B"H
Imagine you're a teenager. In your class is this very popular young woman. Everyone wants to be like her, everyone wants to be in her circle of friends. People dress like her, people sit near her in classes and at lunch.
She, on the other hand, doesn't even realize how popular she is. Even though she dresses like she just walked out of a Vogue pictorial, she asks her circle of friends every day, "how do I look? Does this outfit look good on me?" She is always looking for validation.
There are a bunch of people who want to be like her, but they don't like her. So whenever she asks one of her inferiority complex questions, they purposely lie to her. They purposely play on her insecurities. They tell her her clothes don't match, they tell her she looks fat, they tell her she's ugly and stupid. And, because of how badly she's been abused over the years by people who were jealous of her brains, beauty and style, she believes them and thinks she's stupid and ugly.
Have any of you known a popular young woman like that? Well, I know two: The US and Israel.
If you go around the world, in just about every country, what do you find? People trying to live like "Americans". Between the jeans, the McDonalds and other fast food restaurants, the elections (that try to emulate our elections here in the US but never quite make it), you can see people want to live like "Americans". But the governments of these countries, from Europe, to South America, to the Middle East and other areas, people criticize every step our government takes. We deserved the 9/11 attacks, these people claim. HUH?????
It's the same with Israel. People come to Israel from Europe to use the mud and swim in the Dead Sea (it's good for their skin). People come to Israel from Christian countries on pilgrimages to Christian shrines and places of interest (which the Israeli government protects, but the PA destroys). People from eastern Asia come to Israel for jobs. And people from other Middle Eastern countries envy Israel's standard of living and freedom and equality for all citizens.
So why are the US and Israel trying to please the world? They are already trying to emulate us. They already think we're the best. Their actions should speak louder than their words.
Why are the US and Israel putting up with the United Nations and their one-sided sanctions? Why doesn't the US kick the UN out of NY? Why is Israel trying to please a world that will never be pleased by her actions?
Let's stop listening to the anti-American crowd. Let's stop listening to the people trying to hide their anti-Jewish feelings behind anti-Israel lies. Let's stop caring what the world thinks of us. They're too envious of our way of life to ever admit they want to be like us.
Check out my squidoo lenses:
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Ruth and Naomi
Strong Biblical Women 5: Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Strong Biblical Women 6: Yocheved -- Mother of Moshe (Moses)
Strong Biblical Women 7: Miriam
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Showing posts with label Israelis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israelis. Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Saturday, August 9, 2008
"My computer is allergic to smoke"
B"H
I hope by now that those of you who regularly read this blog know that, despite my living in the US, I love Israel. My first visit to Israel, a bit over 20 years ago, lasted 9 months and I have been there three times in the past 4 years. I have family there (whom I adore and miss terribly when I don't see them). One of my nephews, who has lived almost half his life in Israel, is always bugging me to move there. He starts listing all the reasons I should move to Israel (to be near them, it's a Jewish state, etc.) and I give him my list of reasons I don't want to move there. Tops on my list is cigarette smoke.
I know many of you will say the same thing my nephew says ("That's not a good reason.") but he's wrong.
The first time I was in Israel, I worked for a company in Ashkelon. My job was to learn the educational computer language logo (a fun language and easy to teach to young children). I worked in an office with one other person (who also didn't smoke). But other people from the company would come into the office and they would smoke. I would ask them to stop and they would ignore me, poo-poo me, disrespect me, but they would rarely put out their cigarettes.
So I put up a sign that said Na Lo L'Ashein -- HaMahshevim Alergiim l'Ashan -- Please don't smoke, the computers are allergic to smoke. That was the only thing that stopped them -- a person's lungs they didn't care about, but that the smoke could ruin the computers, that they cared about!
A number of years ago, the oldest daughter of a family we know got married in Israel to a smoker. I asked her how she could marry a smoker and she said that she was too old (in her 30s!) to be so picky. A few years back, she passed away (in her 50s) from cancer leaving 6 children (all living at home) without a mother. About a year later, her husband dropped dead of a heart attack leaving these 6 children without parents (one was about bar mitzvah age) living in Israel (the rest of their family, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, all live in the US). I believe the husband's smoking caused this tragedy.
My mother, who never smoked a day in her life, just found out that she has a bit of emphysema. We were wondering how this happened. My mother grew up with smokers all around her (father, aunts, cousins, etc.). She also bowls a lot (and those bowling alleys are a hotbed for cigarette smoke!).
Non-smokers in the US at least have the law on their sides. But non-smokers in Israel don't really have anyone on their side (I was in a restaurant with my family and the smoking section door was open into the non-smoking section -- how were we to avoid the smoke????) When Israel decided to clean up her act and the country's lungs, I might consider moving to Israel. But until then, I'll have to stay here, in the land of the (smoke) free (air).
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Why I'm a Red Sox Fan
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
I hope by now that those of you who regularly read this blog know that, despite my living in the US, I love Israel. My first visit to Israel, a bit over 20 years ago, lasted 9 months and I have been there three times in the past 4 years. I have family there (whom I adore and miss terribly when I don't see them). One of my nephews, who has lived almost half his life in Israel, is always bugging me to move there. He starts listing all the reasons I should move to Israel (to be near them, it's a Jewish state, etc.) and I give him my list of reasons I don't want to move there. Tops on my list is cigarette smoke.
I know many of you will say the same thing my nephew says ("That's not a good reason.") but he's wrong.
The first time I was in Israel, I worked for a company in Ashkelon. My job was to learn the educational computer language logo (a fun language and easy to teach to young children). I worked in an office with one other person (who also didn't smoke). But other people from the company would come into the office and they would smoke. I would ask them to stop and they would ignore me, poo-poo me, disrespect me, but they would rarely put out their cigarettes.
So I put up a sign that said Na Lo L'Ashein -- HaMahshevim Alergiim l'Ashan -- Please don't smoke, the computers are allergic to smoke. That was the only thing that stopped them -- a person's lungs they didn't care about, but that the smoke could ruin the computers, that they cared about!
A number of years ago, the oldest daughter of a family we know got married in Israel to a smoker. I asked her how she could marry a smoker and she said that she was too old (in her 30s!) to be so picky. A few years back, she passed away (in her 50s) from cancer leaving 6 children (all living at home) without a mother. About a year later, her husband dropped dead of a heart attack leaving these 6 children without parents (one was about bar mitzvah age) living in Israel (the rest of their family, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, all live in the US). I believe the husband's smoking caused this tragedy.
My mother, who never smoked a day in her life, just found out that she has a bit of emphysema. We were wondering how this happened. My mother grew up with smokers all around her (father, aunts, cousins, etc.). She also bowls a lot (and those bowling alleys are a hotbed for cigarette smoke!).
Non-smokers in the US at least have the law on their sides. But non-smokers in Israel don't really have anyone on their side (I was in a restaurant with my family and the smoking section door was open into the non-smoking section -- how were we to avoid the smoke????) When Israel decided to clean up her act and the country's lungs, I might consider moving to Israel. But until then, I'll have to stay here, in the land of the (smoke) free (air).
Check out my squidoo lenses (articles):
Strong Biblical Women
Strong Biblical Women 2
Why Be Vegetarian
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 1
Vegetarianism: Getting Started 2
Rosh Hashana
Quick Vegan Cooking
Creating new recipes from old
Strong Biblical Women Part 3
Hanuka
About the Jewish Calendar
Witches and Morality
Presidential Trivia Quiz
Christmas and the Jewish Single
Math Hints 1 -- Adding Fractions
Presidents1: George Washington
Passover: Holiday of Freedom
Ruth and Naomi
John and John Quincy Adams
Television Trivia Quiz
Tamar -- Mother of Kings
Jewish Perspective of G-d
Why I'm a Red Sox Fan
Check out my other blogs:
Jewish Sandwich
Jewish Singles
Strong Jewish Women
Everything Goes
Bayit and Garden
Check out my other merchandise:
Other merchandise
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Craziness and More Craziness
B"H
This week, I heard a couple of things that just made me scratch my head in disbelief. Both had to do with the word "rape" and both are just at a level of stupidity that are impossible to comprehend.
I'm on Naomi Ragen's mailing list. Naomi Ragen is an author (I've read most of her books and love them) and writer for the Jerusalem Post. She doesn't seem to be writing much for JP these days (at least most of what I get from her list is written by others, not her). [as an aside: I totally disagree with her position on American Politics and she's VERY sensitive about people even slightly disagreeing with her position of Bush as god of American Presidents -- as in anything bad Bush does is the fault of the "left" and by extension any Democrat elected to office in the entire United States.]
This week, I received from her an absolutely bizarre article. It was about a Master's student who wrote a paper stating that she has proof that Israeli soldiers are racist because they won't rape Palestinian women. Forgetting that, of course, most Israelis are the same race as Palestinians and, therefore, even if there was something wrong with the soldiers NOT raping Palestinians, it wouldn't be racist (since most Israeli soldiers are the same race as most Palestinians).
Now, I know everyone from politicians to journalists to the anti-Zionist on the street (or, should I say anti-Jewish person????) judges Israel to different standards (as in nothing Israel does is good including trying to defend itself and its citizens), but these are the same people who, if, Has V'Shalom, G-d forbid, any Israeli soldier raped any Palestinian woman, they would be the first to condemn this action (as well they should). So why are they complaining that our "boys" DON'T rape women????
The second use of the word rape that I heard about had to do with a publisher from Israeli newspaper HaAretz (which I call Am HaAretz) told Condoleezza Rice that Israel wanted the US to "rape [us] into a settlement".
Besides my feelings of mortification over this use of such a word for such a situation (shows a total lack of respect not only for Israel but for women everywhere) and my hopes that Ms. Rice, despite previous evidence to the contrary, will not attribute this sentiment to anyone other than this raving idiot, I am appalled that anyone would say this.
I am appalled that people criticize Israel (in this case for not raping women) about its treatment of women when Israel is surrounded by countries where "honor killing" (the murder of women, mostly young women, for supposed "crimes" including being raped, being outside of their houses unescorted by a male relative, doing things her father doesn't want her to do (like dating or learning to read, for example) etc. -- men who commit these crimes rarely get more than a "slap on the wrist") and female circumcision are part of their accepted way of life. I am appalled that women's rights groups (mind you, I am and have always considered myself a feminist, though at times, including/especially now, I often wonder about other feminists) condemn Israel (not, mind you, for its treatment of Israeli women, but for its treatment of Palestinian women -- women who Israelis treat considerably better than their own "government" and their own families). Feminist conferences of late seem to spend more time condemning Israel for non-existent human rights violations than they do condemning anyone else in the world for their treatment of their own women. High on the list of "condemnees" should be all 22 (or is it 23 now if you include areas under Palestinian Authority control???) of the Arab countries for their blatant violation of the rights of women within their countries, for "honor killings" and female circumcision, for keeping women down and illiterate, for punishing women for supposed crimes that only apply to women and not to men (including being raped) and a host of other human rights violations directed only to women.
Some might wonder why I still consider myself a feminist. A feminist is someone who believes that the rights of an individual should not be dependant on that individual's gender classification. It means the same thing even if people mislabel themselves as feminist when their only agenda is condemning one of the few civilized countries in this world. It still means the same thing even if people think it means something else, kind of like Liberal. Liberal still means someone who cares for others and isn't just concerned about the rich. Just because there are people out there who abuse the English language and coopt terminology doesn't mean that I can't use the words in their proper context. The only problem I have with this is that often people mistake my proper use of a word for the inproper definition others have.
As for the comments of Israel's top Am HaAretz, I can only scratch my head in disbelief. I can't imagine how anyone could say something not only that stupid from a political perspective but that inappropriate from a respect for women perspective. To use the word "rape" when talking to a female official of a foreign government is to show a total lack of any level of respect for women. To say that Israel "wants" to be raped shows a level of political flippancy that in any truly civilized world would lead to his forced resignation and his total condemnation.
One of the prophesies about the coming of Moshiah (the Messiah) is that the world will turn upside down -- right will be wrong and wrong will be right. I can only hope that what is happening today is in fulfillment of that prophesy.
This week, I heard a couple of things that just made me scratch my head in disbelief. Both had to do with the word "rape" and both are just at a level of stupidity that are impossible to comprehend.
I'm on Naomi Ragen's mailing list. Naomi Ragen is an author (I've read most of her books and love them) and writer for the Jerusalem Post. She doesn't seem to be writing much for JP these days (at least most of what I get from her list is written by others, not her). [as an aside: I totally disagree with her position on American Politics and she's VERY sensitive about people even slightly disagreeing with her position of Bush as god of American Presidents -- as in anything bad Bush does is the fault of the "left" and by extension any Democrat elected to office in the entire United States.]
This week, I received from her an absolutely bizarre article. It was about a Master's student who wrote a paper stating that she has proof that Israeli soldiers are racist because they won't rape Palestinian women. Forgetting that, of course, most Israelis are the same race as Palestinians and, therefore, even if there was something wrong with the soldiers NOT raping Palestinians, it wouldn't be racist (since most Israeli soldiers are the same race as most Palestinians).
Now, I know everyone from politicians to journalists to the anti-Zionist on the street (or, should I say anti-Jewish person????) judges Israel to different standards (as in nothing Israel does is good including trying to defend itself and its citizens), but these are the same people who, if, Has V'Shalom, G-d forbid, any Israeli soldier raped any Palestinian woman, they would be the first to condemn this action (as well they should). So why are they complaining that our "boys" DON'T rape women????
The second use of the word rape that I heard about had to do with a publisher from Israeli newspaper HaAretz (which I call Am HaAretz) told Condoleezza Rice that Israel wanted the US to "rape [us] into a settlement".
Besides my feelings of mortification over this use of such a word for such a situation (shows a total lack of respect not only for Israel but for women everywhere) and my hopes that Ms. Rice, despite previous evidence to the contrary, will not attribute this sentiment to anyone other than this raving idiot, I am appalled that anyone would say this.
I am appalled that people criticize Israel (in this case for not raping women) about its treatment of women when Israel is surrounded by countries where "honor killing" (the murder of women, mostly young women, for supposed "crimes" including being raped, being outside of their houses unescorted by a male relative, doing things her father doesn't want her to do (like dating or learning to read, for example) etc. -- men who commit these crimes rarely get more than a "slap on the wrist") and female circumcision are part of their accepted way of life. I am appalled that women's rights groups (mind you, I am and have always considered myself a feminist, though at times, including/especially now, I often wonder about other feminists) condemn Israel (not, mind you, for its treatment of Israeli women, but for its treatment of Palestinian women -- women who Israelis treat considerably better than their own "government" and their own families). Feminist conferences of late seem to spend more time condemning Israel for non-existent human rights violations than they do condemning anyone else in the world for their treatment of their own women. High on the list of "condemnees" should be all 22 (or is it 23 now if you include areas under Palestinian Authority control???) of the Arab countries for their blatant violation of the rights of women within their countries, for "honor killings" and female circumcision, for keeping women down and illiterate, for punishing women for supposed crimes that only apply to women and not to men (including being raped) and a host of other human rights violations directed only to women.
Some might wonder why I still consider myself a feminist. A feminist is someone who believes that the rights of an individual should not be dependant on that individual's gender classification. It means the same thing even if people mislabel themselves as feminist when their only agenda is condemning one of the few civilized countries in this world. It still means the same thing even if people think it means something else, kind of like Liberal. Liberal still means someone who cares for others and isn't just concerned about the rich. Just because there are people out there who abuse the English language and coopt terminology doesn't mean that I can't use the words in their proper context. The only problem I have with this is that often people mistake my proper use of a word for the inproper definition others have.
As for the comments of Israel's top Am HaAretz, I can only scratch my head in disbelief. I can't imagine how anyone could say something not only that stupid from a political perspective but that inappropriate from a respect for women perspective. To use the word "rape" when talking to a female official of a foreign government is to show a total lack of any level of respect for women. To say that Israel "wants" to be raped shows a level of political flippancy that in any truly civilized world would lead to his forced resignation and his total condemnation.
One of the prophesies about the coming of Moshiah (the Messiah) is that the world will turn upside down -- right will be wrong and wrong will be right. I can only hope that what is happening today is in fulfillment of that prophesy.
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