By Alan Hirsch
There was a lot of talk about healing through unity at the Interfaith Services held in the synagogues in Davis and Sacramento after the attack in Pittsburgh that killed 11 Jewish worshipers. Leaders of the Muslim & Christian communities showed up to demonstrate that Unity. More than 500 people stood with the Davis Jewish community.
The display of Unity was overwhelming…but that message does not seem to be enough.
There was vandalism at a Fresno Synagogue Friday.
If we need to heal, that means there is a disease—let’s ask what that disease is and who is spreading it?
The attack in Pittsburgh was aimed the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society (HIAS); the shooter yelled, as he pulled the trigger, about “invaders to his country.” Yet Trump and his supporters continue to stoke hate and fear of the other – immigrants – by framing refugees as “Invaders.” This Invader meme was repeated on Fox TV 135 times in October. Trump’s press releases & tweets on 
calling up the Army evokes the Invader metaphor also…ignoring the fact refugees are families.
If fanning fear is the disease, what’s the cure? While Unity – standing with friends – can help you tolerate a disease, it won’t cure one.
There is a time for unity, a time for love and pacifism. But there is also a time for partisan action to take sides; calling out & defeating those who spread hate. What better way than through peaceful elections.
Please get involved in the election…beyond just voting.
“Unity” is not an achievable, nor even necessarily, a desirable goal. Philosophical and political differences are inevitable and are what make a democracy work and progress. (Dictatorships demand unity.) What’s needed is civility and tolerance—not for bigotry and hate—but for the expression of disparate viewpoints and perspectives.
Very well said.
Would add understanding , and recognition of common beliefs and values to the list.
That is where we ‘progress’… not in imposing, but in “common cause”… kinda’ remember a treatise by that name… a Paine to many… but might be a guide moving forward…
Our leaders tell what is happening is unfathomable, we just have to come together…..
“What motivated someone to do this we may never know…” (1:05 in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hElK7S1dLUk )
Sacramento Mayor and B’nai Israel Member Darrell Steinberg speaking to CBS Sacramento at Memorial service (CBS news clip).
It cannot be any valid motivation. Pure evil, if ‘moral’/philosophical, or severe mental aberration if mental illness… needs to be separated from society, one way or the other… indefinitely.
He is reportedly going to plead “not guilty”… that should count as a charge for perjury. depending how the charges are presented.
Given the circumstances, can witness identification of the shooter be allowed, David? With what credence?
Obama blew it when he waisted his Presidential win to achieve government-run health care when the opportunity was clearly to learn lessons from the economic meltdown and Islamist terrorism and to lead us to the next level of repair.
Democrats have blown it wasting their civil rights wins exploiting identity politics and political correctness speech rules when the opportunity was clearly to advance society to civil-rights 2.0 where diversity becomes the primarily measure of the content of a person’s character, their ideas, their opinions… and not just the color of their skin.
We are stuck in a culture war because one side of politics is stuck with that being their chosen strategy for the pursuit of power.
This need to blame Trump for all these acts reminds me of the Reno trial of Judas Priest for their version of the song “Better by You, Better than Me”, blaming their version of the song for supposedly causing two teenage boys to attempt suicide. The correlation is loose at best, more to the point ridiculous. But the boys listened to the song over and over again, on drugs, a song about suicide — more to the point criticizing it.
. . . and the song was written by Spooky Tooth.
. . . and no doubt Trump is a pompous arse.
But I hate it when whatever side is out of power goes psycho-mental blaming the ‘other side’s’ president for every d**n thing. The Repubs to Obama, the Dems to Trump. Just shut the F up, all you partisans!
I despise Trump, I despise Hillary. And as a Jew, I don’t blame Trump for the actions of a lunatic.
And Judas Priest was found innocent.