I Protest #284
By Hank Silverberg
"Tin soldiers and Nixon coming
We're finally on our own
This summer I hear a drumming
Four dead in Ohio"
Neil Young's lyric about the shooting of four students at Kent State by the National Guard during a protest on May 4, 1970 provided a greater intensity to the anti-war protests of the late sixties and early seventies. The incident itself was probably a turning point for the majority of citizens who were against the war but not openly protesting it.
The deadly protests after Kent State widened opposition to the war, made it cross-generational, and eventually effective enough to convince the Nixon Administration to get out of Vietnam as quickly as possible (it took too long).
This week on the 54th anniversary of Kent State, I heard a lot of talk comparing the current round of protests on college campuses to those of the 1960's.
Frankly, there is no comparison. First, the size and scope of the protests is much smaller. Secondly, today's protests were induced and sponsored by a small number of students who targeted not just the U.S. government or Israel, but Jews in general, including many of their own classmates.
That is of great significance to the majority of the American public.
The second comparison I have heard were the protests against Apartheid in South Africa in the 80's and 90's. But here too, the comparison is poor.
Plain and simple, you won't find too many Americans who supported Apartheid in South Africa, and our government denounced it as well. The only similarity was student demands to divest college investments from South Africa then, and Israel now.
Students, of course, have the right to protest, and one can see circumstances where occupying a building might be part of their tactics. What is different about this round is the cause for which they are protesting.
Israel, which has 11 million people, is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is the only place (inside Israel's borders) in the region where Jews, Christians and Muslims live together in peace, and it is the only place in that region where Arabs/Palestinians have full rights as citizens, including freedom of religion and the right to vote. There are currently nine Arabs serving in the Israeli Knesset.
It is a Jewish state. But only 74% of the population is Jewish. There are more than two million people living in Israel who are not Jewish. About 20% of Israel's population are Arabs. Many of them are descendants of the Palestinians who chose not to flee in 1948 when Israel was created.
A large number of the protestors here in the U.S. know little about Israel. They chant "From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free," without really understanding what they are chanting for--the destruction of Israel and the murder of nine million people.
Ask a protestor what they want, and they will tell you they want a Palestinian state. But Hamas and other Palestinian leaders have rejected a two-state solution twice in the past.
Ask them how that state is created, and they will say all Israelis need to go back to where they came from. But the present land that includes Israel IS where our Jewish ancestors came from. There have been Jews in Jerusalem for three thousand years. The protestors use words like "colonizers, apartheid or genocide," without understanding just what those words mean.
They want Israel to stop fighting a murderous terrorist group and agree to a cease fire, but they won't denounce the 10/7 terror attack or call for the release of the Israeli hostages.
So I protest the demonstrations. Protesting a government policy is your right as an American. Just make sure what you are protesting takes the high moral ground and doesn't reek with hypocrisy.
So what does the public think about the Israel-Hamas war?
The last poll on the subject was done in March before the protests had begun.
At that time, a Pew survey showed 34% of the public disapproved of the IDF handling of the war, but 73% also said the October 7th attack was unacceptable. Overall, 58% of those polled said Israel's reasons for going to war against Hamas were acceptable, with 26% saying they did not know. Also, 49% said Hamas' fight against Israel was not valid, with 28% saying they did not know.
The history that led to all this is also a mystery to many. Young people in particular tended to side with or have more sympathy for the Palestinians, but 26% of them say they have sympathy for both sides.
You can dig deeper into the poll by reading the article with the link below
https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-most-americans-say-israels-war-is-valid-but-only-38-approve-of-conduct/
What's not clear is whether attitudes have changed at all in the last two months after all the protests.
More Covid-19 Variants Are Here!
Here is some irritating news. There are two new variants of Covid-19 that are currently making the rounds. They have been nicknamed FLiRT.
One is called KP.2 and cases are up 25% in the week ending April 27th.The other called KP.1.1 is here, but less widespread.
Hospitalizations from Covid-19 have been way down, but there is concern now that the new FLiRT variants will spark another wave of infections this summer. The new wave is "rather transmissible" according to Vanderbilt University Medical Center's Dr. William Schaffner.
The booster shots many of us got in the fall of 2023 will help mediate the illness, but not prevent it.
The CDC recommends the following prevention strategies:
- Stay up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccines.
- Test for COVID-19 if you have symptoms or an exposure.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Return to normal activities only after you have been fever-free and symptoms have been improving for at least 24 hours.
- Practice good hand hygiene.
- Improve ventilation.
- Wear a mask in crowded, indoor spaces.
- Practice social distancing.
Space Laser
Scientists probably should have waited until May 4th, Stars Wars Day, to announce this breakthrough.
Earth has received a laser transmission from a spacecraft 140 million miles away!
But the beam did not come from some aliens on another planet. It came from NASA's Psyche spacecraft, which is currently approximately 1.5 times the distance between the Earth and the Sun. And it could have a significant impact on future space travel for human beings.
It was achieved by using a feature called Deep Space Optical Communications, which is aboard the Psyche.
 |
| (Psyche spacecraft, courtesy NASA) |
what's available in general use now.
This time Psyche managed to transmit actual data. The spacecraft had sent back preprogramed test data last year, but this time it was fresh data collected by the probe.
NASA's press release says this provided a taste of how spacecraft "could use optical communications in support of humanity's next giant leap, sending humans to Mars."
Psyche is slated to fly by Mars by 2026 on a mapping mission. NASA is planning to send human beings to Mars in the 2030's.
https://nypost.com/2024/04/29/lifestyle/space-laser-transmission-strikes-earth-from-140-million-miles-away-nasa/
Dumbest Quote of The Week!
This week's dumb quote actually comes from last month, but resurfaced this week. It comes from former TV anchor and Republican Senate Candidate in Arizona, Kari Lake.
During a campaign event last month, Lake said about Democrats:
"They're coming after us with lawfare, they're going to come after us with everything. That's why the next six months is going to be intense. And we need to strap on our--let's see. What do we want to strap on?
We're going to strap on our, our seat belts. We're going to put on our helmet or your Kari Lake ball cap. We are going to put on the armor of God. And maybe strap on a Glock on the other side of us just in case."
Lake is taking a lot of heat for the comment. Democrat Mark Kelly is the other Arizona Senator. He's not up for re-election this year. His wife, former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, was severely injured by an assassins' bullet in a shooting incident where six other people died and 18 others were wounded.
Kelly said Lake's comments could result in people "getting hurt or killed," and I agree.
The race in Arizona is close. Lake, who has opposition in the Republican primary, is running to fill the seat left open when Krysten Simena decided not to run again. Lake is a favorite of Donald Trump. The latest poll done in March shows Lake running just two points behind Democrat Ruben Gallego-- 45% to 43%.
Arizona is a swing state in the general election, and could also determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
(Your suggestions and comments are welcome)
My recent book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:
HankSilverberg@gmail.com for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796
My NEWEST book is now available. It is designed for use in Public Speaking and entry level communications classes.
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