Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 9, 2014

B4

OPINION

Mountain Views-News Saturday, August 9, 2014 

 

Mountain 
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Susan Henderson

CITY EDITOR

Dean Lee 

EAST VALLEY EDITOR

Joan Schmidt

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LaQuetta Shamblee

SENIOR COMMUNITY 
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Pat Birdsall

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Patricia Colonello

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John Aveny 

CONTRIBUTORS

Chris Leclerc

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Merri Jill Finstrom

Lori Koop

Rev. James Snyder

Tina Paul

Mary Carney

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Greg Welborn

Renee Quenell

Ben Show

Sean Kayden

Marc Garlett

 LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN

GREG Welborn

HOWARD Hays As I See It


ADMIT IT- THEY HATE THE JEWS

“You’re very good at 
English.”

- Rep. Steve King (R-
IA), responding to an 
Arizona State University 
graduate and “DREAM 
Act” beneficiary (here 
since age 12), while 
explaining why the act 
should be repealed, she 
should be deported and not allowed to join 
our military.

 There’s Fourth of July, then before you 
know it we’re in August figuring out what to 
cram into the few weeks before Labor Day.

 We’re the only developed country that 
doesn’t mandate vacations. The EU sets a 
floor of 20 paid days per year, with 25 days 
in Scandinavian countries and 30 in France. 
It’s 10 days in Canada and Japan. Only one 
in four workers here gets paid vacation days; 
a lot depends on income. If you’re in the 
top quarter of earners, there’s a 90% chance 
you’re getting a paid vacation. If you’re in 
the bottom quarter, it’s less than 50%.

But there’s one rather elite group that 
annually takes the entire month of August 
off – and is required to by law. This is 
our Congress – complying with the 
August-off provision of its own Legislative 
Reorganization Act of 1970.

 This doesn’t mean they spend the rest 
of the year on the job. Last year, Congress 
spent 239 days in adjournment; this year 
it’ll be closer to 250. When they return after 
Labor Day, predictions are they might get a 
couple weeks of in-session work done before 
the November elections – if that.

 With substantive accomplishment 
unlikely before the election, I took a 
look back at what, if anything, this 113th 
Congress has actually gotten done.

 The Republican House of the 113th 
Congress first had to deal with the mess 
left by the Republican House of the 112th 
Congress. Through 2012, they’d tried to get 
a budget passed for 2013 to prevent another 
round of sequestration cuts from kicking 
in – a consequence of tea-baggers the year 
before threatening to tank our economy by 
having the United States welch on our debts. 

 The president proposed letting some 
Bush tax cuts expire for families making 
over $250k. Republicans countered with 
keeping all tax cuts for those making up to 
$1 million – but that didn’t satisfy the tea-
baggers, who killed the deal, anyway. The 
Senate in December 2012 passed emergency 
aid for the victims of Hurricane Sandy, but 
House Republicans killed that, too.

 After they lost eight seats in the November 
elections, Hurricane Sandy relief was one of 
the first bills passed by the 113th Congress. 
In March, they passed a Continuing 
Appropriations bill to keep the government 
from shutting down for another six months.

 March 2013 also saw reauthorization of 
the Violence Against Women Act. It got 
through the Senate, but was too much for 
House Republicans. They couldn’t accept its 
extending protections to same-sex couples, 
let alone women with undocumented status 
and Native American victims of domestic 
violence. If that wasn’t bad enough, 
reproductive health services would be 
provided to victims of sex trafficking.

 Republicans, though, found that even 
among their “base” few seemed to share 
their moral outrage, and the bill passed.

 That spring the big news was the13-
hour filibuster of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), 
blocking confirmation of John Brennan 
to head the CIA, warning of President 
Obama’s sending drones over our skies to 
target Americans - the possibility under this 
president “to be bombed in your sleep”.

 The summer of 2013 saw an effort to 
extend the cap on student loan interest at 
3.4%. It was blocked by the Republican 
minority in the Senate, with House 
Republicans insisting the matter be left to 
the “market”.

 That fall, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) led a 
filibuster-that-wasn’t-really-a-filibuster 
against the Affordable Care Act; 
remembered today (if at all) for his reading 
from Dr. Seuss’s “Green Eggs And Ham”, 
while totally missing its message,

 Sen. Cruz and House Republicans got 
another crack at the Affordable Care 
Act when they refused to allow another 
“continuing resolution” to keep the 
government open unless it gutted the ACA. 
The result was the 16-day government 
shutdown in October 2013, putting 800,000 
federal workers on “furlough” and costing 
our economy some $24 billion (according to 
Bloomberg).

 The Senate in 2013 blocked reinstatement 
of the ban on assault rifles, offered in 
response to the massacre of 20 children 
at Sandy Hook Elementary a few months 
earlier. It couldn’t get through a reduction 
on allowable capacity for ammo clips – a 
measure then polling with 60% support 
among Americans.

Congress last February approved the 
Agriculture Act of 2014. It cut food stamps 
by $8 billion, effecting 850,000 families. 
It also cut “direct payments” to farmers, 
but added $5.7 billion to the program 
subsidizing over 60% of premiums for crop 
insurance.

 Also this year, House Republicans voted 
for the 50th time to repeal the Affordable 
Care Act. They blocked efforts to raise the 
federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour 
(which would be $10.90 had it kept pace with 
inflation and closer to $25.00 had it kept 
pace with increased productivity). They 
blocked the Senate’s bill on comprehensive 
immigration reform, which allocated $46.3 
billion over ten years for border security, 
with 20,000 additional Border Patrol agents. 
The minority Senate Republicans blocked 
extensions of unemployment insurance, 
affecting some 1.7 million long-term 
unemployed Americans.

In the days before the August break, 
Congress did manage to get a Veteran’s 
Administration bill ready for the president, 
and a stopgap measure to keep the Highway 
Trust Fund solvent until next May. House 
Republicans also gave approval to sue the 
president for delaying action on a provision 
of the ACA – which they’d voted 50 times 
previously to repeal entirely.

 NBC News reports the 113th Congress 
as being the “least productive in modern 
history”, with 142 bills passed. (President 
Truman complained of the “Do-Nothing” 
80th Congress, which passed 906.) Gallup 
says the 7% approval rating shown for 
Congress last June was “not only the lowest 
on record, but also the lowest Gallup has 
recorded for any institution.”

 After Labor Day they’ll be in campaign 
mode. We’ll see how many choose to 
campaign on their record.

 The most disturbing news this week is not the civilian deaths 
in Gaza, but the west’s bigotedly misplaced moral outrage. 
In all quarters – European and domestic – the willingness to 
selectively and wrongly condemn Israel belies a resurgent Jew-
hatred which has thankfully abandoned any pretense of being 
motivated by humanitarian concern. Those are disturbing 
words to write, but I’ve been convinced of the truthfulness in that statement 
thanks to the documentation provided by Andrew Nagorski, Bernard-Henri Levy 
and Bret Stephens in their respective articles published over the last several days.

 The Israelis have hit the Gaza strip hard. There is no debate about that. They’ve 
launched airstrikes, missiles and a ground attack. In doing so, they’ve lost 75+ 
of their own soldiers and unfortunately caused the death of approximately 1,800 
in Gaza. Israeli soldiers openly wear military uniform, but the other side in this 
conflict wears only civilian clothes. Because of that, it is easy to jump to the 
conclusion that the Israelis are indiscriminately killing civilians – especially easy 
if that’s the conclusion you want to draw. Honesty demands, however, that we 
remember at least two things: those who started this conflict by first launching 
missiles from Gaza into Israel hide among civilians, and second they launch 
those missiles (and continue to fight from) strongholds built in the basements of 
hospitals and in school classrooms.

 The west’s reaction to the war has been swift moral condemnation directed at 
Israelis for defending their homeland and muted disagreement with those who 
purposely put civilians at risk. It follows a patterned double standard applied to 
the Jews.

 President Obama has characterized Israel’s actions as “indefensible” while the 
U.N. Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon has accused Israel of “a moral outrage and a 
criminal act”. But what exactly is indefensible, a moral outrage or a criminal act? 
Is it simply the death toll?

 If body count is to be the determinant factor, why is there no outrage at Pakistan? 
The Washington Post reported on June 30th that “Pakistan’s military launched 
a major ground offensive in the northwestern part of the country”. It began a 
“house-to-house search” which uncovered “underground tunnels and preparation 
factories for explsoives”. The “process followed “two weeks of airstrikes” which 
have leveled whole blocks. In a territory inhabited by 600,000, “more than half-
million residents have had to flee”. 1,500 have been reported dead. 

 Do a Google search, and you won’t find any western leader expressing much 
moral outrage at these deaths. You also won’t find many protests in western 
nations. That stands in stark contrast to the ugly marches and protests targeting 
the Jews in response to the Gaza incursion. In Germany, individual Jews and 
several synagogues are being attacked. People attend rallies to chant, “Hitler 
was right” and “death to the Jews”. In Belgium, a doctor refused to treat a Jewish 
woman’s broken rib, suggesting instead that she go “to Gaza for a few hours and 
she’ll get rid of the pain”. Here in America, perhaps we’re a bit more restrained in 
that we only accuse Israelis of Apartheid and genocide, conveniently ignoring the 
moral necessity of self-defense and the lengths to which Israeli soldiers try to avoid 
civilian casualties.

 If it’s the numbers, why aren’t there massive public protests against Syria’s killing 
of 150,000, or against 300,000 murdered in Darfur, or against 200,000 Chechens 
killed on Putin’s orders?

 If it’s the manner in which the victims are killed, where is the moral outrage at 
Syria’s continued use of chemical weapons it was supposed to have destroyed by 
now? Since that line in the sand was drawn, there have been at least 15 additional 
gas attacks.

 Perhaps it is the general religious component (Jew vs Muslim) to the conflict and 
deaths which is so disturbing. If that’s true, where is there a substantive rally in 
support of the Christians in Mosul who have been told by ISIS to either convert to 
Islam or die by the sword?

 Lastly, maybe it can all be explained by the very natural revulsion to the death 
of innocent children? But if this is our criteria, why do we not express deeper 
moral outrage against Hamas who A) places military facilities in schools and B) by 
their own admission lost 160 children in the collapse during construction of one 
of those nasty tunnels into Israel?

 Sadly, it’s almost impossible to avoid the conclusion that the determinant factor 
is who’s doing the killing. It’s not about the numbers; it’s not about the manner of 
death; it’s not about religion in general; and it’s not about the age of the victims. The 
determinant factor is whether and how Jews are involved. If Jews are being shelled, 
kidnapped, murdered or besieged, well, that’s life – pun intended. If the Jews are 
defending themselves, it’s “murder”, “indefensible”, “a crime”, or “genocide”. 

 So, let’s just be really clear about what’s going on. Those who are protesting or 
politically posturing against Israel just hate the Jews. If we can at least have that 
clarity, perhaps we’ll be able to get to the root of the problem and solve it.

 

About the author: Gregory J. Welborn is a freelance writer and has spoken to several 
civic and religious organizations on cultural and moral issues. He lives in the Los 
Angeles area with his wife and 3 children and is active in the community. He can be 
reached at gregwelborn2@gmail.com

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OUT TO PASTOR A Weekly Religion Column 
by Rev. James Snyder

AND THE HEAT GOES ON... AND ON... AND ON

This past week found me in a bit of 
trouble with the Gracious Mistress 
of the Parsonage... well, more 
than normal. It has become rather 
normal for me to be in trouble with 
her. No matter how hard I try ”not to be,” it always is ”to 
be.”

 This week was a high point for me getting into trouble. 
I never relish getting into a pickle with her, but sometimes 
it is unavoidable.

 All week long, I had been murmuring and complaining 
about how hot it was. ”I’ve never seen such hot weather,” 
I grumbled. ”I don’t know how long I can take this hot 
weather.”

 You would think that someone my age would have 
learned long ago that some things should not be vocalized. 
This is America, and we all have the right to speak our 
mind although much of the time we should not speak 
our mind aloud; at least, not to the point that someone, 
especially someone living under the same roof, can hear 
you. I have found that the thing that enhances romance is 
the sounds of silence.

 I guess it was getting a little wearisome with all my 
complaining, but after all, the weather was really hot.

 Then, she looked at me and said, ”If I hear you complain 
about the weather one more time, I’m... I’m... I’m...” The 
look on her face indicated that she was not at a loss for 
words; she was just trying to control herself and save 
herself from early widowhood.

 I truly respect people who have the ability to control 
themselves, especially the people who live under our roof.

 I almost said something, but for some reason I had a 
flash of temporary sanity. I said nothing, but smiled. I am 
not boasting here, but I am really good at saying nothing. 
Even when talking, my wife tells me I am saying nothing.

 Saying nothing has gotten me out of many a jam, 
particularly with my wife. There are times when 
husbands and wives should sit down and have a rather 
invigorating conversation. Then there are times when 
the husband should shut up. I never know which time is 
which.

 It was then that my wife laid out the facts for me to 
evaluate. How she can remember everything is simply 
beyond me. However, how do I know she is actually 
remembering things as they were and not making them 
up?

 It seems, according to her impeccable recollection, that 
a few months ago I was complaining about how cold it was 
and anxious for the hot weather to come. ”You were just as 
grumpy about how cold it was as you are now about how 
hot it is.

 Then she put her hands on her hip and looked at me with 
”that look,” and said, ”I don’t mind you complaining about 
one or the other but I really do mind you complaining 
about everything. You’re going to have to make up your 
mind whether you hate the cold or the heat, and then stick 
to it.”

 That put a new light on the situation, and a new burden 
on me. Now, according to her latest admonition, I need 
to choose the heat or the cold. I am tempted, although I 
know better, to complain about this. I do not think it is 
fair that I have to choose one or the other. I think I should 
be able to hate both the cold and the heat.

 However, here is the problem. If I choose to complain 
about the heat, then what do I do in the wintertime when 
it gets cold? Faced with a real dilemma I took it to my 
good wife and asked, ”Can I hate the heat in the summer 
and hate the cold in the winter, if I alternate it every other 
year?” To me this sounded like a very reasonable request. 
After all, I was accommodating her request and getting in 
my share of complaining.

 If you would spend as much time thinking of positive 
things to say as you do complaining it would be absolutely 
wonderful.

 But how can you think of something positive about the 
heat when you are sweltering? And, how can you think 
about something positive about the cold when your bones 
are shivering to death? Mistakenly I told my wife my 
dilemma.

 ”I think I have you figured out,” she said. ”You’re 
positively negative about everything.”

 There is only one thing worse than having your wife 
figure you out. There must be, but I cannot think of any 
thing right now.

 I will not say my wife is right, only that she is not 
wrong. I must say I have a tendency to complain about 
everything. Some people can see the silver lining in every 
cloud whereas I see a cloud over every silver lining. I guess 
it is a person’s perspective.

 Thinking along this line, I remembered a verse in the 
Bible. ”Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, 
whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, 
whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, 
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any 
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” 
(Philippians 4:8).

 Some people (like me) see a glass as half empty while 
others see it as half-full. There are those few souls (like my 
wife) who are thankful that there is any water in the glass 
of all.

 Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God 
Fellowship, PO Box 831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives 
with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 
1-866-552-2543 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net or website 
www.jamessnyderministries.com.

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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com