JaxPolitix

POST 1133

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Tree of Life Synagogue

Joe Biden wrote two months ago, on the sixth anniversary of that awful mass murder,

“.  .  . a gunman armed with an AR-15, multiple handguns, and hate in his heart, opened fire and killed 11 Jewish worshippers [sic] and wounded six more, in the deadliest act of Antisemitism in our history. It shattered families, pierced the heart of the Jewish community, and struck the soul of our nation.”

There wasn’t much light to be seen on that terrible October day in 2018.

Four days ago on Christmas morning, just hours prior to lighting the first candle of Hanukkah, Tree of Life sent this:

This week, our community will recount a powerful story: a story of courage, unity and the triumph of hope over adversity, of light over darkness.

Each night, as we light another candle, we honor the miracle of the oil that lasted eight days. We tell the story of the Maccabees’ unwavering bravery in the face of insurmountable odds. Their strength to stand up, rebuild and protect what was sacred has inspired generations—that same courage fuels our work at The Tree of Life as we envision a world where hope, kindness and resilience prevail.

With each candle, may we all remember that Hanukkah calls us not only to be the light but to spread it. By coming together, we amplify the brightness of hope, illuminating a future where all can thrive in safety and peace.

One of our challenges today is not just that we don’t agree on much; it’s that we all think we’re right. So, intransigent, inflammable, indignant and ignorant ways are often the norm. Facts need not intrude on this spectacle of craziness and sometimes self-justified cruelty. Welcome to 21st century America, land of victims who are victimizing.

That makes the job of each American – to be and to spread the light – much more difficult. And I am certain that you see clearly the enormous need for light in this democracy threatened by powerful, corrupt people intent on tearing down all we hold dear. That means that each of us has to go beyond our feelings of shock, hopelessness and fear and get up, find our own way to the light, likely alongside others, and do what needs to be done.

We have an owners manual that gives us direction. It is the Constitution. We have reference materials, like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and 248 years of the writings of many wise people. To be fair, we also have writings from some wretched fools, so be careful in your selection. Pull up a wooden chair at the library table. Read, learn and follow the instructions.

And recognize that the incoming administration has pledged to burn our owners manual and reference materials. In years past labels like “traitor” would have been pasted on such people with Republicans doing most of the labeling and pasting. Republicans, please explain to all of us why burning down our republic is now somehow acceptable.

Sadly, many no longer seem to have what used to be called common sense or the humility to be ashamed of themselves. Bluster and lack of accountability have taken their places and they have a sky high opinion of their opinions.

Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing,

once all other possibilities have been exhausted.

• – commonly attributed to Winston Churchill, but he never said that.
• Sometimes Israeli Ambassador Abba Eban gets credit for some
• variation of this statement. Had either of them
• said this, he would have been right.

We have promoted so many other possibilities, most notably now the attempts to strong arm our democracy toward fascism by rich, cruel usurpers supported by angry, heavily armed citizens who fear their special place in our society is slipping away. So many practice various forms of discrimination and repression and more harm is promised. They’ll try any self-serving thing that crosses their corruptible minds.

Citizen screamers will always cling to their pompous anger and grievance. They honestly believe that there are those who are naturally superior to others (e.g. book banners/burners, immigrant haters, replacement theory whiners, patriarchy promoters, etc.) and that it is self-evident that those holding such a view are the superior ones. In reply, let us read together from page one our founding documents: “Nuh-uh.”

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

– Mark Twain

We can wish for the lessons for doing right to be simpler, obvious to everyone and easier, but they are not and they won’t be. We’ve built an impassioned barrier, a self-constructed divide that makes us distrust one another and which dims the light from the shining city on the hill. Paraphrasing Ronald Reagan,

Mr./Mrs./Ms. America, tear down these walls!

• President Ronald Reagan, June 12, 1987
• at the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, Germany

When we do that we will have begun to end our violence toward one another. Until then, our primary job will have to be to counter our angry, violent fellow citizens, whether they’re the elected officials attacking our republic or others attacking Americans with threats and physical violence. We must do this before they hurt someone, like our immigrants now being threatened with family separation cruelty – again. There is enormous stubbornness in this violent country, so becoming the light will be difficult and will take a long time.

Be clear: We are at terrible risk right now and it’s going to take all of us to set things right, to turn up the light of the shining city on the hill.

There are glimmerings. The darkest day of the year is behind us and ever more daylight shines, a little more each day. And so our charge is not only “to be the light but to spread it.” That means stepping up and fighting the darkness that is trying to smother our nation. We must make incremental improvements every day.

It’s about the light. It’s always about the light.

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NOTE: No post this Wednesday

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Copyright 2025 by Jack Altschuler
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