All Comments (22)

moooooooooooooooooooooooo im a cow

this is so long i coudnt be bothered to read it

The single greatest tragedy of the King Assassination was simply that the one man who could have calmed the Hate on both sides of the racial divide was never given a chance to do so.

As much as I would prefer to ignore Mr Jones' inane comments I cannot. Read Vincent Bugliosi's book on the Kennedy assassination. It may not cure you of your unwillingness to believe the obvious but will compel you to find another rationale for your insipid belief.

If the CIA of that day was so incompetent that it couldn't manage to assassinate Fidel Castro - a two bit dictator on a dinky island - what on earth makes you think they could manage to Kill the president of the US?

Arthur -- beautiful, moving piece. I will include it in my seders this year. Todah rabbah (many thanks)! Reading this as I am bringing a group of 10th graders from my temple in the heart of old coal country to DC to learn about and then lobby for actions to stop climate change, promote rights regardless of sexual orientation, stand up for immigrants etc. You capture the excitement of midrash perfectly!

Next, perhaps you could help us understand just why it is that people seem so free to share hatred and paranoia on the Internet, even as others find it a place to share support and love.

Rabbi Arthur Waskow could mention, at least once, PALESTINE.

Since Israel is the Equivalent of Modern Biblical "Egypt", where Palestinian Slaves still seek Freedom from those who call themselves "JEWS", and behave like OCCUPATION THUGS.

Arthur, this is one of the most moving pieces of yours that I have ever read. Your "Freedom Haggadda" is one of the important events that brought me back into the Jewish tradition nearly 40 years ago. Again, thank you.

I must respectfully disagree with certain aspects of Rabbi Waskow's account of the 1968 riots and their aftermath, as someone who was a resident of the Washington, DC area at the time.

I read with great interest Rabbi Waskow's account of the 1968 riots in Washington, DC and his subsequent return to the active practice of Judaism. I am a liberal Jew, an admirer of his work, and will be buying another book of his in the near future.

But I feel that a lapse of 40 years, his temporary residency in the city during that era -- as opposed to a permanent residency -- and his understandable nostalgia for an era of youthful idealism have perhaps blinded him to another perspective on those events.

First, to the best of my knowledge, the slaves didn't riot on the way out of Egypt.

As someone who was a teenager in the DC area at that time, the riots were an appallingly self-destructive act on the part of some African-Americans of that time. They looted and burned our prosperous center city, mostly destroying African-American neighborhoods and businesses.

I can't regard the riots as any kind of just or understandable moral response to the Rev. Dr. King's death -- he would have been the first to oppose them.

The results of the riot were catastrophic -- our varied, bustling center city was ruined and became filled with boarded up buildings for decades afterwards. It slid into crime and drug use. Many businesses fled, including Jewish businesses. It led to an era of massively bad city government.

And when our center city did come back, it is coming back as a gentrified city, from which African-Americans are being pushed out. Had the riots not occurred, a different outcome might have been possible.

Second, I must respectfully object to Rabbi Waskow referring to the U.S. troops who came in to stop the rioting as "Pharaoh's" troops.

Had the troops not come in, what would have happened to our city? The troops weren't there as oppresssors, but to halt widespread arson and crime of the riots that were damaging the African-Americans more than anyone else, and endangering the other residents of the capital.

And Washington, D.C. is the U.S. capital -- no nation can afford to allow uncontrolled rioting in its capital.

Finally, Rabbi Waskow's perspective seems to be that after the deaths of the Rev. Dr. King and Senator Robert Kennedy, there was a huge "pause" of 40 years. I am truly uncertain how he has come to this conclusion.

In my perception, while the riots and subsequent turmoil severely damaged the civil rights movement, and the deaths of two eminent leaders severely damaged the forces of reform in many other fields, the strides that many African-Americans have made -- I have African-American friends -- have been immense over the last 40 years.

Societal reforms of all kinds -- new rights for African-Americans, women, the gay (GLBT) community, peace work and other groups -- continued, albeit at a slower pace, and with many setbacks.

Many of my African-American friends and co-workers and acquaintances, while still suffering from the effects of ongoing American racism, have achieved an upward mobility and new personal freedoms that were unthinkable in previous eras.

This upward mobility of African-Americans has been so successful that many civil rights organizations of the 60s are fading from existence -- prematurely, in my opinion, as racism is not dead.

And these African-American friends of mine would never condone or participate in any riots, which they would contemptuously refer to as "hood drama." They have consciously separated themselves from the African-Americans among their families and friends who have chosen to remain mired in crime and dysfunction, admiring the Golden Calf of the hip-hop/thug/crime culture.

My African-American friends and co-workers and have very little to do with friends and family members immersed in this Golden Calf subculture. They won't even listen to its music.

The ongoing problems of the segment of the African-American population who remain locked in a circle of self-destructive behavior were documented by many African-American civil rights activists throughout the 20th century, but the Pharoah to whom they remain enslaved is not only the racism of American society, but a slavery to personal addictions and dysfunctional behaviors from which many of their siblings and friends have freed themselves.

I believe that American society and our government needs to do more to assist the innner city African-American populations in truly freeing themselves, instead of leaving them to their fate, but I don't think the Passover imagery is exactly applicable to their problems. From much experience in talking with them in many contexts, many of them have an internalized Pharaoh.

Thoughtful comment Dwight - you're right in step with the rest of your goose-stepping brothers.

Martin Luther King died so that you might persist in making your stupid comments - that's another way to look at it.

Kings was to give a speech on sunday but was killed on friday where he was going to damn America...may he be what he he wished on a whole nation...

King and Kennedy are the "two martyrs lying unburied in the street."

Kennedy's killers killed King and we can know with absolute moral certainty that George H.W. Bush, Nixon, and an element of the Knight of Malta-led, Roman Catholic CIA killed Kennedy.

Viz: theamericanfundament.blogspot.com

Death for treason.

Annuit Coeptis

Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, free at last. It is comforting to feel God's presence working for his children.

Att: Judha1,2,3..

If you are, then, Ye should Be ashaemed to be a Judha! Please B-aMan about it!

Especialy when celebrating the "Baby Mass Murderings" via the PASSOVER-LINE of the 'Multitudes' of "Escaped Convicts" (Fugitives) of Pharoah of Aegypt, aka Osiris, the Son of Man!?

It's ALL Prophecy to "i", but Profit to Ye!

Ya Ya!

To: Friends of Spaceship Earth -

While constitutionally protected, your drivel is just that, bileous drivel bespeaking a deep Eurocentric supremacy complex; and is more appropos for blogs catering to others harbering similar delusions of grandeur.

American Jews in Particular should be Greatful To PHAROH, aka OSiRiS (Son of G-d) of Aegypt. And Israeli Jews too, should be greatfull to king CYRUS aka the Zoroastrian of Persia!

If you Think about it, 5 Generations of Jews living in America have different features compared to a typical Israeli, not just Ashke-Nazi. Because of Location & Diet! And

American Blacks Should Be greatful to their Slave Owners too. This includes Martin Luther King [pbuh et al] And They (U.S.A. Blacks) also are More Stronger & Healthier than their African Brethrens of 14 Generations! Thank Goodness for Collar Greens! It make their Bones like steel! and 'Chitlins' 'Grits' 'Corncakes & fried Okrah & 'Peanut Butter' (invented by a Black Man, not Jimmy Carter) And

Thank Goodness for a polytheo Abrahamic G-d that gave them , self Discovery, via TORAH (Laws) and the chance to Sing Gospel, hence a unique Musical Talent base that was brought out from their bondages via Church & Congregatings!!

Ironically Enslavement is Equated with begetting Bondage. It Too gives birth to unite the 'Multitudes'.

And Yes, For the same reason that the U.S.A. CONSTiTUTiON is a Miracle, that the 'Civil Rights" Amendment to the Const., is too a Miracle!

Do not Worry. America will see many more holy & blessed like great Prophetic Processions.

Remember: Biofinite death is Not O.U.R. Trans {FiNite} DEATH!

Hence we never was created nor can we ever be destroyed!

Yet unjustifiable Homocide is the Ultra 'Un-Forgiven-SiN/Curseth reality', if any!

Note:The reason We have 'illegal Mexicans" here is because American Blacks Do not want to work 'Hard enough' or love or Do their job like a religion not like a Favor!! Think about it!

Hallaleja!

Rabbi,your heart takes me with you.

And yet the single greatest tragedy of that assassination wasn't apparent for some years later.

you made me live it and feel it-
amin
a muslim

Preach it, brother.

Signed,

Episcopalian

i may have missed something here but are you ignoring the fact that obama and his pastor are taking farrakhan with to their "promised land" and i don't think they want any jews with them?

Thank you Rabbi for that moving essay.

Shalom

What if that wasn't God in the burning bush, the supernatural being Moses met in the sheep pasture? Where does that leave folks that worship it and call it God in the eyes of the real God?

So powerful and what is each of us but a Midrash in progress? The supreme creator crafting us under His sometimes stern, but always loving hand.