Will The Experiment Work?                    #178

By Hank Silverberg

Happy Birthday, America! The Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress on July 2nd, 1776, announced on July 4th and finally read to the public on the steps of Independence Hall on July 8th, making this "Independence Week". The document was a formula for a vast experiment in human nature--an experiment that is still underway. Everyone who signed the Declaration over that hot Philadelphia summer was aware of that. After the approval vote, when Benjamin Franklin was asked  by a citizen what type of government they had created, he notably said: 

"A Republic! If we can keep it!"

Franklin's warning still taunts us today. The Declaration is certainly a remarkable document. "All men are created equal," it declared. "...endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  

Yet the Republic that emerged from the chaotic

Revolution with those words as a rallying cry was badly flawed. It was 13 years (1789) before the U.S. Constitution codified the power of the federal government to solidify the nation and more importantly, in today's context, the rights of its citizens. That too, is a remarkable document, yet it left out the majority of the American population of the day: women and people of color. Those with dark skin were listed as 3/5th of a person in the Constitution. 

It took another 76 years (1865) and a bloody civil war before all Black people were freed from slavery. But they were still not "created equal" under American law.  Women finally got the vote in 1921, but Jim Crow, the Black Codes and poll taxes kept those freed slaves and their descendants from the right to vote for another hundred years. We thought the issue was settled with the 1964 Civil Rights Act that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, and later sexual orientation. We thought it was solidified with the1965 Voting Rights Act which prohibited racial discrimination, specifically in voting, and set up tools to enforce it. 

But the experiment in real Democracy comes with a price. Our country in 2021 has still not come to grips with that and has yet to pay the full amount. In fact, we have taken steps backwards and may have to pay again on this issue. 

In the last year there have been 389 Bills introduced that would restrict voting in 48 states. Twenty-two have already been enacted with the biggest impact in minority communities.    

State Voting Bills Tracker 2021 | Brennan Center for Justice

Following last summer's BLM demonstrations, 12 states have moved forward with Bills that would clamp down on public protests .  

A Close Look At The Wave of Anti-Protest Laws (firstamendmentwatch.org)

And the right-wing continues to spread disinformation about any discussion in America's  classrooms about our country's flaws. 

This, of course, does not mean we ignore the remarkable experiment started in 1776 that continues to this day. It means we need to closely analyze the results so far, including the dirty test tubes and keep trying for the best solution to the formula. We owe it to every American who gave up their  lives, fortunes or sacred honor for us to get this far. 

Water Shortage

(Courtesy :U.S. Drought Monitor)

Here is what could be another example of Climate Change with a more immediate impact. Ninety-three percent of the West is in a drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The main reason: a lack of snow last winter. Melt runoff from the Sierra Nevada, one of the areas hardest hit by a snow drought this year, provides about 30% of California's water. Michael Dettinger, a hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, has told CNN that precipitation in the mountains was just 50% of normal by April 1, producing 40% less water than usual. Added to that, California has been dry in general, so any runoff there was evaporated before it reached the reservoirs. 

Shasta Lake, California's largest reservoir, is about to break its low water record set back in 1924. To make matters worse, wildfire season started earlier than usual this year because of climate change and higher temperatures. There have been 3,500 wildfires in the state so far this year. That's a thousand more than over any of the past five years. The state may be in for some dry times.   

https://keyt.com/news/weather-news/2021/07/01/water-is-disappearing-in-the-west-and-not-just-during-the-summer/

West | U.S. Drought Monitor (unl.edu)

And it's not just California. The dark red on the map above shows the hardest hit areas. Drinking water for millions of people could be impacted. 

In Oregon, the culture of Native American tribes  faces extinction along the Klamath River where their livelihood centers on farming and fishing along the 257 mile long river that is at historically low levels. 

Anti-Semitism Comes in Many Forms!

Our education system may be failing us in one key area. While much of the current educational debate is focusing on Critical Race Theory and just what it is, or is not, Holocaust studies seem to be lacking on many college campuses. A study last fall by Tufts University and Harvard, found young people who seem more tuned into other forms of racism, apparently don't see anti-semitism in the same way. It's not just about tiki torch-carrying white supremacists anymore. It is growing at alarming rates on college campuses among students who 

 hersh_royden_antisemitism_040921.pdf (eitanhersh.com)

Not just neo-Nazis with tiki torches: Why Jewish students say they also fear cloaked anti-Semitism - CNN

tend to lean left on many other issues. Much of it focuses on the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, though it has less to do with religion and much to do with land, economics and Colonialism. 

Jews on Campus, a new advocacy group, recently released a report on anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses. It found 1,097 incidents of harassments, bullying and assault since 2020 across the country. Based on their analysis, 48% were focused on historical anti-semitism, 31% were classified as "bullying," and 22% were based on "demonization of Israel". 

Holocaust studies could go a long way toward narrowing the first category. Better focus on mid-east politics would be a solution to the third factor.  

Those educated on the topic are aware of the political abuse faced by the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza but they know that Jews, and in particular American Jews in general, have little to do with this. Those educated know about the abuse of the Palestinians by almost all of the Arab and Persian populations that surround them. They also know that Israel is used as a scapegoat for anything that goes wrong in the highly charged atmosphere of the region. Israel, like the United States, has its faults. (The settlement issue for example.)  The continued trouble in Palestine has more to do with the maneuverings and the religious doctrine of

leaders in Tehran, Riyad and Damascus than it does with the relationship between your average Israeli Jew and his  Palestinian neighbor.     

The rise in anti-semitism on campus is alarming for most Jews. What happens when those college students, schooled in the fallacies promoted by  anti-semitism, leave college and start applying their behavior to the real world?

If there is anyone among my readers who has an influence on curriculum at college campuses, may I implore you to include Holocaust studies and the aftermath of Colonialism in any program involving mid-east politics. 

Dumbest Quote of The Week:

This week's dumb quote comes from sports. Here's the owner of  the MLB Bronx team in an interview where he gave a vote of confidence to manager Aaron Boone after his team fell 9 games out of first place in the AL East. This is from Hal Steinbrenner in reference to his players and their poor performance so far this season. 

 "They need to fix the problem because everyone, including our fan base, rightfully so, has had enough, quite frankly. It's enough.”

Expect the Bronx team to surge briefly for a week or two, and then fall further out of contention by the July 31st trade deadline. Also expect Aaron Boone to be fired, if not now, then at the end of the season. (Note to readers: I consider the "Y" word to be foul language and you will never see it here.)   

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