Time to Think

The 100 th  Thought By Hank Silverberg I began writing “A Time to Think” 100 weeks ago. The idea behind this blog was to focus on things that mattered, with some logical, well thought out comments using   facts, not political bias or slants. I would take some time to think about the issues of the week before I posted.    It didn’t turn out that way.   All my instinct as a journalist with 40 years’ experience was to play it straight. I wanted to write about real issues that mattered to people like family, jobs and health care, and avoid the tainted rhetoric of politicians on both the left and the right.    I ended blog #1 back on February 5 th , 2018 with this advice to my former colleagues still working as journalists:  “They need to return to good solid conservative (with a small c) journalism, using verified sources, mostly on the record with facts that can be confirmed. They need to get it right. And if t...

The Meaning of Chanukah (and why it’s important even if you aren’t Jewish)   By Hank Silverberg   (Chanukah Menorah  lit for first night , downtown Fredericksburg, VA Photo courtesy ,Anna Loftis) The Jewish Festival of Lights—Chanukah (or Hanukkah)   is this week. It is an eight-day festival, considered a minor holiday on the Jewish calendar.   The celebration has grown over the last century among 6.9 million Jews in America, because most years Chanukah falls about the same time as Christmas. But despite people’s misconception, the two holidays have no connection.     Some facts about Chanukah: *Chanukah is NOT the Jewish Christmas. It has nothing to do with Jesus. *When it is celebrated is based on the Hebrew calendar, which is based on the Lunar calendar. It has ten months   of varying lengths. So, the eight-day holiday can occur anywhere between Halloween and New Year’s Day, depending on the lunar cycle. ...

Anti-Semitism and Free Speech By Hank Silverberg I am an American. I was born in the USA. My parents are/were Americans. They too were born in the USA.   My grandparents came from Poland, Ukraine and Russia where, as Jews,   they were not allowed to be citizens. They became naturalized Americans as soon as they were eligible.     If you ask the more than 6.9 million people who identify as Jews in America, they will say they are American. They have no other nationality. There are more Jews in America than any other country in the world. Israel has 6.7 million Jews, and if you ask them their nationality, they will tell you they are Israeli.    There are 2.3 million Israelis who are NOT Jewish. Judaism is a religion. Yes, there is a distinct Jewish culture, but culture is not a nationality.   So, I was distressed this past week when President Trump decided, with the urging of son-in-law Jared Kushner (an Orthodox Jew) to i...

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year--Not! By Hank Silverberg No, I'm not Scrooge.  I love spending time with my family around Thanksgiving. My grand kids followed a long family tradition as trick-or-treaters in October. But when those Christmas carols start playing on "Black Friday," the holidays loose their buzz for me, at least until I see the ball is ready to drop in Times Square.  Don't get me wrong. For those who are Christian and look at December 25th as a way to celebrate the birth and life of Jesus, well more power to them. I never argue with people's faith.  It's all the crowds at the malls, reindeer on lamp posts and phony Santa's that make me scowl. There are people out there who spend more in the month of December on things nobody really needs and many people don't want than they do the rest of the year combined.  It borders on insanity.  If you are a retailer you are probably yelling at me through your computer scree...

The Point of No Return? By Hank Silverberg Commentary & Analysis Is the United States of America broken beyond the point of no return? At no time since 1861 has our politics been so polarized that the future of our political system is in doubt. We have no real leadership. Our current President is the closest thing to a dictator the U.S.A. has ever experienced. He defies the courts and defies Congress on a routine basis.  Don’t say I’m exaggerating and go back to watching cat videos. Donald Trump’s words and actions have shown either a total ignorance for what our Founding Fathers had in mind, or an intentional effort to destroy American democracy. I’m not sure which it is yet, but no one seems capable or willing to stop him. Let’s start with words as an example.    “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.   My fellow citizens of...