
 |
|
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
Michael Muskal: 'Pro-choice' position hits record low, according to poll
Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
Tony Pugh: More private colleges offering tuition discounts
Mary Beth Franklin: How to Choose the Right Annuity for You
Tina Susman: The wig wasn't enough: Man gets 13 years for posing as his dead mom
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
Warren Richey: Can US group challenge overseas surveillance act? Supreme Court to decide
Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
|
| |
Jewish World Review
June 6, 2011
/ 4 Sivan, 5771
Glenn Beck, Norway, Hitler and Me
By
Alan Douglas
| 
|
|
|
| |
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Glenn Beck said the Summer camp in Norway were the children were shot, "sounds a little like the Hitler Youth. I mean, who does a camp for kids that's all about politics? Disturbing." The answer, Mr. Beck, as to who would do such a thing, in the United States of America is… The American Legion. The American Legion hosts state Boys' State and Girls' State conferences and national conferences where high school students from throughout America converge for mock elections, etc.. Now Beck fans will defend him, and attack me, as happened when I told Glenn to "put a sock in it" after his rant that G-d is punishing the sinners with a tsunami in Japan. Beck has more power, money and for that matter hair, than I do; so he's no underdog worried about censorship. Having attended Boys' State I can report on it for you, the parts I remember. My Boy's State story is a bit different…
An idealistic high school student, I went in for interviews at the American Legion Post many decades ago competing for an opportunity to represent the local Post at Boy's State. It was an honor, it was a valuable credential for applying to college and I really wanted to go. Of the many disappointments I faced in high school, losing the Boy's State competition was one of my most bitter. It was one of the few areas where I could compete, and I lost. I was named an Alternate to Boy's State, but try putting that on your resume. Fate has a sense of humor.
Carl, one of the two high school students select to go to Boy's State, was later picked as a foreign exchange student. Given the choice of a year in Sweden with beautiful blonde vixens or a week in Tallahassee, Florida in August with a bunch of other teenage boys Carl chose Sweden. When I called the American Legion Commander to "report for duty" he gingerly explained that there was "a problem." The Commander (back in those less politically correct days) of the American Legion Post explained to me that they were originally going to appointment me to Boy's State. But he pointed out, "Tallahassee is very hilly, it is hot in the Summer, there is a lot of walking during the Boy's State week and… you are a cripple." "Cripple" came before "handicapped" which came before "disabled," which came before "physically challenged." Among other things, Jerry Lewis's telethon each year helped make "cripple" a household term and was not my favorite time of year. Since I had polio as a kid, and used a leg brace and crutches there was arguing that point with the Commander. He said that to spare everyone embarrassment, they decided to name me as an "alternate." But now Carl had "upset the apple cart." I further upset the apple cart by insisting on going to Boys' State.
When I arrived at Boys' State everything the Commander had feared turned out to be true. It was hot, hilly and there were long walks between dorms, meetings, and events. I was determined to keep up, but always ended up trailing behind the line of marching teenage boys who were always move faster than me. After a few days of this, the State Troopers offered to drive me around. I appreciated their offer but I was determined not to show weakness. All those Readers Digest stories and inspirational tales convinced me not to accept any help.
I hung in there and was elected to a couple of offices in Boy's State. But after a few days I slowed down and arrived a minute of two late for events. And I was so exhausted that I started falling asleep. But I was proud and wanted prove I would do without any help. During the mock Bar Exam I feel asleep. For many years afterwards that worried me, until I took the real bar exam and passed it. I came home humbled, exhausted and bewildered from Boys' State. It wasn't a victory, but I had proved my point. I was grateful to the American Legion for letting me go, for allowing me to be tardy and to nod off through much of Boys' State. There are times when failing at something is far better than not trying, or being left out. This was one of them.
It was all politics, all the time but Boys' State, but it was nothing like a Hitler youth camp. I can live with, and support camps where kids play with civic activities, and yes, politics. Saying Glenn Beck is just grabbing headlines is not an excuse. With Beck's power, comes responsibility. I am not naïve. The American Legion is far from perfect. They opposed sheltering Jewish children from the Holocaust in the United States. But the American Legion has done many good things. We should express our grief for the murder of the children and bombing victims in Norway. It should not be about a political message, headline grabbing, personal agendas or politics. As for Glenn Beck, he should ask his wife about how best to apologize.
The other lessons to be learned from my experience are these: Next time you urge on that recovering vet, person who had a stroke or someone who is physically challenged, do so in a way that encourages them to succeed, to accept help and to work around failure. For those of us who have experienced life's challenges the lesson to learn is the difference between kindness and weakness. I did at Boys' State.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment by clicking here.
JWR contributor Alan Douglas, an author, media executive, speaker, and attorney, lives con brio- except when he is grumpy.
Previously:
D Day: The Ripple Effect
What are you paying for?
Law, Etiquette and 5 Rules
Inspiration
Confusing Kindness with Weakness
When Katie Couric Got Pulled Off the Air…
Don't second guess the deceased
Pain and legacies
Being in the No
The Sixth Sense
Dogs in Danger
Facebook, LinkedIn and the Zuckerberg Exit
Simon Bolivar Would Tell Glenn Beck to, Put A Sock In It
Children and Grandchildren
Swearing, Shoes, and Mark Twain How my poor man's Porsche, Virgil, prepared me for life
Leases and Landing Gear
The Oscars, Obama and Job Creation
Damages and Penalties
Obstacles with Impossibilities
Making Others Feel Bad
Referrals and Recommendations
Woodpecker Frustration
Phrases, Not Resolutions
I Was A Crime Fighter and Super Hero
Comforting with Sympathizing
Nautical Worry Killers
Can You Keep A Secret?
Holiday Card Hazards
Gifts
Sharing, Transparency and Dumping
Red Alert
Readers Respond Regarding Rabbi
Readers: I Need Your Help with my Rabbi
Humphrey Bogart and P. T. Barnum on Fighting with Family and Friends
Columbus, Honors and Hound Dogs
The Free Lunch
When your child suffers
Conversational Transmitted Diseases
Conservative, Liberal or American
Paris, Antarctica and Shopping
Personal Protection
Dispute Resolution
Jumped or Pushed?
Friends and Acquaintances
Revenge and Vindication
© 2010 Alan Douglas
|
|

Arnold Ahlert
Mitch Albom
Jay Ambrose
Michael Barone
Barrywood
Lori Borgman
Stratfor Briefing
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Richard Z. Chesnoff
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Alan Douglas
Larry Elder
Suzanne Fields
Frank J. Gaffney
Bernie Goldberg
Jonah Goldberg
Julia Gorin
Jonathan Gurwitz
Paul Greenberg
Argus Hamilton
Victor Davis Hanson
Betsy Hart
Ron Hart
Nat Hentoff
Marybeth Hicks
A. Barton Hinkle
David Horowitz
Jeff Jacoby
Renee James
Paul Johnson
Jack Kelly
Ed Koch
Ch. Krauthammer
Michael Ledeen
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Kathryn Lopez
Rich Lowry
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Ann McFeatters
Dale McFeatters
Dana Milbank
Jeanne Moos
Dick Morris
Jim Mullen
Deroy Murdock
Judge A. Napolitano
Bill O'Reilly
Kathleen Parker
Star Parker
Dennis Prager
Wesley Pruden
Tom Purcell
Sharon Randall
Robert Robb
Cokie & Steve Roberts
Heather Robinson
Pat Sajak
Debra J. Saunders
Martin Schram
Culture Shlock
David Shribman
Roger Simon
Michael Smerconish
Thomas Sowell
Ben Stein
Mark Steyn
John Stossel
Cal Thomas
Dan Thomasson
Bob Tyrrell
Ben Wattenberg
Diana West
Dave Weinbaum
George Will
Walter Williams
Byron York
ZeitGeist
Mort Zuckerman

Robert Arial
Chuck Asay
Baloo
Chip Bok
Dry Bones
Lisa Benson
John Branch
John Cole
J. D. Crowe
John Deering
Brian Duffy
Everything's Relative
Mallard Fillmore
Glenn Foden
Jake Fuller
Bob Gorrel
Walt Handelsman
Joe Heller
David Hitch
Jerry Holbert
David Horsey
Lee Judge
Steve Kelley
Jeff Koterba
Dick Locher
Chan Lowe
Jimmy Margulies
Jack Ohman
Michael Ramirez
Drew Sheneman
Kevin Siers
Jeff Stahler
Scott Stantis
Ed Stein
Danna Summers
John Trever
Gary Varvel
Kirk Walters
Dan Wasserman

Mr. Know-It-All
Ask Doctor K
Richard Lederer
Frugal Living
Tech Maven
On Nutrition
Bookmark These
Bruce Williams
|