, is charged with her murder. Ealy previously worked at the restaurant. If the death of Hutchinson isn't bad enough, it has been revealed that Ealy should of been in prison for previous homicides. In 1982 when he was 17 years old, Ealy was convicted of strangling his neighbor, her two teen-age daughters, and her 3-year-old grandson who he raped. At that time Ealy was out on bond for rape. He was sentenced to life without parole for the murders. But the Illinois Appellate Court reversed the conviction, saying Ealy was arrested without probable cause. It threw out virtually all of the evidence against him, including a 26-page confession.

"I wasn't surprised, I was disgusted," prosecuting attorney Brian Telander said. "We had always felt – by me, I mean the prosecutors, the judge, the entire state's attorney's office -- that he was an extremely dangerous person."

Telander in an interview last night said police had more than enough probable cause, but the 3 member Appellate Court led by the unhonorable Judge R. Eugene Pincham believed claims made by Ealy instead of three police officers. Ealy was represented by the prestigious law firm of Jenner and Block who where persuaded to take the case by Catholic Charities who had fronted Ealy's bail in conjunction with their indigent bail program of the time. I believe many people are responsible for the death of Mary Hutchinson.

NFL Sunday

With college football down to the bowl games, the weekly picks will consist of four NFL games. After the first of the year and conference play begins in college basketball, NCAA hoops will dominant the sports pages.

Bears are a 6 point favorite against the Rams in St. Louis. This game is very simple. The Bears Defense will put up enough points to win. If Rex Grossman is OK the Bears will cover the spread. If Grossman is back to his earlier form, Chicago will destroy St. Louis. Go with one of the latter, Bears win 27-6.

San Diego hosts Denver in a great AFC rivalry game. The Chargers explosive offense goes up against a tough yet dwindling Broncos defense. I expect San Diego to cover the 7 point spread in what will be a hard fought battle, but the Chargers offense will be too much for a Bronco team with limited offensive weapons, 27-17.

The 49ers host a train wreck known as the Green Bay Packers. San Francisco is only a 4 point favorite and will cover against a team that right now couldn't Beat me and my junior High School friends during our Thanksgiving Day Turkey Bowl 31-14 49ers.

Tennessee travels to Houston as a 1 point underdog. The Titans are well coached and underrated and will defeat the Texans, 24-13.

It's Crunch Time in the NFL!

Paulie