Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Freedom. Show all posts

March 17, 2024

The Hostage's Cry

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Hostage's Cry."

Tick-tock.
The days are, oh, so long.
The years of the past now seem so short.
I am waiting for salvation.
In my heart, I pray over and over:
“Blessed are You, L-rd our G-d,
King of the Universe,
Who sets free those in bonds.”
I know you are coming to rescue me.
I am waiting for you.

(AI generated image via Craiyon)
Share/Save/Bookmark

July 23, 2023

They Died So We May Speak

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "They Died So We May Speak."

Israelis are a people who are not afraid to speak their minds, and they are not afraid to stand up for what they believe in. Regardless of the outcome of the current controversies, I am proud to be a part of the Jewish people, and I am confident that the citizens of the Holy Land will continue to be a beacon of hope for the world.

(Photo adapted from Israel Defense Forces via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1997_Israeli_helicopter_disaster_funeral.jpg)
Share/Save/Bookmark

July 16, 2023

No More Burning Holy Books


Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "No More Burning Holy Books."

At the very least, even if the Swedes were granting permission for the demonstration, they should have had the moral decency to condemn the actions of burning the holy books and then work to change the legal system to prevent this from happening in the future. But the truth is that they just don't seem to care.

(Credit Photo: Phuket@photographer.net via https://flic.kr/p/o4PgjN)

Share/Save/Bookmark

April 26, 2023

Happy Israel Independence 75 Years!

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

March 26, 2023

@Cherry Blossom Kite Festival

 














(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

November 12, 2022

Hypersonic to a Global Showdown

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Hypersonic to a Global Showdown."

While Russia is losing steam and ground in Ukraine, make no mistake that Russia, along with China, Iran, and North Korea, are determined to not only stop but also throw back what they perceive as western imperialism. Instead, they only see more dictatorship and the strengthening of their own authoritarian systems.
While the hype in the news has been all about the proliferation of nuclear weapons, missiles, and drones, perhaps the real story is that we are moving at hypersonic speeds to a most dangerous global showdown between East and West. Blessed be the Holy One who is bringing us to a hopefully merciful final redemption.

(Source Photo: Bicanski; https://pixnio.com/objects/missiles-bombs/rocket-device-military-missile-weapon-airplane-vehicle-air-force#)
Share/Save/Bookmark

July 12, 2022

Just One Jewish Nation

Every religion has their homeland(s). 

Why can't the Jewish people?  

(Source Photo: Facebook)


Share/Save/Bookmark

July 4, 2022

Kayaking @Lake Needwood

Happy 4th of July!
Share/Save/Bookmark

4th of July Cookies and Bagels

 

The old Red, White, and Blue. 

Here's to Democracy and Freedom!

(Credit Photos: Dossy Blumenthal)

Share/Save/Bookmark

June 14, 2022

USA USA USA

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
 


Share/Save/Bookmark

March 16, 2022

Beautiful Purim Butterfly

Butterfly.

Spreading its wings. 

Flying gently.

Colorful. 

Healing. 

Happy. 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

February 28, 2022

Russian Dictator Is Having A Bad Week

This is how you look perhaps when you become the world's #1 despot, thug, and outlaw when invading another country for no reason.  

On the world stage, hero Zelenskyy is kicking his as*! 

Just maybe, the Russian people will overthrow their dictator.  ;-)


Share/Save/Bookmark

February 1, 2022

Drain The Swamp

We were promised they would "drain the swamp."

What happened with that?

It often still seems pretty dirty, dark, dank and swampy! 

We need real democracy, freedom, human rights, and justice for all people.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

January 30, 2022

People of Ukraine

It hit me today — with all the news about Russia preparing to invade Ukraine and devastate its people, unprovoked, there is nobody talking about the people of Ukraine.

Our leaders and news media are so misguided and focused on the geopolitics of the thing, all they talk about is what the U.S. and EU will do in terms of some measly sanctions.

But they have completely forgotten the innocent people there — 44 million of them — who face death and occupation.

Where is our leadership????

Where are the speeches about the innocent people? About freedom? About democracy? About human rights?

Where is the United Nations????

They are supposed to safeguard and maintain peace and security around the globe.

Where are the outspoken liberals who call out occupation, apartheid, and human rights abuses????

Not a word from anyone.

It’s incredible how prejudiced, biased, discriminatory and corrupt all these people can be. They can be brainwashed, bribed, and bought to speak out for those when it will somehow fit their agenda or benefit them!

But when the Russian or Chinese powerful aggressors are at the doorstep of Ukraine or Hong Kong/Taiwan — where is anybody to speak out?

Last night, I imagined the people of Ukraine sitting in fear, in worry about what will happen to them, their families, their homes.

Do the world leaders care anything about the lives of real people — men, women, and children — or only about how any conflict makes them look, and how they are polling, and the next election?

Morality and conscience — is it on life support or dead in this narcissist world of the powerful and elite. ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

December 5, 2021

Israel: A Uniquely Jewish Miracle

Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Israel: A Uniquely Jewish Miracle."

What a difference 73 years of the State of Israel makes! While the anti-Semites and anti-Zionists out there like to call us occupiers, colonizers, and an Apartheid state, it couldn’t be any further from the truth. The Jews are indigenous to Israel for four thousand years, and it is the Promised Land by G-d to our forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moreover, Israel is a free and democratic nation driven to equality and progress, and with outstanding opportunity for all that are able to live peacefully together.
From a historical perspective, it is absolutely clear that after the Jewish people had been forcibly expelled by the Romans in the year 134, Israel fell into a state of wasteland and utter desolation...Contrast what Mark Twain and the others saw for hundreds of years in terms of the ruin, decline, and depopulation of the so-called “Palestine” (as named by the Romans “Syria Palaestina” to delegitimize the Jews from their promised homeland) with what Israel is today, and it is nothing short of a truly miraculous transformation back to its essence as the Garden of Eden.

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Share/Save/Bookmark

September 2, 2021

Join U.S. Space Force

War is coming to space. 

Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica here we come.  

We've got to protect our space!  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

Share/Save/Bookmark

August 6, 2021

Sign Of The Times

Everything is starting to close back up and require masks again due to the spreading Covid "Delta Variant."

So much for having the masks off for a couple of weeks, which was at least a taste of fresh air and freedom. 

But backwards we go...

A sign of the times in Covid is to park your bicycle in front of the couch, so no one can actually sit down on it and spreads any germs. 

Any bets on what happens from here with all the variants and how this is gonna impact our daily lives for time to come? 

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

July 25, 2021

Let Freedom Ring

I saw this van with all this messaging about "Communist China." 

Guy from the truck asks me:

Do you know what CCP is?

Not having heard that acronym, I started to mumble something about communism, and before I could finish, he goes:

It stands for Chinese Communist Party. 

He continued:

That's dictatorship. Do you know what that is?

I responded:

Of course, and the people want to be free.

He goes:

Yes, freedom! We want freedom. 

It's hard to believe that a generation ago the Cold War ended, but here we are still with people battling Communism and repression of basic rights. 

How lucky we are in America, Israel, and other western countries to live in freedom and have basic human rights. 

People around the world fight and die trying to earn their freedom, and we wake up with it every day, and it's just there for us. 

It's an incredible blessing to be free to think, speak, worship, and live how we choose.

We have to safeguard freedom and even fight for it: to have it, to keep it; and we should use it wisely to do and grow good in the world.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

July 4, 2021

@Lake Needwood July 4

 

Beautiful July 4th.

The great outdoors with the family. 

Hiking and sitting by the water just taking a relaxing breather.  

Grateful for Independence here and in the Promised Land!  ;-)

(Credit Photos: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark

April 3, 2021

He Ain't Heavy

Reminds me of the song:

"He ain't heavy, he's my brother!"

For some reason, I remember the children back in the day (I grew up at the height of the feminist movement) saying instead: "She's my brother."

I used to think what the heck did that mean?

20/20 hindsight, but I guess a spoof on gender roles already many moons ago. 

Now I hear identity as he, she, ze/zir.

Either way, the person ain't heavy.  ;-)

(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)


Share/Save/Bookmark