Black and White and Sith Absolutes...

I just wrote my niece a rather long note on facebook, and I wanted to post it here because I think this is a very important issue:

What's funny is you guys really don't get it. Republicanism is the rule of the few elite over EVERYONE else and they only look out for the interests OF the elite. Elite as in RICH. Nothing about them is about Chesed and helping the less fortunate. You're not rich. You're mother's not. I'm not.

I want you to think very seriously and very long about what you're about to read.

I've really never understood how any person, much less a frum person, could ever be a part of something that is so antithesis to being a frum person. I just don't understand it. If it has to do with Israel, NO president is going to have any different of a stance on that issue than any other president. By the fact of BEING president of the US, ANY and EVERY president is going to say the same three things about the Israel-"Palestinian" issue:

1. Israel's security is non-negotiable and must be upheld and is sacrosanct.
2. There MUST be a two-state solution.
3. Both states need to live side-by-side in peace.

Bush has said it, Clinton has said it, Papa Bush has said it, Obama, Clinton, AND MCCAIN are saying it. This is a non-issue because they're all going to say the same thing.

If your issue is "family" values, I'd like you to do a bit of research and check online over the last two years how many Democratic politicians have been busted by the media for cheating on wives (or husbands) and how many Republican ones have (and that includes the gay thing - I'll give you a hint - Larry Craig). Let me know what you come up with.

Yes, Bill cheated on his wife, and frankly, I think he was an (pardon my French) asshole for doing so and is damned lucky his wife stuck with him.

If you're worried about the gay "issue," well, that's just dumb. In what way can that POSSIBLY affect you? Also, when a Democrat opposes an amendment to the Constitution banning gay marriage, their not supporting gay marriage, necessarily. They opposing putting something in the Constitution that just DOESN'T belong there. It has nothing to do with the Constitution or its content.

If your issue is abortion being legal, let me propose a scenario. According to Halacha, an abortion is permitted if the pregnancy OR giving birth is a danger to the mother. Let's say you get married (and you will, IY"H, when you are ready) and get pregnant. Your doctor tells you having the baby will kill you (Chas v'Shalom). You go to your rav and ask his halachic opnion. He tells you Pikuach Nefesh dictates you MUST get an abortion in order to save your life. There's only one problem. You live in a country where abortion is completely banned. In other words, under NO circumstances may you get an abortion, even to save your own life.

Guess what? That's what the Republicans are proposing.

Remember Obi-Wan's statement to Anakin in Episode III? "Only the Sith deal in absolutes." There is no black and white in situations like this, only an awful lot of gray. But the Republicans are trying to make it black and white no matter what and no matter who suffers, all in the name of "family values." What the Democrats are saying in a situation like this, and this is the reason abortion IS legal, is a person needs to take charge of his/her own life and do what he/she needs to do.

I'm not talking about anarchy and lawlessness. That's not what the Democrats are about at all. Obviously, one needs to live in society and obey the laws, but the laws need to be fair. No. You may not murder, steal, embezzle, etc. But matter of a more personal nature are NOT the domain of the lawmakers. What would you do if you, Chas V'Shalom, encountered the situation I described? Go to another country to get an abortion? What if you are required to report you are pregnant to the authorities? What if, knowing people are going to go to another country to get their abortions, the officials at customs or at the border enforce a pregnancy test and KNOW you are pregnant, and when you come back, they enforce it again and KNOW you're NOT? And they arrest you for breaking the law, even if it was in another country? What are you going to do?

Is this the party with which you wish to be associated? You can't just go around deciding you want to be a member of a party based on one issue that's not even an issue (Israel).

If you want McCain's position on Israel, go to McCain on Israel. and scroll down to Peace with the Palestinians. Yup. Same position.

Obama? Obama on Israel. http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/IsraelFactSheet.pdf (cut and paste for Obama's FULL Israel Fact Sheet)

Yup. Same position.

Hillary?
Hillary on Israel.

Yup. Same position.

Funny, that, huh?