05-SEP-B-3
ANOTHER
PERSPECTIVE FROM A RABBI ON THE “RACISM” OF HURRICANE KATRINA RESCUE
Another perspective.
I finished reading your series from NO last night.
You should get a ghost writer and quickly get out a
book, "An Onsite
Physicians Perspective of the Katrina
Catastrophe." Sprinkled with
photos. A
paperback would sell.
Paul H. Gibbs
National Accounts Director, Managed Markets
Novartis Consumer Health, Inc.
1088
E-Mail: Paul.Gibbs@novartis.com
Tel # 770-565-7262
Cellular-404-316-6823
FAX # 770-971-2491
Subject: A
Rabbi speaks!
In
Katrina I Didn't See Racism, I Saw Brotherhood
by Rabbi Aryeh Spero
Posted Sep 7, 2005
In
in helicopters risking their lives to save stranded
flood victims from
rooftops. The rescuers were White, the stranded
Black. I saw Caucasians
navigating their small, private boats in
violent, swirling, toxic
floodwaters to find fellow citizens trapped in their houses. Those they
saved were Black.
I saw
Brotherhood. New York Congressman
Charlie Rangel saw
Racism.
Yes,
there are Two Americas. One is the real
virtually every person I know sends money, food or
clothes to those in
need -- now and in other crises -- regardless of
color. This
colorblind.
The other is the
Charlie Rangel, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who constantly cry
"racism!" even in situations where it does
not exist, even when undeniable
images illustrate love, compassion and concern. These three men, together
with today's NAACP, want to continue the notion of
Racist America. It is
their Mantra, their calling card. Their power, money, and continued media
appearances depend on it.
Often, people caught up in accusing others of sin neglect to
undergo their own personal introspection. They begin
to think they alone
inhabit the moral high ground. It is high time these
men peered into their
own hearts at the dark chamber that causes this
unceasing labeling of
their fellow Americans as "racist." They may find in that chamber their
own racism -- against Whites.
There
is only one real
Houston, thousands of regular citizens poured into
the Astrodome offering
water, food, clean clothes, personal items, baby
diapers and toys, love
and
even their homes to the evacuees who had been bused
in from
Most of the givers were White, most of those being
helped were Black. But
there was Jesse Jackson, busy on TV, accusing the
country of not putting
Blacks -- i.e., him -- on some type of Commission he
is demanding. Where
was he early in the week? Not sweating with others from around the
country who
had scraped their last dollar to come help. With Jesse, it's always about
Jesse.
After
decades of hearing accusations from Jesse, Al, Charlie,
the NAACP and certain elitists about how racist
been
refreshing to hear them for once give thanks to
those they for years have
been maligning. These self-anointed spokesmen
for the Black community
lead
only when it comes to foisting guilt and
condemnation, and not when it
comes to acknowledging the good in those they have
made a career in
castigating.
As a
Rabbi I have a message I wish to offer to my fellow
members of the cloth, Reverends Jackson and Sharpton: It is time to do
some soul
searching. Your continued efforts to tear this
country apart, even in
light
of the monumental goodness shown by your White
brothers, is a sin.
There
are no churches in the world like the American
churches. And
there are no better parishioners and members of churches
anywhere in the world. These churches are saving the
day. Their members --
infused by the special and singular teachings of our
unique American
Judeo-Christian understanding of the Bible -- are,
at this moment, writing
an historic chapter in giving, initiative, and
selflessness. They are
opening their homes to strangers. They are doing
what government is
incapable of doing.
always has. That is what makes it
So
next time the ACLU tries to diminish and marginalize the
churches, saying there is no role for religion in
American public life,
that an impenetrable wall must be erected separating
the citizens from
their
faith, cry out "Katrina."
Next
time the ACLU goes to court asking that
allowed
to say Grace in the Mess Hall and that communities
be forbidden from
setting up a nativity scene, ask yourself:
without the motivation of
Goodness sourced in Faith, would people offer such
sacrifice? Where else
does this Brotherhood come from but the Bible which
teaches "Thou Shall
Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself."
I saw
brotherhood on Fox News, where 24/7 reporters used their
perch as a clearing-house for search-and-rescue
missions and communication
between the stranded and those in position to
save. In contrast, the
Old-line networks continued with their usual
foolish, brain-numbing
programming. Those who always preach
"compassion" chose profit over
people.
The New
York Times has utterly failed
columnists could have used their talents and word
skills to inspire and
unite a
nation.
Columnists such as Frank Rich and Paul Krugman,
however, revealed
their
true colors by evading their once-in-a-lifetime
chance to help and instead
chose to divide, condemn, and fuel the fires and
poison the waters of
"compassion" verifies Shakespeare's
"They protest too much."
Similar elitists here in the northeast and on the west coast
have over the years expressed their view of the
South as "unsophisticated"
and Texans as "cowboys." Well, the South has come through, especially
the limousine moralizers are lying on east and west
coast beaches thinking
they're doing their part by reading Times'
editorials and calling George
Bush "racist." How sanctimonious life becomes when proving
you are not a
racist
depends not on living in a truly integrated
neighborhood, but by simply
calling others racist.
Like
so often in history, facts trump platitudes.
Reality
reigns.
Those who always preach brotherhood, thus far have
acted devoid of
it. Those who
for decades have been accused by elitists of not having
compassion are the ones living it. They are: the churches, the military,
and the sons and daughters of the South.
Rabbi Spero is a radio
talk show host, a pulpit rabbi, and president of
Caucus for
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Subject:
Fwd: A Must Read
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To:
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Subject:
A Must Read
Subject: A Rabbi speaks!
In
Katrina I Didn't See Racism, I Saw Brotherhood
by Rabbi Aryeh Spero
Posted Sep 7, 2005
In
in helicopters risking their lives to save stranded
flood victims from
rooftops. The rescuers were White, the stranded
Black. I saw Caucasians
navigating their small, private boats in
violent, swirling, toxic
floodwaters to find fellow citizens trapped in their houses. Those they
saved were Black.
I saw
Brotherhood. New York Congressman
Charlie Rangel saw
Racism.
Yes,
there are Two Americas. One is the real
virtually every person I know sends money, food or
clothes to those in
need -- now and in other crises -- regardless of
color. This
colorblind.
The other is the
Charlie Rangel, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who constantly cry
"racism!" even in situations where it does
not exist, even when undeniable
images illustrate love, compassion and concern. These three men, together
with today's NAACP, want to continue the notion of
Racist America. It is
their Mantra, their calling card. Their power, money, and continued media
appearances depend on it.
Often, people caught up in accusing others of sin neglect to
undergo their own personal introspection. They begin
to think they alone
inhabit the moral high ground. It is high time these
men peered into their
own hearts at the dark chamber that causes this
unceasing labeling of
their fellow Americans as "racist." They may find in that chamber their
own racism -- against Whites.
There
is only one real
Houston, thousands of regular citizens poured into
the Astrodome offering
water, food, clean clothes, personal items, baby
diapers and toys, love
and
even their homes to the evacuees who had been bused
in from
Most of the givers were White, most of those being
helped were Black. But
there was Jesse Jackson, busy on TV, accusing the
country of not putting
Blacks -- i.e., him -- on some type of Commission he
is demanding. Where
was he early in the week? Not sweating with others from around the
country who
had scraped their last dollar to come help. With Jesse, it's always about
Jesse.
After
decades of hearing accusations from Jesse, Al, Charlie,
the NAACP and certain elitists about how racist
America is, it would have
been
refreshing to hear them for once give thanks to
those they for years have
been maligning. These self-anointed spokesmen
for the Black community
lead
only when it comes to foisting guilt and
condemnation, and not when it
comes to acknowledging the good in those they have
made a career in
castigating.
As a
Rabbi I have a message I wish to offer to my fellow
members of the cloth, Reverends Jackson and Sharpton: It is time to do
some soul
searching. Your continued efforts to tear this
country apart, even in
light
of the monumental goodness shown by your White
brothers, is a sin.
There
are no churches in the world like the American
churches. And
there are no better parishioners and members of churches
anywhere in the world. These churches are saving the
day. Their members --
infused by the special and singular teachings of our
unique American
Judeo-Christian understanding of the Bible -- are,
at this moment, writing
an historic chapter in giving, initiative, and
selflessness. They are
opening their homes to strangers. They are doing
what government is
incapable of doing.
America works because of its faith-based institutions. It
always has. That is what makes it America.
So
next time the ACLU tries to diminish and marginalize the
churches, saying there is no role for religion in
American public life,
that an impenetrable wall must be erected separating
the citizens from
their
faith, cry out "Katrina."
Next
time the ACLU goes to court asking that U.S. soldiers not be
allowed
to say Grace in the Mess Hall and that communities
be forbidden from
setting up a nativity scene, ask yourself:
without the motivation of
Goodness sourced in Faith, would people offer such
sacrifice? Where else
does this Brotherhood come from but the Bible which
teaches "Thou Shall
Love Thy Neighbor as Yourself."
I saw
brotherhood on Fox News, where 24/7 reporters used their
perch as a clearing-house for search-and-rescue
missions and communication
between the stranded and those in position to
save. In contrast, the
Old-line networks continued with their usual
foolish, brain-numbing
programming. Those who always preach
"compassion" chose profit over
people.
The New
York Times has utterly failed America. Its
columnists could have used their talents and word
skills to inspire and
unite a
nation.
Columnists such as Frank Rich and Paul Krugman,
however, revealed
their
true colors by evading their once-in-a-lifetime
chance to help and instead
chose to divide, condemn, and fuel the fires and
poison the waters of
Louisiana. In
them, I saw no Brotherhood. The newspaper always preaching
"compassion" verifies Shakespeare's
"They protest too much."
Similar elitists here in the northeast and on the west coast
have over the years expressed their view of the
South as "unsophisticated"
and Texans as "cowboys." Well, the South has come through, especially
Houston and other parts of Texas, whereas, as I
write this on Labor Day,
the limousine moralizers are lying on east and west
coast beaches thinking
they're doing their part by reading Times'
editorials and calling George
Bush "racist." How sanctimonious life becomes when proving
you are not a
racist
depends not on living in a truly integrated
neighborhood, but by simply
calling others racist.
Like
so often in history, facts trump platitudes.
Reality
reigns.
Those who always preach brotherhood, thus far have
acted devoid of
it. Those who
for decades have been accused by elitists of not having
compassion are the ones living it. They are: the churches, the military,
and the sons and daughters of the South.
Rabbi Spero is a radio
talk show host, a pulpit rabbi, and president of
Caucus for America. He can be reached at www.caucusforamerica.com.
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