Author: webuiltitblog

Many historically-significant events have occurred during the month of December. Below please find what I consider the most significant:

12/1/1955 – Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, AL for refusing to surrender her seat on a bus to a white man. This action precipitated a year-long bus boycott and many other protests against segregation led by the Reverend Martin Luther King, among others, and was what many consider the seminal event for the civil rights movement.
12/2/1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned Emperor of France by Pope Pius VII.
12/2/1823 – President James Monroe articulated the “Monroe Doctrine,” which, essentially, forbad any further colonization of the Western Hemisphere by any European power, and which became a key element of the US’s foreign policy prospectively.
12/2/1954 – The Senate condemned Senator Joseph McCarthy for misconduct, effectively ending his irresponsible communist witch-hunt.
12/3/1967 – Dr. Christiaan Barnard performed the first successful heart transplant in Cape Town, South Africa.
12/6/1492 – Christopher Columbus “discovered” the “New World,” landing at the Caribbean island of Hispaniola.
12/6/1865 – The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, which abolished slavery.
12/6/1973 – Gerald Ford was sworn in as vice president replacing Spiro Agnew who had been forced to resign following his pleading “no contest” to charges of income tax evasion.
12/7/1787 – Delaware became the first state to ratify the US constitution.
12/7/1941 – Japan perpetrated a surprise attack of the US naval base at Pearl Harbor destroying the US Pacific Fleet and precipitating the US’s entry into WWII. FDR called it a “date that will live in infamy,” and it has.
12/10/1896 – Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel died. In his will he stipulated that a committee of the Norwegian Parliament award from his estate annual prizes (valued at approximately $1 million) for Peace, Chemistry, Physics, Medicine, Literature and Economics.
12/11/1901 – Guglielmo Marconi transmitted the first transatlantic radio signal.
12/11/1936 – King Edward VIII abdicated the English throne in order to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson.
12/13/1642 – Dutch navigator Abel Tasman discovered New Zealand.
12/14/1799 – George Washington died at Mt. Vernon.
12/14/1911 – Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach the South Pole.
12/15/1791 – Virginia became the 11th state to ratify the Bill of Rights making it an official part of the Constitution. (Ratification of an amendment to the Constitution requires 75% of the states, and Vermont had become the 14th state. The three holdouts were Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Georgia, which did not ratify it until 1939.)
12/15/1961 – Notorious Nazi SS Colonel Adolph Eichmann was sentenced to death in Jerusalem for his role in the Holocaust during WWII.
12/16/1773 – A group of Bostonians, disguised as Indians, boarded British ships anchored in Boston Harbor and dumped 300+ containers of tea overboard as a protest to what they viewed as an unjust tax on the product. This became known as the Boston Tea Party and was a part of the chain of events that culminated in the American Revolutionary War.
12/17/1903 – The Wright Brothers – Wilbur and Orville – made the first successful airplane flight at Kitty Hawk, NC.
12/19/1946 – War broke out in what was then called French-Indochina. Eventually, the French were ousted, and the US got drawn into war in Vietnam, which did not end well for us.
12/20/1860 – South Carolina became the first state to secede from the Union. Over the next few months ten other states followed, and the Civil War ensued.
12/21/1846 – Dr. Robert Liston was the first surgeon to use anesthesia (in a leg amputation in London).
12/21/1945 – General George Patton, aka “Old Blood and Guts,” died from injuries suffered in a car accident in Germany. Some historians have postulated that the accident was intentional, but this has never been proven.
12/23/1947 – The transistor was invented at Bell Laboratories.
12/25 – Christmas Day when Christians commemorate the birth of Christ.
12/25/1776 – George Washington led a small contingent of Colonial troops across the Delaware River from Valley Forge, PA to Trenton, NJ in the dead of night, where they surprised and defeated a substantially larger contingent of Hessian mercenaries. This daring and famous victory provided a major boost to the flagging revolutionary war effort.
12/26 – Boxing Day is celebrated in the UK, Canada, and various other countries that, formerly, were part of the British Empire. It has nothing to do with pugilism. Most likely, it has evolved from the 18th Century English custom of giving a “Christmas box” containing gifts, such as food or clothes, to servants and tradesmen as a reward for good service throughout the year.
12/26 – 1/1 – Kwanza, an African – American holiday established in 1966, is observed. It celebrates family unity and a bountiful harvest. The word means “first fruit” in Swahili.
12/29/1890 – The US cavalry massacred in excess of 200 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, SD., which became a symbol of the white man’s brutality to Native Americans.
12/31/1781 – The Bank of New York became the first bank to receive a federal charter. It commenced business on January 7, 1782, in Philadelphia.
12/31/1879 – Inventor Thomas Edison first demonstrated the incandescent lamp (light bulb) at his lab in NJ.
12/31 – New Year’s Eve is celebrated throughout the world.

Birthdays – Charles Stuart, American portrait painter (of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, among others), 12/3/1755; Joseph Conrad, Polish novelist, 12/3/1857; Martin Van Buren, 8th President, 12/5/1782; General George Armstrong Custer, 12/5/1839; Walt Disney; 12/5/1901; Ira Gershwin (wrote several hit songs for “Broadway” shows), 12/6/1896; Eli Whitney (cotton gin), 12/8/1765; Clarence Birdseye (invented process for freezing foods), 12/9/1886; Emily Dickenson (poet), 12/10/1830; Melville Louis Kossuth Dewey (invented Dewey decimal system used to categorize books in libraries), 12/10/1851; NYC Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia,12/11/1882; John Jay (first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court), 12/12/1745; General James Doolittle (led audacious bombing raid on Tokyo during WWII), 12/14/1896; Alexandre Eifel (Eifel Tower), 12/15/1832; Ludwig van Beethoven (composer), 12/16/1770; George Santayana (philosopher) (“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”), 12/16/1863; Wily Brandt (Chancellor of West Germany), 12/18/1913; Harvey Firestone (Firestone Tire and Rubber), 12/20/1868; Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvli, aka Josef Stalin, 12/21/1879; Claudia Alta Taylor, aka “Lady Bird Johnson,” 12/22/1912; Japanese WWII Emperor Hirohito, 12/23/1901; Christopher “Kit” Carson, frontiersman, 12/24/1809; Howard Hughes, 12/24/1905; Isaac Newton (theory of gravity), 12/25/1642; Clara Barton (nurse who founded American Red Cross), 12/25/1821; Humphrey Bogart, 12/25/1899; Mao Tse Tung, 12/26/1893; Louis Pasteur (pasteurization process), 12/27/1822; (Thomas) Woodrow Wilson, 28th President, 12/28/1856; Andrew Johnson (17th president, first to be impeached), 12/29/1808; Pablo Casals (cellist), 12/28/1876; Rudyard Kipling (poet, wrote Jungle Book), 12/30/1865; Hideki Tojo (Japanese WWII Prime Minister), 12/30/1884; General George C. Marshall (Army Chief of Staff, WWII), 12/31/1880.

In retrospect we should have expected this. Hamas has repeatedly exhibited wanton brutality and indifference to human life, not only to Jews but even to fellow Palestinians. Regarding Jews, members of Hamas have freely and repeatedly stated that they want to annihilate all Jews in the area “from the river to the sea.” Moreover, they have demonstrated their disregard for the civilian Palestinian population by hiding and storing weapons and explosives in hospitals, schools and other locations where innocents, including children, the elderly and the infirmed would likely become collateral damage. The Hamas terrorists don’t care. In fact, they want collateral damage. To them, any person who is not a “true believer” is the enemy and fair game. They “spin” it as Israel being the oppressors, being indifferent to innocents. As preposterous and inane as this argument is, much of the world’s antisemites and anti-Jew media “buy” it. In view of the foregoing, now that some of the released hostages have been examined by medical personnel and debriefed regarding their time in captivity the horrific reports of maltreatment that have been reported in the media recently should not be surprising.

As you know, the hostage situation has been a very fluid situation. By the time you read this blog there may have been changes, perhaps, significant ones. But below please find a summary of the recent developments as published by the BBC, USA Today, the Times of Israel, and various other media outlets. Warning: some of you may find what follows most disturbing, but I believe this information needs to be disseminated.

1. Hamas kidnapped 240 hostages on October 7. 105 of them have been released. Of the remaining 135, several are believed to be dead from various causes. It is estimated that perhaps as many as 20 have since died in captivity due to disease, torture, malnutrition, or other causes. We do not know for certain the whereabouts of the rest of them. They could be in the tunnels; they could have been handed off to other terrorist groups; or they could also be dead.

  2. Freed hostages have told shocking stories of the various hardships they and others have endured such as scarcity of food, a dearth of bathroom facilities, family separation, and perhaps worst of all the uncertainty of their ultimate fate. Were there attempts being made to rescue them? Would their captors torture or kill them? Had they been forgotten? Remember these were civilians, children even, not soldiers trained to deal with captivity.

  3.  Sharon Alony-Cunio and her two three-year-old twin girls, were released but her husband was not. He was “taken away” three days before their release. She believes he is still alive and being imprisoned somewhere in Gaza, but she does not know for sure. She remains “petrified” he is dead or will be murdered. She described the food as “meager” and related how her girls had limited access to a toilet and often had to pee in a sink or a trash can. She characterized her experience as “a Russian roulette.” Captives were afraid they could be killed at any time “just because they want to.” One of her girls was separated from the family for ten days. Why? Who knows? She is hopeful that the remaining hostages will be released asap. ”We are not just names on a poster. We are human beings, flesh and blood.” Amen.

  4. Medical personnel who have been examining the freed hostages have been reporting many of them were drugged with depressants, such as valium, to keep them compliant.  At least one girl was given ketamine, which is often used as a “date rape” drug. Additionally, an untold number of them were subjected to physical, mental, psychological and sexual abuse. As an example, one man was told his wife was dead when, in fact, she was alive and not a captive at all. Another former hostage described how she and several others were placed in total darkness for several days.  Another former hostage opined “they wanted to break us not only physically [but also] mentally.” Renanna Eltan, director of the psychiatric division of the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center-Ichilov, described the degree of abuse as ” just terrible” and remarked she had “never seen anything like that in 20 years of treating trauma victims.” She noted that several have become “psychotic,” “developed suicidal thoughts,” devolved into “dissociative states” (wherein one minute they think they are back as captives and the next they are back at the treatment center) and/or suffered from “hallucinations.” The aftereffects are akin to PTSD and could be long-lasting.

5. It has been widely reported that the IDF has commenced flooding the tunnels with seawater to flush out the terrorists. Obviously, this will be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it will be an efficient way to kill terrorists with a lesser cost of Israeli soldiers’ lives. But on the other hand, there is likely to be some collateral damage among hostages that may be sequestered there, which could result in a public relations nightmare. Hopefully, the IDF will exercise proper restraint.

There have been further developments regarding antisemitism on college campuses.

1. Harvard, with its $51 billion endowment, has become the “poster boy” for antisemitism on college campuses. Congresswoman Elise Stepanik, who has been in the forefront of this issue, has declared “we must defund the rot in America’s higher education. Harvard’s president has refused to resign and despite growing outside pressure the board of directors has refused to fire her. In addition, she has been accused of plagiarizing parts of her doctoral thesis, which would constitute a clear violation of the school’s academic integrity policy. That, by itself, should be sufficient cause to fire her. Yet, she is continuing to refuse to resign, and the school is still refusing to fire her. Could it be due to the fact that she is a black woman? Regardless, I find this excessive arrogance and insensitivity incredulous. This is despite extensive and intensive negative press, donors clawing back donations, the possible loss of copious federal payments, grants and tax breaks (presently, for instance, Harvard pays no taxes on capital gains, bond interest and dividend income), bills being introduced in Congress to penalize colleges that fail to curb on-campus antisemitism, and a pending investigation by the federal Department of Education to determine whether or not the school has transgressed against the civil rights of its Jewish students in contravention of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.  It’s as if Harvard thinks it is untouchable and can do whatever it wants.
2. Some Jewish students at MIT have claimed that pro-Palestinian groups have been offering “bounties” to anyone who identifies one of them. Furthermore, a group of alumni has authored a blistering criticism directed at school officials for the school’s failure to condemn antisemitism on campus or even to issue an apology. (Subsequently, the school did issue a feeble, vague statement “rejecting antisemitism in all its forms,” but, to me, it was too little, too late.)
3. At the University of Pennsylvania, the president resigned, and donors are continuing to claw back donations. That’s a fine beginning, but the school has not gone far enough to deal with antisemitism.

CONCLUSION

Obviously, I find this entire antisemitism issue to be extremely disturbing. It has the potential to tear this country apart. This issue is a direct attack on the very foundation of what America stands for, free speech, freedom of religion and the rest of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Even those of you who are not Jewish should be appalled at the current state of affairs and should help quash this in the bud. Speak up. Act. History has taught us that the oppressors will not stop at the Jews. Next, they will come after Catholics, Blacks, Hispanics, and anyone else they deem to be different. Even moderate Muslims would not escape their wrath.

We would be advised to heed the warning conveyed by Martin Niemöller. Niemöller was a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. He was an early supporter of the Nazis, but later he was imprisoned for speaking out in support of the church. Upon his release he uttered the following advice, which still resonates today.

“First they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t Jewish; then they came for the communists, and I did not speak out because I wasn’t a communist; then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist; then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist; and then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.”

The moral of the quote is obvious. The current wave of antisemitism affects us all. We must all speak out before it is too late.

I am very disappointed, but not surprised, that the Administration and the Democrat Party, in general, have not been more forceful in supporting Jews in general and Israel in particular. The far-left wing of the Dems has been particularly vociferous in espousing antisemitism. As a result, it has cowed the Administration and mainstream Dems into silence. The Dems solution to this problem is the same they offer to deal with any problem. They offer platitudes and vague generalities but never solve it. Therefore, in my opinion, I see no reason why any Jew or other minority would vote for any Dem. As Election Day 2024 approaches they will do what they always do – obfuscate, deflect, exaggerate and make false promises and accusations. These tactics worked in 2020. Don’t be fooled again.

He was a brilliant politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant. He played a significant role in virtually every US foreign affairs policy and issue in the past 60+ years. Despite his humble beginnings he rose to become Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to two presidents and unofficial consultant to several others.

Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born on May 27,1923 in Bavaria, Germany. His father, Louis, was a teacher. His mother, Paula, was a homemaker. He had one younger brother. According to Wikipedia Henry’s great-great-grandfather chose the surname “Kissinger” in 1817 after a Bavarian town called “Bad Kissingen.” (As some of you know, until the late Middle Ages Jews did not generally have surnames, so many Jews chose surnames based on a town, an occupation or a physical characteristic.) As a youth Henry’s favorite sport was soccer both to play and to watch. He was proficient enough to play for the youth team of SpVgg Fürth, which was one of Germany’s best clubs at the time.

When Hitler came to power 1933 the Kissinger family’s situation, like that of all other Jews in Germany, took a severe turn for the worse. Henry’s father lost his teaching job. Henry was denied admission to the Gymnasium, which was the most prestigious and advanced of German secondary schools. The family was subjected to harassment, beatings and terrorizing by Hitler youth gangs and antisemites.

Young Henry liked to push the envelope. For example, he would often sneak into stadiums to watch soccer games, which, as a Jew, was forbidden. Sometimes he would be caught by security and beaten for that transgression.

By 1938 the family could see the handwriting on the wall. It emigrated a mere days before Kristallnacht. First, it fled to England and then later to the US to escape. In later years some historians, including his biographer, Walter Isaacson, postulated that his early experiences as a youth in Nazi-dominated Germany affected his politics. Henry disagreed, but its veracity remains a matter of opinion.

In the US the family settled in the Washington Heights section of NYC where Henry attended high school. Henry readily assimilated into American culture. He worked odd jobs, such as in a toothbrush factory, and spent his spare time learning English. Oddly, however, he never lost his heavy German accent. He attributed this anomaly to shyness as a youth, which made him reluctant to speak. Henry attended college at CCNY, and then in 1943 he joined the Army.

Henry liked his army experience. He always maintained that being in the army “made me feel like an American.“ He was stationed in Germany near his hometown. I can only imagine what it felt like for Henry to return as a conquering US soldier to the very area where he had been terrorized as a youth. The US Army had a paucity of soldiers who spoke German. Consequently, Henry’s proficiency in that language was very valuable and led to various key administration billets. For example, he was assigned to the Counterintelligence Corps where one of his responsibilities was to track down Gestapo officers and saboteurs. His success there earned him a Bronze Star.

Upon his discharge in 1946 he attended Harvard University from which he graduated summa cum laude in 1950. He went on to earn his master’s and doctorate also at Harvard in 1951 and 1954, respectively.

After graduation Henry wrote several books and worked at a series of consulting and “think tank” positions. In 1960 he entered politics as a foreign policy advisor to the presidential campaigns first of Nelson Rockefeller and then in 1968 Richard Nixon.

In 1968 following his election Nixon hired Kissinger as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State. Kissinger was the only presidential appointee in history who held both offices contemporaneously. After Nixon resigned and was replaced by Gerald Ford Henry continued as Secretary of State. Nixon, who was normally suspicious by nature, trusted Kissinger implicitly. They shared many of the same geopolitical philosophies and turned out to be a perfect fit. For example, they both preferred operating in secrecy and employing back channels, which ruffled some feathers in other areas of the government particularly at the State Department.  They complimented each other perfectly. Kissinger was generally charming and worldly, which Nixon definitely was not. Furthermore, he provided the grace and intellectual-establishment respectability that Nixon lacked, disdained and aspired to.

Between 1969 and 1977 Henry played a prominent role in virtually every major aspect of US foreign policy. His objective was to seek to de-escalate tensions and mistrust between the US and adversaries such as Russia and China. For instance, he conceived and developed the policy of détente with Russia, enhanced international relations with China, pioneered what became known as shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East to end the Yom Kippur War, and negotiated the Paris Peace Accords, which ended US participation in the war in Vietnam and for which he received the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize.

Kissinger’s legacy in diplomacy and geopolitics is somewhat controversial. Although scholars and historians consider him to have been an effective Secretary of State, and they give him credit for his major achievements as described above, some have criticized him for his penchant for operating in secrecy. I leave that debate to the historians. In 2014 a poll of international relations scholars conducted by the College of William and Mary voted Henry as the most effective Secretary of State in the last 50 years. I would concur. In retrospect I believe his pluses far outweighed his minuses.

After leaving government, he formed Kissinger Associates, an international geopolitical consulting firm. Additionally, he wrote several books on the subjects of diplomatic history and international relations. He was the recipient of countless awards and honorariums, too many to list here. During this time, he was often sought out by presidents and various power brokers who valued his advice as a consultant. He always said that “diplomacy was his favorite game.” He played the “game” successfully for over seven decades.

Henry loved America. Moreover, he loved the idea of America. He was quoted as saying “in what other country could a man with my background stand next to the President?” That says it all.

Henry remained prolific and sharp until the very end. In addition to his frequent consulting gigs he authored numerous books. For example, earlier this year he went on a tour to plug his latest book. In October in one of his last interviews he warned about the dangers of Hamas. He cautioned, in part, that the Israel-Hamas War could potentially “engulf the entire Arab World.”

In his personal life Henry was somewhat of a ladies’ man. He was married four times and was reputed to have had several affairs. He was often seen in the company of high profile and beautiful female celebrities. The Village Voice dubbed him a “secret square posing as a swinger.” In some circles he was known as the “playboy of the West Wing.” In a 1971 article Womens Wear Daily labeled him “Washington’s greatest swinger.” However, his closest friends opined that image was an exaggeration fostered by the media.

CONCLUSION

Henry passed away at his home in Connecticut on November 29, 2023, at the age of 100. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, two children, David and Elizabeth, and five grandchildren.

Following his death countless tributes have come pouring in, many from former adversaries, which I find very significant. For example, Vladimir Putin called him a “wise and farsightedness statesman.” The China News Service called him a “person [who] had a sharp vision and a thorough understanding of world affairs.“ Winston Lord, a former assistant at the NSC, called Kissinger “a tireless advocate for peace.” George W. Bush stated “America has lost one of the most dependable and distinctive voices on foreign affairs.“

Rest in peace Henry. Your contributions to America were varied and vast, and you will be missed.

The Anti-Defamation League monitors and reports incidents of antisemitism. According to a recent report published by Reuters the ADL stated that since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 antisemitic incidents in the US have increased nearly 400% compared to before the attack. These included incidents primarily of harassment, vandalism and assault. The ADL report asserted that about 60% of these incidents were directly tied to the Israel-Hamas War. The numbers sound incredulous, but anyone who has been paying attention to the news would have no reason to doubt their veracity.

Every day various media outlets have reported numerous incidents. There have been way too many for me to include in this blog, but I will briefly discuss a few:

1. As published in the NY Post a few days ago “hundreds” of “radicalized” high school students at Hillcrest High School in Queens, NY “rampaged” through the school for two hours. The target of their ire was a teacher who had committed the “heinous crime” of attending a pro-Israel rally and posting a photo of herself on Facebook holding a sign proclaiming, “I Stand with Israel.” The terrified teacher, a 23-year veteran, advised she was “shaken to my core” by the violent reaction. She had to lock herself in an office. But that was not enough for the students. They tried to force their way into the locked office, and when that failed, they ran amok through the halls chanting, yelling and waiving Palestinian banners and flags, and shouting slogans such as “Free Palestine” and the teacher “needs to go.” Furthermore, they vandalized the boys’ bathroom, a water fountain and other property. Some students had the audacity to record the event and post it on social media. The NYPD responded by sending a couple dozen or so police officers to the school and directed its Counterterrorism Bureau to investigate the incident. City Councilman James Gennaro told the Post that the CB is normally called out only in a “potentially serious situation.” Eventually order was restored, and the school was placed on a “soft lockdown.” It got worse. Some students ascertained her address, personal telephone number and other personal information and have proceeded to terrorize her further. All this just for attending a pro-Israel rally and expressing support for Israel. Whatever happened to free speech and the Bill of Rights? Do these students even know what that is?
2. The very next day the police had to return to the same school to deal with another incident. A student had been issuing threats via a group chat. This student was 18, so he was arrested and charged with aggravated harassment. Summing up these two incidents Gennaro told the Post “It’s a sad commentary on the rancid hate that exists within the hearts of students – for Jews.” NYC Councilman Robert Holden characterized the entire incident as “shocking.” Furthermore, he told the Post “I don’t know why these students are so misinformed, so intolerant and so radicalized. They don’t even know the history of the Middle East.” One student went even further saying “I doubt half of them know how to spell ‘Palestine.’ ” NYC Mayor Eric Adams succinctly called the entire incident “vile.” He blustered that it was “motivated by ignorance-fueled hatred… and it will not be tolerated in any of our schools let alone anywhere else in our city.” Strong words. Let’s see if he follows through. Let’s see what actions are taken against the perpetrators. My guess would be, “not much, if anything.”
3. Over the Thanksgiving weekend. There was a wild pro-Palestinian rally at Columbus Circle in NYC. Some 300 demonstrators chanted slogans and dragged a burning Israeli flag down the street. Some samples: “[The] US government is the No. 1 funder of Israeli terrorism,” and Israeli supporters’ days are numbered.” They entered nearby stores and harassed shoppers chanting “bombs are dropping while you’re shopping.” Also, they vandalized a statue of Abraham Lincoln. What will happen to the perpetrators? Again, probably nothing.
4. Post reporter Matthew Sedacca wrote that Celia Walsh, a former Disney Channel actress, is one of several members of an anti-Israel group called Palestine Action US, that is facing felony charges for vandalizing the offices of Elbit Systems, an Israel-based defense contractor located in New Hampshire. According to Sedacca Walsh is a long-time leftist activist who has been linked to Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel and far left politician Elizabeth Warren. GOP political strategist Garrett Ventry expressed an opinion held by many when he told Sedacca “this is what happens when limousine liberals who grow up with a silver spoon in their mouth are beholden to TikTok trends rather than having facts.”

CONCLUSION

In my view most, of the anti-Israel, anti-Jew “demonstrators” fall into three categories: (1) “professional agitators” who flit from place to place and have no purpose other than to destroy, steal and wreak havoc; (2) misguided youths who get their information from social media or biased educators and act out of ignorance without the foggiest notion of the facts and without any knowledge of the context of history; and (3) genuine antisemites who, for whatever reason, hate Jews. Each of these groups is dangerous in its own way. Each represents a severe threat to the principles of our Constitution and our way of life for which generations of our forebears have sacrificed.

Heretofore, whenever our country was in need strong leaders have emerged to guide us through the danger. A few examples would include George Washington during and immediately after the Revolutionary War, Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and FDR during WWII. Where are our strong leaders now in this crucial time of need? Where is the strong leader who will put a stop to this divisiveness, which has been plaguing us for several years and bring us together? Even President Biden’s most fervent supporters have to concede he is not a strong leader. In fact, he is the antithesis of a strong leader. Half the time he hides or is unavailable for comment. Then, when he emerges, he gives us words and platitudes, not deeds. He says he stands with Israel but then he pressures it to stand down versus Hamas and advocates a two-state solution, which neither side actually wants. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who is a Jew from a heavily Jewish state, has been similarly spineless and two-faced. In my opinion, they and others like them are too afraid of the far-left vocal minority to stand up and do what’s right.

Folks, we are in a downward spiral with no end in sight. We need a strong leader with the courage to stand up for America!

Below please find a list of what I consider to be significant historical events that have occurred during the month of November.

11/1 – All Hallows Day, aka All Saints Day. Many of us observe the day before this holiday as Halloween. 
11/1/1848 – The first women’s medical school opened in Boston, MA. It was founded by a Mr. Samuel Gregory and “boasted” twelve students. In 1874 it became part of the Boston University School of Medicine, becoming one of the first co-ed medical schools.  According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, today, women comprise approximately 1/2 of all medical students.
11/1/1950 – President Harry S Truman, whom many historians consider to have been one of our greatest and underrated presidents, survived an assassination attempt by two members of a Puerto Rican nationalist movement.
11/2/1962 – President Kennedy announced that all Soviet missiles in Cuba were being dismantled and their installations destroyed, thus signaling the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis. On 11/20 he announced that the dismantling of all said missile sites had been completed. Unbeknownst to the general public, that crisis was probably the closest we ever came to nuclear war.
11/3/1948 – The Chicago Tribune published its famous, or infamous, headline “Dewey Defeats Truman,” arguably, the most embarrassing headline ever.
11/4/1862 – Richard Gatling patented his first rapid-firing machine gun, which utilized rotating barrels to load, fire and extract the spent cartridges. The gun bares his name.
11/4/1942 – In the battle generally considered to be one of the turning points of WWII (along with Stalingrad and Midway) the British defeated the Germans at El Alamein (North Africa).
11/7/1811 – General (and future president) William Henry Harrison defeated the Shawnee Indians in the Battle of Tippecanoe Creek, which was located in present-day Indiana. The battle gave rise to the chief slogan of Harrison’s presidential campaign – “Tippecanoe and Tyler too.”
11/7/1885 – Canada’s first transcontinental railroad was completed, opening up the western part of the country to settlement.
11/7/1962 – Former Vice President Richard Nixon, having lost the California gubernatorial election decisively to Edmund Brown gave his famous farewell speech to reporters, telling them they “wouldn’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen this is my last press conference.” As we know, Nixon made a comeback in 1968 narrowly defeating Hubert Humphrey for the presidency.
11/8/1895 – Wilhelm Roentgen discovered the electromagnetic ray, aka, X-rays.
11/8/1942 – The Allies landed successfully in North Africa (Operation Torch).
11/9&10/1938 – All over Germany Nazis terrorized Jews, burning, pillaging and vandalizing synagogues, homes and businesses in what became known infamously as Kristallnacht.
11/10/1775 – The Marine Corps was established as part of the Navy.
11/10/1871 – Explorer Henry Stanley finds Dr. Livingston after a two-year search. There is doubt that he actually uttered the attributed phrase “Dr. Livingston, I presume.”
11/11/1973 – Egypt and Israel signed a momentus cease-fire accord sponsored by the US.
11/13/1927 – The Holland Tunnel, the first underwater tunnel built in the US, which is named not for the country, but for Clifford Holland, the engineer who designed and led the construction of the project, opened connecting NYC and NJ.
11/13/1956 – The Supreme Court declared racial segregation on public buses to be unconstitutional.
11/15/1864 – Union soldiers, under the command of General William Sherman, burned much of the City of Atlanta.
11/17/1869 – The Suez Canal opened after taking 10+ years to complete.
11/19/1863 – President Abraham Lincoln delivered the famous Gettysburg Address.
11/20/1789 – NJ became the first state to ratify the Bill of Rights.
11/20/1945 – The Nuremberg War Crimes Trials began. Twenty-four former leaders of Nazi Germany were tried for various war crimes.
11/22/1963 – President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald who, in turn, was later assassinated by Jack Ruby. Hours later, Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as president while on board Air Force One.
11/28/1520 – Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan rounded the southern tip of South America, passing through what is now known as the Strait of Magellan, crossing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

In addition, the following notables, who made significant contributions to society, were born during November:

Daniel Boone (frontiersman) – 11/2/1734; President James K. Polk (11th President) – 11/2/1795; Will Rogers (humorist) – 11/4/1879; Walter Cronkite (tv anchor/journalist) – 11/4/1916; John Philip Sousa (musical conductor) – 11/6/1854; James Naismith (inventor of basketball) – 11/6/1861; Marie Curie (chemist who discovered radium) – 11/7/1867; Billy Graham (evangelist) – 11/7/1918; Edmund Halley (astronomer/mathematician who discovered Halley’s Comet) – 11/8/1656; Christiaan Barnard (pioneer of heart transplant operations) – 11/8/1922; Richard Burton (actor) – 11/10/1925; George Patton (WWII General) – 11/11/1885; Auguste Rodin (sculptor of “The Thinker,” among others) – 11/12/1840; Elizabeth Cady Stanton (suffragist) – 11/12/1815; Grace Kelly (actress/princess) – 11/12/1929; Louis Brandeis (Supreme Court justice) – 11/13/1856; Robert Louis Stevenson (author) – 11/13/1850; Robert Fulton (inventor of the steamboat) – 11/14/1765; Claude Monet (pioneered impressionist painting) – 11/14/1840; Jawaharlal Nehru (India’s first Prime Minister) – 11/14/1889; Louis Daguerre (invented daguerreotype process of developing photographs) – 11/18/1789; James A. Garfield (20th President) – 11/19/1831; Indira Gandhi (Indian Prime Minister) – 11/19/1917; Edwin Hubble (astronomer for whom the Hubble Space Telescope is named) – 11/20/1889; Robert Kennedy (JFK’s brother, Attorney General and US Senator from NY) – 11/20/1925; Charles De Gaulle (French WWII hero and president of France) – 11/22/1890; Franklyn Pierce (14th President) – 11/23/1804; William (Billy the Kid) Bonney (notorious outlaw – 11/23/1859; William Henry Platt (aka Boris Karloff) (famed horror movie star) – 11/23/1887; Zachary Taylor (12th President) – 11/24/1784; Andrew Carnegie (financier and philanthropist) – 11/25/1835; John Harvard (founder of Harvard University in 1636) – 11/26/1607; Anders Celsius (invented Celsius, aka centigrade, temperature scale) – 11/27/1Mark Twain, (author) – 11/30/1835; Chaim Weizmann (Israeli statesman) – 11/27/1874; Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, (author) – 11/30/1835; Winston Churchill (British Prime Minister during WWII) – 11/30/1874.

On Thursday, November 23, we will celebrate Thanksgiving. All things considered, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love the food, the football, and the four-day weekend. What I don’t like is the traveling. Regardless of which mode of transportation one uses – roads, air or rail, one has to expect delays, cancellations and frustration. And that does not account for inclement weather, which exacerbates the situation.

Traveling by car? In my experience, regardless of which day and what time you travel, you can’t avoid the traffic snarls. You just have to hope (or pray) for the best. (I have found you can mitigate traffic delays by relying on a good GPS, such as Waze.)

Traveling by air? Be prepared for overcrowded airports, overbooked, delayed and/or cancelled flights, lost luggage, and surly people. According to AAA some 4.7 million persons will be flying over the Thanksgiving weekend, which would be aa 6.6% increase over 2022 and the most since 2005. Need a wheelchair? Expect delays there too. I have found that there is a shortage of wheelchairs and wheelchair attendants. I suspect some people are requesting them who don’t really need it in order to get priority through the long security lines. Recently, I have waited up to one hour for an attendant. Once I missed my flight, and another time I nearly did. So, while a wheelchair may be more comfortable and convenient than walking to the gate unless you really need one you might be better off walking. According to ABC News many airlines are anticipating record numbers of travelers; delays and cancellations will likely be more exacerbated on budget airlines such as Spirit or Southwest; and the best and cheapest days to fly will be Monday or Friday.

Traveling by rail or bus is not much better. Once again, one has to deal with the vagaries of the weather.

In short, any mode of travel could be problematic. With COVID in the rearview for most people AAA is predicting that some 54.6 million Americans will be traveling more than 50 miles from home over the TG weekend. This will be just about at the pre-pandemic level. People will be stressed, and tempers will be short. But, for most people the positives of the holiday outweigh these negatives.

Moreover, the weather will likely exacerbate the situation. According to the National Weather service parts of the country will get heavy rains, high winds, cold temperatures and even snow. You have to be cognizant not only of the weather in your area but also elsewhere as problems in one area often cause a ripple effect in other areas.

If you must travel, it will behoove you to follow common sense guidelines, such as:

1. Book your reservations early.
2. Avoid travelling during peak periods .
3. Arrive at the airport or train station early.
4. Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

Traditionally, TG is a time when extended families gather together to celebrate in large groups. People travel to spend the holiday with relatives that they only see a few times a year. They stoically endure the abovementioned negatives. They don’t like them, but they recognize it is part of the deal. Many people have Friday, Monday and part of Wednesday off from work, and they are able to make a mini-vacation out of the holiday. In the US some of the traditional activities include parades, football (watching on tv or playing), and, of course, shopping.

Many cities and towns hold parades. The biggest and best is the Macy’s Parade in NYC, which dates back to 1924. It is televised live and streamed. Kids love the floats, and many parents and grandparents who accompany them reminisce of when they, themselves, attended as kids with their parents.

To many, the holiday is synonymous with football. Football games are played at every level, including pickup games, high school, college, and, of course, the NFL. The first TG professional football game was in 1920. For you trivia buffs, Akron beat Canton 7-0. The Detroit Lions have been hosting a TG football game since 1934. This year we will be treated to three NFL games beginning at 12:30 pm Eastern and ending around 11:30 pm. Quiz question: Which is the only NFL team that has never played in a TG football game? See answer below.

No holiday celebration would be complete without shopping. The day after TG has become known as “Black Friday.” Many merchants open extra early and offer huge discounts. Some are beneficial while others are nothing more than “come-ons.” Be prepared for long lines, frustration and rude people.

As we enjoy the holiday, few of us will stop to think of its origins and meaning. What are they? Why is it celebrated at this time of the year? Read on for the answers.

Thanksgiving is a national holiday originally celebrated to give thanks for the year’s harvest. It has strong religious and cultural roots. Most people are aware that Thanksgiving is celebrated in the US (4th Thursday in November) and Canada (2nd Monday in October), but few of us are aware that variations of it are observed in other countries as well. In these other countries the holiday has a different meaning and purpose.

For example, in Grenada it is celebrated on October 25, and it marks the date on which the US invaded the island in 1983 in response to the removal and execution of Grenada’s then Prime Minister, Maurice Bishop. Liberia celebrates the holiday on the first Thursday of November, a tradition that was originated by freed American slaves that were transported there. In the Netherlands a Thanksgiving Day service is held on the morning of the US holiday. Its purpose is to commemorate the traditions of the Pilgrims, who resided in the city of Leiden for several years prior to their emigration to the New World. Japan celebrates a “Labor Thanksgiving Day” on November 23 to commemorate labor and production. It has its roots in the period of American occupation after WWII.

Like many of our customs and traditions, Thanksgiving is rooted in English traditions. These date from the English Reformation in the 16th century and the reign of King Henry VIII. Apparently, the Protestant clergy had determined that events of misfortune or good fortune were attributable to God. Thus, unexpected disasters, such as droughts, floods or plagues, were followed by “Days of Fasting.” On the other hand, fortuitous events, such as a good harvest or the defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, which actually was largely attributable to storms off the English coast, were to be celebrated by “giving thanks” to Him.

The origin of the Canadian holiday is uncertain, but it is most commonly attributed to the English explorer Martin Frobisher. He had been exploring Northern Canada seeking the infamous and elusive Northwest Passage to Asia. He wanted to give thanks for his party having survived the numerous storms and icebergs it had encountered on the long journey from England. Today, Thanksgiving is celebrated as a statutory holiday in most jurisdictions of Canada.

Most people trace the American Thanksgiving holiday to 1621 in present-day Massachusetts (although some claim that there were earlier celebrations by the Spaniards in present-day Florida circa 1565 and in the colony of Virginia circa 1610). The Pilgrims and Puritans living in MA had enjoyed a bountiful harvest that year and wanted to give thanks. Their harvest had been partly attributable to assistance from Native Americans, so they invited them to share in their celebration. Records indicate that there were 90 Native Americans and 25 colonists in attendance. The actual date is uncertain, but it is believed to have been between September 21 and November 11.

Prior to 1942, Thanksgiving was not celebrated as an official national holiday. Rather, it was celebrated periodically by proclamation. For example, during the Revolutionary War the Continental Congress established days of “prayer, humiliation and thanksgiving” each year. In 1777 George Washington proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to celebrate the colonists’ victory at Saratoga. Following independence, various Presidents continued the practice of issuing proclamations periodically.

In 1863 President Lincoln proclaimed a national “Thanksgiving Day” to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. Historians believe that his action was prompted by a series of editorials written by Sarah Josepha Hale, a writer and editor of some renown. (She wrote the popular nursery rhyme, “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”)

The practice of annual Presidential Proclamations continued until 1939. That year, FDR broke the tradition. November had five Thursdays that year instead of the usual four. FDR figured that if the holiday were celebrated on the 4th Thursday it would provide a much-needed boost to the economy by enabling merchants to sell more goods before Christmas. (Even then Thanksgiving had become the unofficial beginning of the Christmas holiday shopping season.) Typically, this action precipitated a spat between the GOP and Dems in Congress. GOP congressmen viewed it as an insult to President Lincoln and continued to consider the last Thursday to be the holiday, so there were two Thanksgiving celebrations in 1939, 1940 and 1941, a “Democrat” one on the 4th Thursday and a “Republican” one on the last Thursday. The individual states split the dates (only in America!).

Finally, in 1941 everyone got in sync. On December 26, 1941 FDR signed a bill into law that decreed that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the 4th Thursday of November, a practice that has continued to this day.

Since 1947 it has been customary for the president to “pardon” a turkey or two. President Biden has continued the custom this year. The names of the lucky turkeys are “Liberty” and “Bell.”

Enjoy the holiday, and if you’re traveling stay safe!

Quiz answer: Jacksonville Jaguars

Most people knew her solely as First Lady of the US during her husband, Jimmy’s, presidency. But that did her a big disservice. As you will see, she was much more than that.

Eleanor Rosalynn Smith was born in Plains, Georgia on August 18, 1927. She was the oldest of four children. The family was poor, and both of Rosalynn’s parents had to work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Her father worked as an auto mechanic, a bus driver and a farmer. Her mother worked as a teacher, postal worker and dressmaker. Later in life Rosalynn reflected that she and her siblings were not aware of their status because although they did not have much “neither did anyone else [they knew].”

To exacerbate their dire financial situation Rosealynn’s father died when she was just 13. As she put it, this marked the “conclusion of her childhood.” As the oldest she was obligated to help raise her younger siblings and help her mom in her dressmaking business. Normally, this type of situation results in a life of poverty and struggles. However, Rosalynn was determined to graduate high school and college, which had been her father’s dream for her. She was Salutatorian of her high school class and graduated from Georgia Southwestern College in 1946. Rosalynn credited her mother for inspiring her to achieve these goals and also to become an independent person. Often, she would tell her “you can do what you have to do.”

Rosalynn and Jimmy began dating in 1945 while he was home on leave from the Naval Academy. Their families were acquainted, not so unusual in a small town like Plains. She said she had first been attracted to him when she saw him in his naval uniform. After the first date Jimmy told his mother “she’s the girl I want to marry.” They were married the next year. They had four children – three boys and one girl. Rosalynn became friendly with Jimmy’s sister who was only two years younger than her but not so much with his mother.

Jimmy commenced his political career in 1962 when he ran for and was elected to the Georgia State Senate. He became Governor of Georgia in 1966, and in 1976 he defeated Gerald Ford for the presidency. Rosalynn was there every step of the way as supporter, advisor and confidant. She was an integral part of each campaign.

Rosalynn was not a typical First Lady. For instance, she was the first First Lady to maintain her own office in the East Wing of the White House. For you trivia buffs, her Secret Service code name was “Dancer.” She combined a genteel, soft, even fragile exterior with a hard, “tough as nails” interior. Naturally, she became known affectionately as the “Steel Magnolia” or “Iron Butterfly.”

Every First Lady has a pet project or two that they focus on. She set the tone for her tenure in her very first interview as First Lady in March 1977. She announced that her focus would be on mental health issues. Her strong feeling was that “every person who needs mental health care [should be] able to receive it close to his home, and [we must\remove the stigma from mental health care so people will be free to talk about it and seek help. It’s been taboo for so long to admit you had a mental health problem.” In particular she abhorred movies and television shows that often portrayed mentally ill persons as violent and prone to crime. She denoted that they were, in fact, more likely to be victims than perpetrators.

She served as honorary chairperson on the President’s Commission on Mental Health, and in 1980 she testified before Congress in support of the Mental Health System Bill, which had been enacted in 1980. She was only the second First Lady to do so (after Eleanor Roosevelt). In addition, she was sensitive to the plight of caregivers and gave several speeches that highlighted their issues and concerns.

Rosalynn wielded a great deal of influence, more than most First Ladies. She and Jimmy often worked as a team. Jimmy valued her opinion and advice. Jimmy maintained that “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” She would often attend Jimmy’s meetings (at his suggestion) as an observer. She would listen, learn and take notes. Later, they would discuss matters, although the president maintained that he always acted on his own decisions. Sometimes she would meet with officials, even leaders, as his representative. For example, she served as an envoy to Latin America in 1977. At one point, Time magazine described her as “the second most powerful person in the US.”

Even as First Lady Rosalynn never forgot her roots. One example of her frugality was that she wore the same gown to the presidential inaugural balls that she had worn to the Georgia governor inaugural balls six years earlier.

Rosalynn was a popular First Lady. At one point she was voted, along with Mother Teresa, as the most admired woman in the world. She maintained her favorability even as President Carter’s popularity began to wane.

CONCLUSION

Jimmy’s presidency was not very popular. In particular he was severely criticized for his handling of the Iran hostage crisis. He lost his re-election bid to Ronald Reagan in 1980. Rosalynn became bitter over Jimmy’s loss. She resented Reagan and told interviewer Mike Wallace he was “ruining the country.” Nevertheless, she offered that she had enjoyed her time in DC. Regarding DC she said, “I loved living here and being so close to the seat of power, being a part of the political system.”

Eventually, she found her niche, and she and Jimmy led a very active and productive post-presidency life. For example, she co-founded the Carter Center, a private not-for-profit enterprise based in Atlanta. The goal of the CC was to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering. For instance, the CC helped broker a peace deal in the Middle East and built homes in Chicago for the poor.

Rosalynn became an author. She wrote five books including an autobiography. In addition, she received various awards and honorariums, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which she shared with Jimmy.

In May 2023 she developed dementia and entered hospice care with Jimmy at their home. She passed away on August 18 at the age of 96. At the time of her death she was the second-longest-lived First Lady, surpassed only by Bess Truman (97). Moreover, she was the longest married First Lady (77 years).

Tributes have been pouring in. For example: President Biden called her “a champion for equal rights and opportunities for women and girls; an advocate for mental health and wellness for every person and a supporter of the often unseen and uncompensated caregivers of our children, aging loved ones and people with disabilities.” Former President George W. Bush characterized her as “a woman of dignity and strength.”

Rest in peace Rosalynn. You will be sorely missed.