Part 1 of an article I wrote for jewishinstlouis.org
Every art student learns about the fair use principle, granting us permission to use any image in our artwork as long as we transform it so that it conveys new meaning. But beyond that all-encompassing definition, we don’t know what transgressions, if any, we are actually committing.
Recently in the news is the preemptive lawsuit artist Shepard Fairey filed against the Associated Press. According to Fairey the AP threatened to sue him unless he pays royalties for the image that he used as source material for his now famous campaign poster of Barack Obama. Fairey argues that he is protected by the fair use principle. He claims that his intention was not to reproduce any particular image, but instead was to capture a specific gaze representative of the ideas of hope and change.
In an interview on NPR, Fairey declared he was going forward with this suit on behalf of all artists, the thousands of artists that created their own campaign images in the same grassroots manner, pulling images from the web in support of the message of hope, change and a new administration in Washington.
screen shot of: first page of google image search results for "Barack Obama"
I am fascinated by Fairey’s implication that the process of appropriating and re-contextualizing Google image search results might be considered a grassroots action. As an artist, I frequently use images that that I find on Google. Like Fairey suggested, my motivation for using these images is to highlight the search itself, not the derivative image.
Perhaps then, these cyber Robin Hoodian actions—using and transforming Google image search results—are capable of changing the structures that control the dissemination of information. After all, the order that information appears in Google searches is determined by the amount of people searching any given topic. And as a result of the Fairey’s appropriation, his campaign poster may be forever linked to Obama’s presidency.
email from President Obama
Obama’s popularity can be credited to his skillfully constructed presidential campaign that effortlessly linked his name to hope. I was quick to jump onto Obama’s online campaign message of hope. Like many others, I subscribed to his twitter, facebook, and YouTube pages. I now get weekly emails from him and I even have a blog on his site…
As we gather to mark the new year, we are honored to pass along this greeting from Barack Obama to Jewish families across America:
“As Jews around the world celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I want to send my best wishes for a happy, healthy, and sweet new year. This marks not just a time for rejoicing, but for reflecting on the hopes the new year brings, and on our responsibilities to see them fulfilled. As families come together to mark the High Holy Days, upholding a proud Jewish tradition, let us all rededicate ourselves to the task of repairing this world for our children and grandchildren, and to working to achieve peace and security for Israel. On behalf of all of the Obamas and Bidens, Shana Tovah.”
We’ve recorded a video with prominent Jewish leaders who have worked with Barack over the years. They speak about his steadfast support of Israel, his bold stance against an increasingly aggressive Iran, and why he is ready to bring the change we need.
Please join us in spreading new year’s greetings and letting others know about the change you want to see in 5769. Watch the video and share it with a Shana Tovah message to your friends and family.
Rosh Hashanah is a time for reflection and celebration. It also presents an opportunity for generations to turn the page on the year that has passed and share hopes for the future.
There has never been a more important time to share our hope for change with the ones we hold dear. Many in our community long for a change in direction, with new leadership that reflects our values.
As Barack noted on a conference call with more than 900 American rabbis last week, the sounding of the shofar in our synagogues is a “call to action,” which should “rouse this nation out of its slumber and to compel us to confront our challenges and ensure a better path.”
Please share this video today, along with special Shana Tovah messages to your friends and loved ones. We especially encourage children and young people to send messages to their parents and grandparents.
To send a regular Shana Tovah greeting, click here:
http://my.barackobama.com/JFOvideo
To send a special Shana Tovah from a child or young person, click here:
http://my.barackobama.com/JFOvideokids
Shana Tovah U’Metukah,
Dan Shapiro Senior Policy Adviser and Jewish Outreach Coordinator Obama for America
Eric Lynn Jewish Community Liaison and Middle East Policy Adviser Obama for America
source: http://jgan.org/mythfacts/?cat=19 and http://jewishamericans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/jewish/gGxHkm
Jewish and Arab Neighbors Hold Hands for Peace Last Saturday 300 Jews and Arabs from the Wadi Ara region of Israel demonstrated against the harming of innocent civilians in Gaza and the surrounding Israeli region. The rally was organized by NIF grantee Awareness for You, which runs empowerment courses for Arab women in the village of Kfar Kara.
"I only expected about 90 people to attend the rally," explained Amna Ka'anana, "so I was surprised when we had 300 people all dressed in white and holding olive branches, about half and half Jews and Arabs. Many of the drivers who passed by, both Jews and Arabs, called out their support."
In addition to being a forum to voice concern over the conflict in Gaza, the rally was also an opportunity for the Jews and Arabs of Wadi Ara to come together. Among the many banners, one carried by an Arab read "Neighbors call for peace," while another carried by a Jew said "Jews and Arabs hand in hand."
Ka'anana said: "We sent a message of peace and coexistence to all of Wadi Ara, to all of Israel and to the entire world."
Ka'anana, who is an Orthodox Muslim, received NIF's London-Yaari Scholarship in 2007 for her work in women's empowerment. Last year she received the Knesset Speaker's Prize for Quality of Life.
When the fighting erupted in Gaza last month, she feared that the tensions could spill over into violent conflicts between Jews and Arabs in Wadi Ara. She invited several dozen Jewish and Arab activists to her home to discuss the situation, and they hit upon the idea of the Shabbat rally.
"I have always wanted to initiate social activities that bring Jews and Arabs together," explained Ka'anana, "so that we can understand one another's culture. Now the war has taken matters in a different direction. At the end of last week's rally many people started crying and that started me crying."
The rally ended with Jewish and Muslim prayers. Awareness for You plans similar peaceful rallies, with increased expected turnout, every Shabbat while the fighting continues.
barackobama.com sources:
1. http://arabamericans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbx3 2. http://jewishamericans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbx3 3. http://faith.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbx3
Also see Spirit of Reconciliation
Amid anti-Semitic storm, Europe’s Jews stand for IsraelBy Dinah Spritzer · 13 January 2009
PRAGUE (JTA) -- Confronting a rising storm of anti-Semitism as the conflict in Gaza intensifies, European Jews are grappling with the best way to express their support for Israel's fight against Hamas.
Recent assaults on Jews in European capitals range from the beating of a Jewish teenager in a Paris suburb by assailants who vowed she would “pay for Israel's acts” to the compilation on an Islamist Web site of a hit list of prominent British Jews. Jewish monuments in France and Sweden have been firebombed. And in Italy, a workers’ political party called for a boycott of Jewish stores.
While Jews have taken to the streets in the hundreds or thousands to demonstrate for peace and Israel’s right to defend itself, they are dwarfed by the tens and hundreds of thousands participating in protests against Israel. In many cases, top European political figures have supported the protests. Sometimes the rallies have turned violent.
The 27-country European Union has approximately 1.8 million Jews and 17 million Muslims, and that difference is keenly visible in the size of events relating to the war in Gaza and southern Israel.
After some 1,000 Jews turned out last week for a rally in Brussels in support of Israel -- held opposite the Embassy of Iran, which funds Hamas -- tens of thousands showed up Sunday for a march against what they called Israel's “massacre in Gaza.” The pro-Palestinian rally was organized by three of the four main political parities in the French-speaking part of Belgium, along with some 100 or so nongovernmental organizations.
Chanting “Death to Jews!” in Arabic, the crowd burned Israeli flags and carried signs calling Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni “Hitler's wife.”
“In a way, Jews feel alone,” said Joel Rubinfeld, the president of the umbrella group of French-speaking Jews in Belgium, known by the acronym CCOJB. “But lots of non-Jews are disgusted, too” with the anti-Semitic messages, he added.
Massive anti-Israel demonstrations last weekend in France, Brussels and Madrid have included anti-Semitic chants such as “Jews to the gas” and swastikas paired with the Star of David.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry, the European Jewish Congress, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the Anti-Defamation League have implored European officials to acknowledge and combat the importing of the Middle East conflict to Europe and the scapegoating of Jews.
Countries with large Muslims populations, including France, Belgium and Britain, have seen the largest number of anti-Semitic incidents.
Britain's Community Security Trust, which monitors Jewish security issues, recorded a huge surge in anti-Semitic attacks -- 80 in total -- since Israel began bombing Hamas targets in Gaza on Dec. 27.
Undeterred, British Jews staged the largest European demonstration in support of Israel's right to security in this conflict. Sunday's demonstration, which also expressed sympathy for Palestinian civilians, drew 17,000 people to London's Trafalgar Square.
“I decided to do something after watching too much television and seeing the huge coverage of the anti-Israel demonstrations,” said one Jewish Londoner, Matt Freelander, who participated in a pro-Israel rally last week.
In France, Nicole Yardeni, the president of the CRIF Jewish umbrella group in Toulouse, decided not to hold a pro-Israel rally in the region after a car filled with Molotov cocktails rammed into the front gate of a synagogue Jan. 5.
“It's not that we are afraid,” she said of the community of approximately 20,000. But faced with consistent pro-Palestinian rallies that outnumber Toulouse Jews, Yardeni said the community “could not hold its own on the street” and thus could not have a “successful” protest.
In recent days, the CRIF held pro-Israel rallies in Paris, Marseilles and near Lyon.
The Marseilles rally was unusual in that every major local politician joined the crowd of about 4,000. The Paris rally did not have the same political backing. Many attendees said they left family and friends behind because they were afraid of publicly supporting Israel after seeing the violence and virulent anti-Zionism in a pro-Palestinian protest a day earlier.
"Once again, when in trouble, we've found ourselves alone," Patrick Gaubert, the president of the International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism, wrote in a letter published Jan. 8 in a French Jewish weekly.
In Italy, whose prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has been honored by Jewish groups for being pro-Israel, pro-Israel rallies drew government officials.
In Germany, anti-Israel marches were relatively calm, but some marchers carried signs reading “Out with Jews” or "Israelis are child murderers.”
German Jews have turned out for pro-Israel rallies, too, albeit in small numbers. A rally in Frankfurt drew 2,000, while one in Berlin had 1,500 participants.
“When people see our small group,” said Sharon Adler, who co-organized the Berlin rally on Sunday, "perhaps they will understand that Israel is also a much smaller country than all the Arab countries around it, and that Jews in Germany are also a small minority."
In Stockholm, where the Jewish community numbers 5,000, a peace event in support of Israel held Saturday night at a church drew 800 people -- about half of whom were not Jewish, according to Lena Posner, the president of the Swedish Jewish community.
“There were about 100 people outside the church shouting insults against Israel,” Posner said. “The police had to close off the whole area around the church and we were escorted back to our cars in groups of 15.”
Earlier in the day, 8,000 protesters chanting anti-Israel slogans gathered for a mostly Muslim demonstration in Stockholm that included the head of the Swedish Socialist Party and the country’s former foreign minister. A Liberal Party legislator attended the pro-Israel event.
Elsewhere in the country, a burial chapel in the Jewish cemetery in central Malmo was firebombed for the third time since Israel began its operation in Gaza.
In Spain, violent incidents have been minimal, although an anti-Israel rally there on Saturday was Europe’s biggest such rally thus far, with crowd estimates ranging from 50,000 to 250,000.
Representatives of Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and his ruling Socialist Party were among those who participated. Some participants called for jihad, or holy war, praised Hezbollah and cursed Israel. The Israeli Embassy in Madrid took the rare step of openly chastising the prime minister for fueling anti-Israel anger.
“There was hate speech definitely, and a few marched to the Israeli Embassy and threw stones and the police had to intervene,” said Derek Wise, the general manager of Madrid’s Jewish community. “Our prime minister incited what was going on.''
Wise said Spanish Friends of Israel was planning a public pro-Israel event for Jan. 18.
“I understand there might be people afraid to come," he said, "but we want to show it is not only Jews, it's normal Spaniards who also understand that a democratic state like Israel has a right to defend itself.”
(JTA correspondents Devorah Lauter contributed to this story from Paris, Toby Axelrod from Berlin and Daphna Vardi from London.)
source: http://jewishamericans.barackobama.com/page/community/post/president/gGxbN2
Letter from President-Elect Barack ObamaFuneral of Rabbi Arnold Jacob WolfDecember 26, 2008Chicago, IllinoisI am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Rabbi Arnold Jacob Wolf, who was not just our neighbor, but a dear friend to Michelle and me. We are joined in this time of grief by the entire Hyde Park community, the American Jewish Community, and all those who shared Rabbi Wolf's passion for learning and profound commitment to serving others. Today we bid farewell to a titan of moral strength and a champion of social justice.Rabbi Wolf always remained true to the meaning of being a rabbi: he was a teacher. He took great pleasure in delving into Judaism's ancient texts, drawing out lessons about right and wrong, and inspiring young people to engage the world and strive to improve it. He transformed the historic tradition into a catalyst for Tikkun Olam - the sacred pursuit of repairing a broken world in our own time He taught us by example that we must pray not just with words, but with deeds - and that we must truly live the meaning of "love thy neighbor as thyself."In the great Rabbinical tradition, Rabbi Wolf was passionate and provocative in this work - and my conversations with him were always lively. You knew that if he disagreed with you, he would let you know in no uncertain terms - especially if he thought you were overlooking the moral dimensions of an issue, or rationalizing your own failure to live up to the highest moral principles. But he did it with kindness, and often with a smile or a laugh to let you know that even though you were just plain wrong, and had no idea what you were talking about, he still loved you.
Rabbi Wolf's commitment to justice started early in life. As a young rabbi serving at a turbulent time for our nation, he was determined to fight discrimination of any kind, and his involvement in the Civil Rights movement alongside Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel helped strengthen the bonds between the Jewish and African-American communities.Rabbi Wolf embarked on an historic experiment with the founding of Congregation Solel on Chicago's North Shore. Solel, which means "trailblazer," describes him well. He was proud to have Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as an honored guest speaker. He was among the first to introduce to Chicago the writings of Elie Wiesel and Holocaust studies. And he never shied away from controversy or challenge when he saw an opportunity to advance the cause of freedom throughout Chicago and in Jewish homes and classrooms across our country, Rabbi Wolf's name is synonymous with service, social action, and the possibility of change. He will be remembered as a loving husband and father, an engaging teacher, a kindhearted shepherd for the K.A.M. Isaiah community, and a tireless advocate of peace for the United States, Israel and the world.And I will always be personally grateful for the support he showed me as I embarked on my own journey. In a piece Rabbi Wolf wrote on my behalf months ago, he wrote that he was proud to be my neighbor and that he hoped to someday visit me in the White House. In the end, however, the honor was all mine. And while he may not have lived to pay that visit to the Oval Office, I hope that his spirit of love, his love of learning, and his deep dedication to serving others will live on in the work I do each day. May his memory be a blessing and a comfort to us all and an inspiration for the generations to come.
I STACKED THESE 3 e-MAILS ON TOP OF EACH OTHER BECAUSE THEY ARE RELEVANT TO THE SEASON, WALL ST, & MAIN ST.
I HAVE SENT THEM TO SOME WHO WERE NOT IN THE ORIGINAL e-MAIL... START AT BOTTOM OF PAGE # 1 2 3 4 Something to think about during this Holiday Season4I too long to return to Israel, however that will again be God's timing. Distinctly, John the Apostle, the last one alive to speak said only one vitally important thing, at the beginning of his revelation of Jesus Christ
God gave us servants a revelation
The revelation is of what must soon take place (history from 100ad to present)
An angel brought the message (angel message)
John would testify everything he saw (all visions)
That what he saw was the word of God (John1:1)
That it was the complete Testimony of Jesus Christ (The only Issue)
Ok, Now the literal Greek translation is: Happy is he who IS reading, and those hearing, the words of the Prophecy, and KEEPING the things written in it -- for the time is near Revelation 1:3NO mention of the issues, SPECIFIC mention of the ProphecyAll the things in the Living Prayer text and the text below were occurring in Christ's and John's time or had already occurred when John was guided to write.Now notice in the list above there is NO mention of the issues - Political-Social-Financial-Religious, only the Prophecy
The assignment is to read the Prophecy
To hear the Prophecy
To take to heart what is written in the prophecy, because the time is near Revelation Chapter 1 verses 1 to 3
Now we can do whatever we want, but when the time comes to say good and faithful servant, I think HE will as HE did before praise the servant who used the talents wisely and therefore was found obedient and righteous. 99% of the church DO NOT know what is in the Prophecy: Because they are too busy with the issues.Brief EXAMPLEDURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 2007Most Christians are clueless as to knowing in whom they have believed,
that Christ celebrated Hannukah what garment was touched that healed the woman with the issue of bloodwho made the Garmentwhat is the 4th commandmentthat the as eagles flying (AirForce Attack), lead by Allenby during WWI fulfilled Isaiah 31:5that Bethlehem is currently over 80%+ Islamicthat a Jewish guy wrote most accurately about Christ, as he lived during the Holocaust years and concluded we (Jew and Christian) had but one destiny (Sholem Asch)the correct spelling of Christ’s name in Hebrew, his languagethat Isaac Newton studied scripture and concluded it was chronological, solar, lunar, calendar and historicthat Newton concluded NO rapture, But Harvest as the Bible states, "swing the Sickle"*that Christ has commanded the reading and understanding of the book of Daniel, Matthew 24:15 that it is only the hour and day which is unknown, the season was explained to the disciples in detail Mathhew 24 – has been known since John wrote Revelation and must be known since Daniel was assigned to provide the answer to Matt 24:3, the disciples question of WHEN&HOWthat the possession of the land (of Israel) is the very basis of the Covenant of Promise, land possession required for Messiah return THAT THOUGH THREE FAITHS HONOR ABRAHAM, someone has to be the enemy, whose head is crushed, there has to be a seed of Satan
DURING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON 2008Most Christians are clueless as to knowing in whom they have believed,
*12 that the 99% NEVER considered the Fig Tree, Matthew 24:32-35, never read nor understood Jeremiah 24 "Two Fig Baskets", major sign of Coming and End of Age 13 THAT 1948, rebirth of Nation of Israel fulfilled Isaiah 66:814 That you will observe SABBATH, Isaiah 66:2315 that Mt. Zion not Mt Moriah (Dome of Rock location) will be the spiritual metropolis of NEW JERUSALEM Isaiah 60:5, 60:1416 that the Golden Dome was designed and erected by a Gentile Arab, not Abraham 17 that ISAIAH SCROLL, entire book of Isaiah in Hebrew from time of Jesus, even exists or where to find it 18 don't know who the only known human to have held Messiah as a baby, is OR STUFF YOU CAN'T LEARN ON SUNDAYThe Reason for the SeasonN.., You and I were good partners over-there, in IsraelLOVE .......................M memanni at msn.com
www.hebrewheritage.com
3 From: @aol.comDate: Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:16:58 -0500Subject: Merry Christmas!To: memanni at msn.com
Good morning!! I hope all is well with you and your family.
I personally believe that we (the USA) got just what we deserved in the election...I also believe that God is taking His hand away from us..we have chosen to ignore Him, take Him away from the schools and homes. The saying "God bless America" is ridiculous because God has been blessing us, it is time we should turn that saying around and say "we the people of the US should bless God." Instead we elected a man that is 100% for abortion which is murder in God's eyes, 100% for same sex marriage, and is 100% for giving away the Land that God gave to Moses and the children of Israel. I am not saying that we had a choice at all on the election..we did not..both sides are not Christians. All we can do now is pray for them, that they will have their eyes open and come to the cross.
I pray that you and yours have a wonderful Christmas. I am going to be working at the Salvation Army.
I would absolutely love to go to Israel again with you..think about it.
Love, N
___________________________________________________________________________
From:
memanni at msn.com
Sent:
Tue 12/23/08 11:22 PM
To:
@aol.com;
Just two remarks: I thought it was the lost sheep we were going after whether they call themselves Pastor, President-Elect, Live Prayer, or christian; note: Mystery Babylon is made up of christians who knew of the bridegroom and bride Rev 18:23, who was called out of her; but became the many He did not recognize; as their garments were not correct, they were naked; they lacked knowledge and were perishing; not because of civil ,social or political issues but because they knew not the Son and the Father.What will the author and LivePrayer committee and most christians say when the Prophet Daniel does the same kind of rant about those who have not studied his book as directed in Mathhew 24:15; the Bride cannot be without spot, with oil and in white garments without knowing and understanding these things according to Jesus, Daniel, Gabriel and the Apostle John. BTW the first 4 paragraphs below seems to be very similar to what Warren is being accused of.ANYHOW Happy Holy-Days
1 From: @aol.comDate: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:12:36 -0500Subject: Fwd: Daily Devotional (Tue. 12/23/2008) Liveprayer.com 178689 *_*-*_*-*_*-*To: overcomer1 at att.net
If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily word. You can forward this to them, and they can use the following link to subscribe. http://www.liveprayer.com/signup.cfmDAILY DEVOTIONAL TUESDAY DECEMBER 23, 2008(Matthew 14:1-12)***NEW LIVEPRAYER VIDEO DAILY DEVOTIONAL ON CELL PHONES!!! Get thisexciting new daily FREE ministry right on your cell phone. Fresh 3-4 minuteVideo Daily Devotional each day. Send prayer requests via text messagingand receive a personal response to your request back by text message.Simply go to the Liveprayer.com homepage and put your 10 digit cell numberin the box and hit SEND. You will receive a text message with a speciallink that will take you to the Liveprayer Video Daily Devotional homepage onyour cell phone. Please tell everyone you know about this cutting edge FREEministry via cell phones from Liveprayer.***LivePrayer Church!!! Haven't been to church this week? Join me for thisweek's service of the new LivePrayer Church. This week's relevant andapplicable message is, "The Second Coming and our Gift to God." Pleasevisit the new website and watch the worship service. Each Sunday there willbe a new service at 12:01am EDT at: www.liveprayerchurch.com***JONAH PROJECT UPDATE: Help me lead this nation back to God and Biblicalvalues. This is your chance to take a real stand for Christ with your life.How can you help? Sign up and become part of the Jonah Project. God iscalling you to make a difference. Watch the vision video and get signed upat: Liveprayer.com and click on the Jonah Project link***LIVEPRAYER TV! "Live" every Monday thru Friday from 10-11pm EST (9-10CST, 8-9 MST, 7-8 PST). Tune in and speak to Bill Keller during the programeach night by calling 1-727-546-8888. Also, don't forget, the most recent 5programs are available for On-Demand viewing at Liveprayer.com under the"Show archives" link.Rick Warren and President-elect Obama use each other for credibility. Letme say up front, the ONLY reason Pastor Rick Warren, Senior Pastor ofSaddleback Church in suburban Los Angeles and the author of the PurposeDriven Life, should deliver the invocation at Barack Hussein Obama'sinaugural is to pray for the following: Obama's salvation, that this nationwill stop slaughtering innocent babies, that ALL states will quit pervertingGod's Holy Institution of Marriage by allowing same-sex couples to wed, andthat this nation will turn from its sins and back to the God of the Bibleand faith in Jesus Christ.Now let's deal with reality. I guarantee you that Warren will pray for NONEof those things. Do you think for a second that President-elect Obama wouldinvite him to do the invocation if he was going to pray for the REAL needsof Obama and this nation? Warren became famous for selling his "PurposeDriven" marketing strategy designed to fill pews with warn bodies, notconverts to the faith, to churches and pastors around the nation who weretoo lazy to get their own vision from God. He has become the poster childfor the word COMPROMISE.Let me deal right away with the outrage from the homosexual community overObama asking Warren to give the invocation at his inauguration. They are soblinded by their sin that they don't realize Warren is the last person theyneed to fear or worry about. Yes, I am well aware that Pastor Warrensupported Proposition 8. For the record, that only happened a few daysbefore the election after he was shamed and forced by those brave me andwomen who championed that stand in California for God's Holy Institution ofMarriage.Warren made national news during the recent Presidential election when hehosted a debate between Senators Obama and McCain. The event was widelypromoted as a Warren/Saddleback event, however it was originated andco-sponsored by the liberal social justice group Faith in Public Life, whoseboard president is Meg Riley, a Unitarian Universalism minister whopreviously ran the denomination's homosexual advocacy office. Warren alsospoke at one of Robert Schuller's Institute for Successful Church Leadershipconferences. In attendance at that Institute were 80 gay and lesbianministers from the now Jesus Metropolitan Churches which cater tohomosexuals and lesbians. Many of the clergy of these churches arepracticing, unrepentant homosexuals!I do credit Warren for being consistent in his public comments (whenpressed) against the sin of homosexuality and that marriage is to be betweena man and a woman as God dictated. However, he takes ZERO leadership on keyspiritual issues like abortion or gay marriage, and is quick to join forceswith the homosexual community and those in the cults and false religions ofthe world to advance his personal agenda. He was at a Muslim conventionthis past weekend, where Melissa Ethridge, an openly lesbian activist andmusic artist performed. Warren said the two had a "wonderful conversation"and that he is a huge fan who has all her albums.At that event, Warren told the Muslims, "You don't have to see eye to eye towalk hand in hand." Listen, Rick Warren is a PASTOR. He is supposed to bea messenger of the GOSPEL. He is NOT a politician!!! The Gospel of JesusChrist is not something you water down or compromise. It is not about beingpolitically correct because the eternal souls of men are at stake. There isno "walking hand in hand" with Muslims! They are on the wide road todestruction while born-again Believers are on that narrow road to Glory!Muslims need to understand that they have bought a 1400-year-old lie fromhell, and when they die, their souls will burn in the flames of hell for alleternity unless they turn from the lies of Islam and embrace faith in JesusChrist and the Truth of the Bible!!!Warren is a case study in the word "compromise." He embraces the damnableecumenical movement that seeks to unite people of all beliefs, meaningChristians are expected to "compromise" and abandon the Absolute Truth ofthe Bible! His infamous book, The Purpose Driven Church, was endorsed byLeonard Sweet, a firm New Age Movement advocate. Warren hired Ken Blanchardto come to Saddleback to help train people how to be effective leaders.Blanchard is a huge advocate of the New Age philosophies. He wrote theforeword to Jim Ballard's books Mind Like Water and What Would Buddha Do AtWork? He was on the front cover of Corporate Mystic and the back cover ofDeepak Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and wrote the Foreword toEllen Ladd's (clairvoyant) book, Death and Letting Go. Blanchard makes noapology when he says much can be gained from Buddhism. He and his wife bothencourage the practice of yoga and mantra meditation.Why does a self-professed Baptist evangelist associate with these types ofpeople? Not to preach the Gospel to them, but to use his association forhis benefit! Sadly Warren decided that he could make his impact by pursuinga worldwide social agenda. That is fine. We need people to lead the efforton global poverty, AIDS in Africa, and other social causes. But you can'tpursue this social agenda and ignore the pressing issues that are destroyingthis nation like killing babies, gay marriage, and family issues. IT IS NOTACCEPTABLE AT ANY TIME TO COMPROMISE THE GOSPEL AND THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLEIN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH ANY PURSUIT, NO MATTER HOW WORTHY! While thesesocial issues are worth bringing attention to and fighting for, the fact isall men will die one day and at that moment the only thing that matters isif they know Jesus as their personal Savior by Faith.I love you and care about you so much. It is easy to see whyPresident-elect Obama asked Warren to deliver the invocation at hisinauguration. It was payback for Warren compromising once again andallowing this enemy of God to stand in his pulpit at a recent conference onsocial issues. Actually, Warren desecrates his pulpit often with every kindof heretic and blasphemer you can name in the pursuit of his global socialagenda. He even boasted about having Obama in his pulpit!By accepting this invitation, all Warren has done is give credibility toObama, further proliferating the lie that he is a Christian, when the factis he takes stands in opposition to the Christ he proclaims and the Truth ofthe Bible on EVERY key spiritual issue that faces our nation. By giving theinvocation at the upcoming inaugural, Rick Warren is giving his blessing toObama's rebellion to God and the Bible. Sadly, Warren's agenda is moreimportant than God's agenda! His appearance and compromise actually onlyemboldens those who live in rebellion to God and His Word.For Pastor Rick Warren to bless and give the invocation at the upcominginauguration of a man who will help insure millions of babies around theworld are slaughtered, and force US taxpayers to fund this legalizedinfanticide, is no different than if Adolph Hitler had asked him to give theblessing and invocation when he became Chancellor of Germany!!!True men of God like John the Baptist, the prophets in the Old Testament,literally gave their lives to stand for God's Truth with the politicalleaders of their day. Sadly, Rick Warren is not a great man of God, butsimply a man who has compromised his faith and the message of the Gospel inorder to advance his agenda. I will be praying for Pastor Warren, and askyou to as well, that he will let the Holy Sprit speak the words this comingJanuary 20th. I pray that out of his lips will come a prayer calling thisnation back to God, condemning this culture of death and all who support it,proclaiming that God's plan in the Bible for marriage and family is thefoundation of our culture, and inviting President-elect Barack Hussein Obamato ask God to forgive his sins and accept by faith Jesus Christ as Hispersonal Savior and lead this nation as a man of God, not an enemy of God!THAT IS THE ONLY PRAYER A TRUE MAN OF GOD COULD POSSIBLY DELIVER!In His love and service,Your friend and brother in Christ,Bill KellerIf I can help you in any way you can contact me through my personal email at:bkeller at liveprayer.com***ARE YOU 100% CERTAIN WHERE YOU WILL SPEND ETERNITY? The fact is you willdie one day. At that moment, you will either spend eternity with the Lord orbe cast into everlasting darkness forever separated from God your creator. To know for certain you will be forever with Jesus, go to:http://www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.cfm***I am excited to let you know that the Liveprayer Daily Devotional is nowavailable via AUDIO each day. Simply go to http://www.liveprayer.com/Audio.cfmAlso, you can now listen to the Daily Devotional by phone by calling,1-727-342-5673 or 1-845-510-2722.***TO GIVE A GIFT TO LIVEPRAYER, you can use your major credit card on oursecure server at: www.liveprayer.com under the "Donation" link, you can give using your PayPal account using my email address: bkeller@liveprayer.com , oryou can mail your gift to:Liveprayer6660 46th Ave. NorthSt. Petersburg, Fl 33709All gifts to Liveprayer are 100% tax deductible.(C) Copyright 2008, Bill Keller Ministries. All rights reserved.*_*-*_*-*_*-*This was sent to: @aol.comTo stop getting this Devotional, simply visit the url below withyour web browser:http://www.liveprayer.com/removeme.cfm?i=178689&r=54202Contact us at:LivePrayer6660 46th Avenue North.St Petersburg FL 33709
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December 21 - 29, 2008 Happy Chanukah 5769
May the Festival of Lights, known to some as the Festival of Dedication, and most as Hanukkah, bring enlightenment to all people, nations and tongues who are waiting for a better day.
Jewish believer's worldwide will light the first candle on their Hanukkah menorahs tonight, adding candles seven straight nights. This Jewish ritual recalls when, in the second century B.C.E, the Maccabees wrested the Temple in Jerusalem from Greeks who had defiled it. Although the victors had only one night's worth of oil for the sanctuary's eternal lamp, they lit the flame. The Jewish people believe the Creator of All rewarded their faithfulness with a miracle: The oil lasted eight days, until additional oil was prepared. See the following links for the historical significance of the 'Hanukkah' holiday season.
Barack Obama: The First Jewish President?Chicago circle nurtured him all the way to the top
By Tom Hundley, Tribune reporter
December 12, 2008 / Writer Toni Morrison famously dubbed Bill Clinton "the first black president" - a title he fervently embraced. Abner Mikva, the Chicago Democratic Party stalwart and former Clinton White House counsel, offers a variation on that theme. "If Clinton was our first black president, then Barack Obama is our First Jewish President," says Mikva, who was among the first to spot the potential of the skinny young law school graduate with the odd name. "I use a Yiddish expression, yiddishe neshuma, to describe him," explains Mikva. "It means a Jewish soul. It's an expression my mother used. It means a sensitive, sympathetic personality, someone who understands where you are coming from." Obama, of course, is a Christian. And his middle name is Hussein. In the presidential election, he won 78 percent of the Jewish vote and about 70 percent of the Arab-American vote, according to unofficial exit polling. Obama collected 52.8 percent of the overall vote.
The Pickens Plan: For those who would like to become an active participant in a solution for our nations energy needs I urge you to join with T.Boone Pickens in his quest for a cleaner planet through alternative energy.
Also see Green Wave Energy: Green Wave was founded by Mark Holmes and was formulated for viable alternative energy solutions. Green Wave Energy is promoting state-of-the-art energy-saving products and services throughout the country.
Green Wave Energy understands alternative energy technology will become “main stream” when
Call 949.645.1701 for information on how Green Wave Energy can help you save the planet.
Alternative EnergySource: David Apperson
url: http://veterans.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/alternative-energy
When asked by FRANKLIN GRAHAM whether Barack believed Jesus is the only way to salvation, Barack eloquently stated, ‘Jesus is the only way for me. I’m not in a position to judge other people.
It is the duty for every believer to help reconcile this nation and this world. To do this we must first reconcile ourselves as children of the Eternal Spirit, and reconcile ourselves as brothers and sisters in faith.
Ancient Tribal Belief - NATIVE SPIRITUALITY
Rather than going to religious services, we attend a sweat lodge; rather than accepting bread from the priest, we smoke a ceremonial pipe to come into communion with the Eternal Spirit; and rather than kneeling with our hands placed together in prayer, we have sweet grass feathered over our entire being for spiritual cleansing and allow the smoke to carry our prayers into the heavens. - Mi'kmaq
And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half of them toward the Dead Sea and half of them toward the Mediterranean Sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be - The Lord is one, and His name one. - Zechariah
Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To know, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them; and has committed to us the message of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray for you in Christ's stead, you be reconciled to God. For He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. - Paul
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may learn not to blaspheme. - Muhammad
??? - Other Belief Systems
Email David - yofast@gmail if you have ancient written text that you believe proclaims a better day for your children's children. When your submission has been confirmed it will be posted in this location.
The tiny flame that lights up the human heart is like a blazing torch that comes down from heaven to light up the path of all mankind. For in one soul are contained the hopes and feelings of all mankind. - Kahlil Gibran [ submitted by Susan Slotter ]
source: http://kids.barackobama.com/page/community/tag/G-d
..... Contact: http://Alex.Karoub@gmail.com
WHO IS THAT GUY BARACK OBAMA? HE IS US.We have made historic headway by together pointing our nation in the right directions. After decades, we have America focused on the issues of fundamental importance. Now, each of us acting in concert can together move our country to lead the world to the fruitfulness of moral goodness. I have no doubts about my abilities and the abilities of fellow Americans to work smart and hard to achieve these goals.Barack Obama has the visions, leadership, and integrity for us to correct and redirect our country to once again lead the world for the fruitions of good. Let's closely listen, learn, and move forward based on that which we know deep inside is good and which we can validate with our hearts. I hope that those who had but a few reasons to support Obama, look further into the other issues more deeply. I found the more I explored, studied, and listened to Obama the more I found us in agreement. The couple of issues that I did not have depth of knowledge of, quickly became obvious in need. This was unusual for me since I have always refused to be any kind of a follower, and still am not. I find Obama to be a deep thinker who is articulate and inspirational; and, of most fundamental importance, Obama makes excellent moral sense.Hopefully, our country has learned lessons from the past of mistakenly following leadership blindly, as was done with Nixon and Bush. There are leaders who are simply in it for themselves and will cater to individuals or groups in order to grab for their own benefit. Corrupt and bad leaders hide at all levels. This is especially true in city government as well as county and state government. The corrupt deals of politicians need to be exposed, and those responsible need to be weeded out in the coming local elections. Others need to be investigated by law enforcement and be prosecuted for illegal dealings; for deals they often make for their hidden personal agendas. Let’s look at the bad experiences of the past as bitter medicines, let’s eliminate the need for such bad medicine in the future. Let us use what we know is good to go forward.I believe we have chosen wisely, not by greed and not by misguided retaliatory anger. I believe this time our country has chosen with open eyes, with each of us listening and examining our choice of leadership closely, driven and validated by our hearts.I hope we can continue to make our efforts even more inclusive (in many more ways than I touch on here). Far right republicans will be stubborn to change, but we will need to include them to change if we are to succeed. Sure a few more will leave our country, but that is not the American way. No, we really don't need their false fronts of power, money, insider knowledge, or other trappings that they have taught many to 'respect?'. Let's recruit as many as we can, that's the American way, evolving and changing together as one nation. Try to be understanding as we move forward; by better understanding each as individuals and people with various desires and needs we will find ways to reach out with friendship and have them join our causes of good.Be on the lookout, and root out bad leadership in government and business. Do not be intimidated by those who use the false fronts of power and give a false sense of security in order to lead. Be extra leery of those who say or imply ‘Trust me’; those who give a sense that they somehow omnipotently know better. No longer will Americans be dazzled by phony displays of brilliance or baffled by baloney. There are government aristocrats and business leaders who still believe in the old adage of: “If you can’t dazzle them with brilliance, then baffle em with bullshit”. We can embrace complexity by demanding true, fundamental, and understandable explanations. We can root out falsehoods by not accepting double speak. We as Americans know how to grow ourselves by first believing in ourselves. Don’t be a follower. Don’t be a follower of followers.However, when we find leaders who are good; a leader that thinks, speaks, and acts from their heart; one that is honest, has integrity, and leads by sincere examples; then we need to in a big way, join them, support them, and promote their causes of good. From much research, investigation, and scrutiny, I believe Barack Obama is such a person. I hope we search for and find many more who are similar, who we can add to service at all levels of government. We need to add/replace leaders in business with ones that have honesty, integrity, and show quality in leadership. We need more people in leadership roles who are moral, like Barack Obama.Remember, we are not fighting a battle, we are the artisans and sculptors of the future for ourselves and generations to come. Rarely do societies have opportunities to make such dramatic moves forward as we now have in this opportunity of today. Take pride and practice in being inclusive as we stride forward. In moving forward, create opportunity not only for yourself, but also for all. Hope is a wonderful thing to behold; but without opportunity, hope can become but a dream never achievable. We can, will, and must, create opportunity.In the coming year I hope that we do not lose our spiritedness, but instead continue to build and make headway. I hope we all continue our campaign for change in government and business. We will succeed in moving forward once again, it will take much effort and good oversight on the part of each of us. We will make great strides in the months and years ahead in order to achieve the fruitions of good. Let's keep our enthusiasm progressing through these coming toughest of times. Let us use the light of goodness and love to motivate us with historic momentum.I have chosen Barack Obama because he best represents my deepest beliefs in America. Please take time to read the issues that Barack Obama has published on this website. Also, give your attention to see how he leads us to move our nation forward in the time ahead. Most importantly, be part of America's great future, participate in the greatness that together we will make. Participate!We will each and all flourish, if we think, speak, and act, by using the love in our hearts.
Your reply is welcome. Contact: Alex.Karoub@gmail.com
"Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA
"Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."
PRESIDENT ELECT BARACK OBAMA
RSVP MIDNIGHT PRAYER AND CELEBRATION - 31 DEC 2008
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA IS OUR NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
We invite everyone breathing, or not, the opportunity to show global unity and dedicate three [ 3 ] minutes of time on News Years Eve to thank God for President Obama and ask the Creator of All Things for a GLOBAL BLESSING for ALL NATIONS, PEOPLES, AND TONGUES.
May we agree that 2009 can be a year of healing for the nation and the world as we celebrate this historic election. All faiths are encouraged to join the festivities. LET US GO DOWN TO THE RIVER AND PRAY.
Text translations of the readings supplied by GOOGLE TRANSLATE through GLOBAL BIBLE STUDY.
And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, OF BARACK, of Samson, of Jephthah; and David also, Samuel, and of the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.
Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: and others had test of cruel mockings and scourgings, yes, moreover of chains and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were cut in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered around in goatskins and sheepskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; Of whom the world was not worthy: they wandered in deserts, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, having obtained a good report through faith, did not receive the promise:God having provided something better for us, that without us they would not be made perfect.
Text is available in 35 GLOBAL LANGUAGES
UPDATE: 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES and THE GOVERNMENT OF CHANGE
Sons of Abraham
Isaac and Ishmael
Living in the holy land
Palestine and Israel
Both have a charter
Each has a deal
Sharing a simple meal.
Together
Forever
Can we see some peace?
With land to each a piece.
Swarms of hordes
And crusading conquerors
Pitting the two brothers
Against each other
For land olives oil
Raping the mothers
Of crusading conquerors
Claiming covenant as their own.
Will we see some peace?
To own and not to lease.
Hagar and Sarah
Could have been sisters
Couldn't have
More blisters
Standing by
Their misters
Each with a womb of her own.
Shalom Alechem
Salaam Alikum
Nobody eats the pig.
Salaam Alechem
Shalom Alikum
The pig controls the rig.
Brothers
Time to quit the jig.
copyright © 2006 K. Shain
My father, Louis,has a message for all Jewish voters about why the supports Barack Obama
Please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylav7dY7SJQ
Wednesday, October 8, 2008-Friday, October 10, 2008-Monday, October 13, 2008-Tuesday, October 14, 2008-Thursday, October 16, 2008
Dear friend and fellow Jewish American,
I know that when it comes to security, that of Israel is as important to you as that of America, and I know that we have long shared a concern for this s nation that represents the hope of Jewish security, particularly in light of our history of non-sovereignty and the price we've paid.
In viewing the two candidates in the current election campaign, as in every past campaign, I know that you are asking yourself that most paramount serious question, “Which of these two candidates will be the greater guarantor of Israel's safety and security in this time of increased turbulence in the Middle East?.
I am writing to you as someone who is confident that Barack Obama, through his policy of building strong alliances and tough diplomacy, is the one who can best ensure the safety and protection of all of Israel's citizens and I will outline below the various reasons I believe John McCain's presidency promises instead a tone of recklessness that ultimately will plunge all of us, but particularly Israel, who, as you know, is in the midst of this region that has become much more tense during the Bush administration's tenure, into great and unthinkable danger, even if unintentionally.
I know that some of you may be supporters of John McCain while others among you may just not like Barack Obama. That is fine. I hope you receive my plea and supporting evidence for it in the spirit in which it is intended and give it a chance by at least taking the time to read it, and, if it stirs you to be of like mind, to pass it on to others in the Jewish community who you feel will be touched by these words, and if not, I apologize if I've upset you, but as you know, our tradition is rich with discussion and debate over issues of the greatest importance and I hope you will receive and even respond if you desire in that spirit—sacred to both the American and Jewish traditions of expressing our viewpoints while respecting and considering the opinions of others that differ.
I am certain that we all agree that America's enemies and Israel's enemies are the same. I think we can also agree that those who threaten Israel's safety also threaten America's safety. That has become especially apparent after September 11, 2001, as well as since the engagement with Iraq has led to the spread of both Al-Qaeda as well as the influence of unsavory leaders such as in Iran. I think we can therefore all agree that whoever can best protect America will best protect Israel. The problem is that many in the Jewish community have been fooled by the tough talk of the Republicans before, most notably in 2004, when John Kerry's totally correct position that going into Iraq was a big mistake that allowed Osama bin Ladin to get away and strengthened Al-Qaeda was perceived as weakness. But if anyone knows the difference between tough talk and effective talk, it's Israel's leaders, who have never been able to afford to make the kinds of mistakes the Bush administration has made over and over again, including its gross negligence in being ready, as the Clinton administration had been many times before it, to prevent the kind of attack that occurred on September 11, because, unlike Bush, Clinton thwarted these terrorists when they bombed embassies abroad and took seriously the warnings of intelligence briefings, and Israel, likewise, has dealt effectively with this kind of threat, minimizing loss of life. The gross negligence of the Bush administration that both allowed 9-11 to occur as well as detracted from ensuring safety and security is the same kind of negligence that is clearly evident in John McCain's policies and positions on American foreign policy. As Barack has indicated over and over, McCain's and Bush's policies are essentially the same. With the one notable exception of the use of torture on military prisoners—an exception for which John McCain should be greatly praised and commended, nowhere is Barack's description of the McCain doctrine as identical to the Bush doctrine (a term I use loosely knowing the latter has undergone many alterations) as accurate with respect to foreign policy.
The situation in the Middle East, like the global economy—and the two are very interconnected, as I'm sure is a surprise to no one—has become more destabilized during the 8 years of the Bush administration and is now both very precarious and dangerous. It should be as obvious to everyone as it is with respect to foreign policy that repeating the same reckless course for the next 4 or 8 more years has unthinkable consequences if we pursue such a course. It is beyond obvious that the only way to bring peace and stability to the region where Israel's 7,337 citizens live is to drastically change U.S. policy to one which calms tensions and brings hope for rapprochement. It is clear that Barack's policy of tough engagement yet engagement nonetheless holds the only olive branch hope of true peace and security for Israel, not John McCain's reckless, hair-trigger attitude of trying to increase tensions between enemies. Iran is a much bigger entity than Iraq and escalation into a conflict there would have consequences unimaginable both for Americans and Israelis. We all have a nothing short of desperate interest in seeing Barack, reason and sanity prevail in this election over madness.
But the bigger picture is not even begun to be expressed simply in military or political terms. The bigger picture can be summed up in a 3-letter word, which every Israeli is keenly aware of, “O-I-L”. Yes, my Jewish friend, that 3-letter word has been the source of a great deal of Israel's troubles, even if not the predominant one. Hezbollah, which is tied to oil-driven Iran, is probably the most significant terrorist tie. But there is a bigger picture here. And if you want to be sure you understand what's at stake for not only Israel, but for you, me and all of us, before you enter the voting booth and not after, you will take the time you need to read on and to think about this issue for yourself until you come to a reasonable conclusion on why oil imperils all of us, including and especially Israel.
Now I know many of you are saying, “Wait a minute! America's ties to oil-producing states protected Israel for that's when they abandoned their attempt to annihilate Israel as they had been doing up till then.” Actually, you're right. In the mid 1970s, when America, for reasons totally unrelated to Israel's security, joined with the Saudis and others to ensure the removal of the choke hold on America's access to oil, all of a sudden, nations that had been hostile and violent toward Israel signed treaties. It is therefore natural to assume that America's dependence on Middle Eastern oil spelled security for Israel and that ending it would once again put Israel at tremendous risk of being attacked by her neighbors.
And that may have actually been true for a good part of the history of Israeli-Arab relations. But I think all of us in the Jewish community are aware that America's dependence on oil, while it did help Israel become free of its neighbors ganging up on her, did nothing to keep Israel from the constant threat of violence from terrorist groups, both from inside and outside. It also did nothing to help Israel and the Palestinians work out the kind of solution that would have greatly reduced if not altogether eliminated the kind of violence she has suffered over the years, from then until now. To be sure, Israel has dealt effectively with the attacks of terrorists, but Israel should not have to live under this constant threat.
At the same time, almost completely parallel with America's tryst with the Saudis and other oil-producing nations in the Middle East, a new brand of terrorists started to emerge from the region along a new type of hostile enemy nation. While you may be able to say that Israel benefited partially from the oil tryst, you cannot deny that America has suffered for it and the price today is nothing short of completely frightening. We already know who America's enemies are in the region and the enormous toll it has exacted of us so I need not repeat it here. But what is significant is that this threat to Americans did not start on September 11. It had already been present for a very long time. It started as soon as America became heavily involved in the region as a power broker for oil. Ironically, America prepared the terrorists to be able to attack America on September 11 when they armed the Taliban and Al Qaeda in their war with the Soviets. Once they had thrown off the Soviets, these beneficiaries of our huge material and military support repaid us, their benefactors by plotting our destruction as enemies of Islam. Many times during the 1990s, they tried to pull of the kind of attack they succeeded in pulling off on September 11, but President Clinton was too wise and too prepared to let them succeed. He knew how to govern effectively and he knew how to keep his activities from the public eye, with top secret intelligence briefings on Al Qaeda's movements that allowed all attempts at attack on our soil to be thwarted before they occurred. The attacks that did succeed, such as at the embassies in Africa, were signs of their unceasing effort to destroy American life. As soon as President Bush came into office, he proceeded to undermine and weaken the combined efforts of a strong executive branch, a strong intelligence body and a strong military and thereby allowed the attacks that occurred on September 11 to occur.
I mention all this solely to illustrate the clear link between our dependence on oil—particularly foreign oil—and the two big threats we and Israel face as a result—the Sunni threat from the Al Qaeda fanatics and the Shia fanatics in Iran—which, I must point out, includes most notably their current President, but not all of the influential players in Iran's policies and power circles, which Barack alone among the two candidates recognizes. I hope you haven't forgotten also that Senator Lieberman had to point out—on camera—the difference between Sunni and Shia to John McCain. Oops.... Are you sure this man is the man you want protecting—or trying to protect—Israel?
But let's get back to oil and what we can do to make not only Israel's but our own situation billions of times safer. In fact, the answer lies within Israel itself. Israel, which, for obvious reasons, has been forced into energy independence, has achieved an amazing success with alternative energy. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you have no choice but to be energy independent. I think there's a tremendous way Israel can be our teacher and benefactor in helping us free ourselves from this dependence which puts America and Israel both at risk. Google “Israel's use of alternative energy” and you will be amazed at the results you come up with. (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=WEP&q=end+to+1970s+energy+crisis&btnG=Search)
At http://www.unep.org/gc/gcss-ix/documents/israel-energy3.pdf, you will read a very interesting article that states the economically efficient nature of clean, alternative energy sources as opposed to crude oil and that regulations require that “all new buildings be equipped with solar collectors for water heating”. I can feel John McCain s squirming at the idea that there is regulation and mandate but it was Sarah Palin, I'd like to remind any of you that are even entertaining voting for this team, who said we shouldn't question Israel's actions. The article also contains the following statement: “Recent regulations will raise energy efficiency...” Included in the mix is an accord recently signed with Egypt whereby Israel buys natural gas, a type of gas that is efficient, environmentally more friendly than crude oil and higher up on Barack Obama's energy agenda than on John McCain's crude-heavy one.
A t http://www.metimes.com/Technology/2008/01/24/israels_electric_car_will_cut_oil_needs/7949/, the Middle East Times offers an even better example in “”Israel's electric car will cut oil needs” of how business partnering with government—the Obama model of government—along with alternative energy sources is making Israel seem like a utopian dream of the best of government, industry and social responsibility all combined into one. Wow! What we can learn from them! “In a joint venture, Project Better Place, owned by Israeli-American entrepreneur Shai Agassi, will provide lithium-ion batteries and the infrastructure to refresh or replace them, while Renault and Nissan will build the cars. “ “Project Better Place will provide infrastructure including parking meter-like plugs on city streets or service stations along highways at which batteries can be replaced.” “Israeli President Shimon Peres...who was first exposed to [Israeli-American entrepreneur Shai] Agassi's idea at a 2006 meeting of the Brookings Institution's Saban Forum, strongly promoted Israel's involvement... 'Oil is becoming the greatest problem of our time,' he said. Not only polluting, but 'it also supports terror and violence from Venezuela to Iran.'...Idan Ofer, chairman of Tel Aviv-based industrials conglomerate Israel Corp...said that if Agassi's plan works in Israel, ''it will work even better in China. Their pollution is killing them and the rest of us, too.'...
“Israel's efforts to contribute environmental technologies also recently culminated in the passage of the American-Israeli joint energy research bill, signed into law by U.S. President George W. Bush in December 2007. ..Speaking when the bill first passed in the House of Representatives, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert emphasized that 'both our countries share a desire for energy security and prevention of global warming.'”
Lastly, the article states, “Israeli companies have been working to provide alternative energy in the United States for decades.”
Next, google the following: “hydro power fueling stations in Israel” and you will come up with http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&channel=s&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&q=hydro+power+fueling+stations+in+Israel&btnG=Search
At http://interestingenergyfacts.blogspot.com/2008/07/alternative-fuels-fueling-stations.html, you can read “Israel and Electric Cars”, which states, “The Israeli government has announced a major initiative to push nation’s drivers away from fossil fuels and toward electric cars” that fuel on liquefied natural gas, a much cheaper form of fuel, with the obvious other benefits of saving the environment and being free of dependence on a dangerous commodity and terrorism.
Another initiative is that Israel's auto fueling stations are run by a form of alternative energy, I believe hydro. This I heard through word of mouth from a reliable source. They are the only nation in the world I believe whose infrastructure allows automobiles to be totally independent of oil.
In short, Israel is probably the world's leading nation in demonstrating the capacity of a sovereign state to exist almost completely energy independent. Of course, we all know Israel's tremendous capacity for development and ingenuity, something characteristic of this nation since decades before it even became a nation. What we should also not underestimate is Israel's capacity to understand why energy dependence, particularly oil dependence, is the most dangerous thing today and the leading cause of war. As a people on whose lips the word “peace” is heard more than a few times throughout the course of each and every day, they know the tragedy of war which most Americans have no concept of, unless they have lost someone personally. There isn't an Israeli who isn't called up to serve in the army to defend her against constant threats. They know the continued and increasing peril of oil consumption but unfortunately too many Americans don't share that knowledge and are unable to see that terrorism did not come of it's own but sprang up in exact proportion to America's consumption of Middle Eastern oil.
You've heard John McCain express his determined and strong desire to completely free America from foreign oil dependence by drilling here in America. Now no one can disagree that that would be a great first step and that the consequences of that move would greatly eliminate the threat of terrorism against both America and Israel. Don't forget, these terrorists who threaten Israel exist because they are funded from oil-rich nations who are getting our money. But here's a couple of things John McCain is leaving out of the equation. First, while exploring and utilizing the sources of oil that we have, in addition the supply from Canada, will provide us with a great source of oil, the reality is that there is absolutely no conclusive data confirming that the amount of oil that exists underneath America and offshore will, in the long run, keep up with the growing demand for energy that not only Americans will be increasingly in need of in the coming years but that growing demand from foreign consumers of oil, particularly in India and China, will need. America simply won't be able to keep up with this demand and eventually, the need for this oil, as has been the case up till now, could easily plunge America back into wanting to get that oil from elsewhere. There is no mystery why Sarah Palin, in her first public interview, spoke very alarmingly and aggressively about Iran, George and Russia, 3 nations with access to an oil pipeline. McCain's tone, demonstrated in his first debate, is equally aggressive and militant. I think we all need to reflect on the fact that both he and his running mate have talked about not only completely domesticating our oil sources but also that they are people who stand up to big oil. Remember? From the convention. Funny, how they're not talking that way much now. That's because they are owned by Exxon and Mobil, two of the biggest oil giants who, in league with the Saudis, have placed Israel's security in tremendous jeopardy for decades through their decadent and disgusting greed for power and money. And that's what Republicans do. They fight for big business. They fight for big oil. They do not fight for you. And they certainly do not fight for Israel. Why just today I learned on NPR's Morning Edition that there is a huge network supplying Gaza through underground tunnels that is a big business itself. This is the result of 8 years of Republican policy, 6 of it totally Republican.
Barack Obama's energy program, you might say, is exactly the same as John McCain's. Which is true. He and McCain both say they'll get us energy independent by cutting off Middle Eastern sources. They have a smorgasboard or a potpourri of every energy source available, ranging from crude oil to solar, wind and hydro. But here's the difference. Their priorities. McCain has crude at the top and solar/wind/hydro at the bottom. Obama's plan is the reverse. And that means a big difference. You might also say that what can be done in Israel cannot be done in America because America's a lot bigger and tougher to manage. I refuse to give in to that. Especially now at a time when we can't afford to. Yes, it will be a lot harder in America to convert to the clean energy forms than it was in Israel. But not impossible. We also have that many more people who can be a part of that conversion, many of them hungry for the jobs that that green economy would create. And the best part is that by putting green energy at the top of the list and crude at the bottom in terms of priority, we are, in doing so, making it possible for every Israeli to breathe a lot easier and to sleep better at night. For not only are we creating a model that can work for us, we are also creating a model that can work for China, for India and for many large energy consumers, such that Iran won't have the revenue to develop nuclear technology. And maybe, by sharing the safe technology of solar, wind and hydro with Iran, we may also eliminate largely the reason for it to want to do so. Now I'm sure President Ahmadinejad may not be too cooperative. But the reality is that Iran is a much larger nation and he is not even very popular with his own people. It is possible to find Iranians who are more interested in coexisting peacefully with others. And wouldn't that make you sleep a lot better at night? Still not convinced? John McCain is fond of quoting Teddy Roosevelt about speaking softly. But he really doesn't speak softly at all. In fact, his saber-rattling, which he displayed in the first debate, proved quite succinctly that he is a destabilizer of relations with other countries, which is the last thing we need after President Bush has done so much damage to our foreign policy. Roosevelt was the sort of person who was tough but knew how to be tough wisely, and belief in and compassion for people lay at the heart of his actions and policies. That sounds a lot closer to Barack Obama's approach. Now, I agree with you that Obama has not been in government as long as McCain. But you can say that comparing Obama and Bush as well. And look where Bush has gotten us. And Israel. I think it's more than abundantly clear that the future safety of Israel in a region where tension is fast erupting depends on a truly “steady hand at the till” and not just one who talks, with an angry undertone, about having a steady hand. It also should be in the hands of someone who has the same kind of compassion that Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton had in laboring to bring peace between Israel and those who were once her enemies. And it succeeded in Carter's case, as you know, with a now 30-year long friendship with Egypt, and it partially succeeded in the case of Clinton. But the point is these Presidents knew how to handle the power of the presidency effectively and it was because they were not pawns of big power and money as Republicans are. They are men who are basically motivated by compassion and caring. And that is exactly the sort of man Barack Obama is.
Now I could say you should vote for Barack Obama because he is the only candidate who has the first same name (or almost the same first name if you go by exact English spelling) as the last name of a former Israeli prime minister. But I'm not going to use his advantages anymore than the right-wing pundits have been using the parts of his name that sound antagonistic to Israel as a reason to vote against him. We Jews are a lot smarter than that kind of silliness.
But I would ask you to consider the following:
John McCain, as has been pointed out publicly on camera, doesn't even know the difference between a Sunni and a Shia. Is this someone with the kind of foreign affairs expertise you can trust?
Both McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, are focused on making enemies out of countries who have large quantities of oil which we could seize in a war (as was the case with Iraq and now is the case with Iran and Russia, which sit on either side of the Georgian pipeline). Hence, they are not concerned with you or Israel but with big oil, the very thing they claimed they stood up to.
Although Senator Lieberman has endorsed McCain (and it is clear that he aided in demonstrating McCain's ignorance of matters vital to Israel's security), former New York City mayor Ed Koch, has endorsed Obama after listening to Sarah Palin's scary words for 2 minutes. And current NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg has not endorsed either candidate, but he has met twice with Senator Obama earlier this year, which demonstrates a respect for him.
And even though this does not directly concern Israel, since many of you who I'm hoping to reach live in Florida, remember that number one on McCain's list of energy sources are the waters right offshore from where live. How do you like them oily apples?
But most important, Barack Obama shares something in common with the Israelis. He's very intelligent, resourceful and has a lot of ingenuity on how things can be done differently. He believes in the same model that exists in Israel, of business and government partnering to create economic growth that most benefits people in a responsible way. Now it's amazing that Israel has achieved all it has in spite of the obstacles constantly confronting her. But, as some might say, it's precisely because of those obstacles that her people have been thrown into having no choice but to follow the wisest path. And Barack Obama is the kind of person who will bring that kind of wisdom to Washington. I see many new ventures forward for America and Israel, away from lack of safety and toward a strong alliance that frees both of us from the frightening threat that looms ever more before both our nations at the present moment.
I deeply apologize for taking so much of your time to argue this point. I wouldn't do so unless I felt personally that it were so important. I hope that if I've impressed upon you why it is so important to fight for Israel and for America by fighting for Barack, I sincerely hope you will take the time it takes to pass this message on to as many of your Jewish friends and family members and even associates who live in Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania or another very contested battleground state.
Sincerely and with my best wishes for real שלום בישראל ובעולם
Marc Ginsburg
m_ginsburg@hotmail.com
65 Bergen Ave, 5K
Ridgefield Park, NJ 07660
201-783-2770
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