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Welcome Home, Governor Perry By Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Welcome home, Mr. Governor. You have fought the good fight. You have earned a few scars, gained a few wrinkles, and absorbed a few blows. And you have nudged the country, ever so slightly, in the right direction. For that we are grateful.
You brought the straightforwardness of Texas to the national limelight. You captured the resoluteness of Texans and reminded us that unambiguity and resolve are qualities that all Americans should employ. You showed us that slow talk can be straight talk, that truth is simple, that reality is easily explained. No, you can't add regulation and jobs at the same time. No, you ought not borrow money if you don't have the means to pay it back.
And you reminded us that religion is as much a part of who you are as the family in whose home you were born. Our Godly connection is the foundation of our humanity. And we should wear it with pride.
As a rabbi, I appreciate this last point most of all. You wear your faith comfortably, like a well-fitted suit. It makes me feel more comfortable with public expressions of my faith, too.
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Your impact on American society was far greater than your adversaries will concede. You shook the dust off its Judeo-Christian foundation and let it be seen once again.
Americans now know your story. You are the son of tenant-farmers who grew to maturity in a town where there was nothing but Boy Scouts and religion, and used that moral foundation to lead Texan prosperity for over a decade. The lesson is now part of American consciousness.
You urged us to unleash the "treasure-trove" of energy in our own backyard by undoing regulation. We are a blessed nation sitting on blessed soil. Our challenge is to unleash our Godly gifts — physical and moral - within the country and throughout the world. Your words have nestled deep in the American spirit.
You spoke about making Congress a part time job, just as is the Texas legislature. You added this idea to the conservative conversation. The legislative branch, which seems to argue so much and do so little, is a poor employee of the citizen. Cut their working hours to one week a month and see how they value time. Watch them become problem solvers more than law makers. You reminded the citizen that they work for us, that they don't create wealth; we do.
A flat tax option that fits on the back of a postcard furthered this idea. We'll pay taxes. But let us maintain ownership in our country by understanding what we pay.
The debates didn't go as well as we'd have liked. The media mocked your weakness for drawing words. You rightfully and clearly responded that America already has a glib talker and doesn't need another one. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, you joked about the messenger and added weight to the message.
They thought they ate you up. We ate up your values.
We appreciated your campaign. Some may want to relive the errors made, the victory that could have been. Dear Governor, ignore them. You could have remained in Texas and maintained your career. But you recognized the prosperity of Texas and sought to export it to the borders of this land. No goal could be more worthy. You left us inspired.
Please keep pushing forward, rolling the log ahead. As Jewish tradition teaches, "It is not incumbent upon you to complete the work, but neither are you at liberty to desist from it" (Avos 2:21).
America needs its tenant-farmers to clear the brush of godlessness and decadence that rises in every unplowed corner of the land. Let us, together, never cease from tilling the land that our Founding Fathers have sowed.
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Comment by clicking here. The author of two books, Yaakov Rosenblatt spends his time "tending the flock," both literally and figuratively, as CEO of A.D. Rosenblatt Kosher Meats, LLC and a rabbi.
© 2012, Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt | ||||||||||||||||||
