Shabbat Shalom 23 Iyar 5767

Jews Saving Arab Children
Iraqi children to get lifesaving heart surgery in Israel

The government of Israel has approved immediate entrance into the country for a three-week-old Iraqi boy in need of lifesaving heart surgery. After being made aware of the medical urgency by the Jerusalem Post, Interior Ministry director-general Ram Belnikov granted Sam Muhammad and his mother immediate entry into Israel. Four other Iraqi children in need of heart surgery were also fast tracked by the government, so they can receive the necessary medical care.

Muhammad was born with transposition of the great arteries and must be operated on within the next several days. The complex surgery is not available at a high level in neighboring Arab countries. Muhammad and the other children will be treated at Rambam Medical Center in Haifa.

This is not the first time that an Iraqi child has received state of the art medical care from an Israeli hospital. In 2003 an ailing Iraqi girl, Bayan Jassem, underwent emergency surgery at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon to repair reversed arteries in her heart. A condition similar to Muhammad. Sadly, what appeared to be successful surgery at first for Jassem, was ultimately unsuccessful.

God willing the five Iraqi children will undergo successful surgery and make full recoveries. We can only hope they will go home and live long happy healthy lives and tell their fellow Muslims that it was the love and care they received from Jews that saved them.

Sadly, if the situation was reversed, I doubt any Arab country, even the so called moderate ones, would go out of their way to save the lives of Jewish children.


Medical Marijuana Bill Fails
Democratic Whips won't amend poorly researched bill

The subject of medical marijuana is very troubling for your brilliant blogger. The issue is a prime example of the incredible arrogance and self righteousness too many politicians and activists possess. How any elected official can legislate what a medical doctor can and cannot prescribe for their patients, especially those who are fighting a life threatening illness, is beyond logic.

As a Cancer survivor for nearly twenty years, I think back when I was receiving chemotherapy and how logical it would of been for my Oncologist to prescribe medication that would help me cope with the terrible side effects of chemotherapy. My chemo treatments were actually labeled as preventative chemotherapy, so my doses were much lighter than patients who depended on the treatments to save their lives.

For decades doctors have advocated the use of marijuana to help cancer patients cope with the horrible side effects of chemotherapy. Unfortunately the stigma that has been placed on cannabis has created an attitude amongst the self appointed morality police, which includes many religious and so called family groups. Regardless of the benefits of smoking marijuana for the severely ill, some how it's morally wrong and people are better off suffering than lessening their pain using cannabis.

Illinois Senate Bill 650 in a nutshell permits any person diagnosed by a physician as having a debilitating medical condition, the person and the person's primary caregiver may be issued a registry identification card by the Department of Public Health that permits the person or the person's primary caregiver to legally possess no more than 12 cannabis plants and 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis which must be grown in an indoor locked facility. This bill lost 22-29.

Earlier today I spoke to the Illinois Family Institute who to my surprise said they would be in favor of medical marijuana as long as it was FDA approved and it could be filled at an actual pharmacy. They are concerned about drug dealers obtaining false documents and working with unethical doctors to obtain the ability to grow and distribute the drugs. I will admit that unless marijuana was legalized, that would be a legitimate concern. However, the same school of thought applies to all prescription drugs and you don't deny those in need of medical care because a few will abuse it. Our entire health care system is built on that notion.

I will be the first one to admit that SB650 isn't perfect, in fact senate majority whips John Cullerton (D-6Th) and Donne Trotter (D-17Th), have been trying for years to pass the same bill and have been unwilling to make any amendments that would appeal to the majority of state senators. I learned this morning during a conversation with my state senator, Susan Garrett (D-29), who voted against the bill, that many of her colleagues support medical marijuana, but were not comfortable with SB650 and the sponsors refused to make changes.

Before my conversation ended with Sen. Garrett she asked me to contact Sen. Cullerton and discuss with him changes that would make the bill more suitable for passage. I'm in the process of doing so and hopefully will be able to convince him to introduce legislation that is more appealing to our elected officials, but more importantly get a bill past that will permit people who are suffering from debilitating illnesses an opportunity to obtain a harmless drug that can ease their suffering.


Guess Who's Back? Mickey the Terrorist!
Hamas brings Farfur back to educate children to kill Jews

The Hamas-run television station, Al-Aqsa, has brought back a children's program featuring a Mickey Mouse copycat (Farfur), who tells children to hate the Jews, President Bush and to destroy Israel. On today's episode Farfur was supposedly getting children ready for their end of the year exams. "I'm calling on all children to read more and more to prepare for exams because the Jews don't want us to learn," said the terrorist mouse.

How anyone in their right mind can ask Israel to make concessions and negotiate with a government and a people who advocate violence and murder to their own children...it's simply inconceivable.

Paulies Point calls for the government of Israel to take military action and strategically take out the Al-Aqsa television station. If you are advocating my demise, I have a moral right and obligation to defend myself and my children by destroying your means of promoting hate.

Paulie