The Republican National Committee tweeted a fake Abraham Lincoln quote to honor his birthday.  Then the President posted it.  Why not – it’s way better than his quotes.

“Lock them up.  Lock them up.”  So many to choose from.

I’m taking a week off from my blog, but first, a quick probe into my psyche to see why I am doing this.  After all, creating the blog is not easy; I spend several hours a day working on it.  It is both exhausting and exhilarating – a joy and a curse.  I cannot let it go.

As I stated in my very first blog, my ancestors faced 2000 years of exclusion, discrimination, persecution, and annihilation.  The specter of hate has once again begun to increase, and my descendants are and will continue to be vulnerable.  I cannot, in all good conscience, stand by and do nothing.

Secondly, we who are in the opposition bear a great deal of responsibility for what has happened in this country.  We were complacent, inactive and overconfident.  After all, we thought, who would possibly vote for someone with the mind of a 12 year old tweeting bully?  Apparently, millions would and did.  It is therefore imperative for us to take action to right the American ship.

Next, many of us who have been considered “the other” for our entire lives have a heritage which demands that we care for the underprivileged, the underrepresented, the underserved and the underdog as much as we care for ourselves.  Their struggles are our struggles; their pain is our pain.  It matters not at all if “they” are different color, different religion, different gender, different sexual orientation, or different national origin.  It is a requisite that we relate to and identify with their experiences.

And yet, as I was considering this, there was a “piece of the pie” missing from the explanation.  Then, while I was reaching the completion of the most recent book I was reading (My Promised Land – The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel, by Ari Shavit). I came across a few lines that struck home.  Although he was specifically describing Israelis, I believe he hit upon almost universal Jewish traits.  He says, “We are always restless, for we live between great fires.  We thrive between calamities.  That’s why we are so quick and vital and creative.  That’s why we are so neurotic and loud and unbearable.  We dwell under the looming shadow of a smoking volcano.”  That’s the missing piece!

I intend to continue to be creative, neurotic, loud and unbearable!