 |
|
April 21, 2014
April 18, 2014
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: Clarifying one of the greatest philosophical conundrums in theology
John Ericson: Trying hard to be 'positive' but never succeeding? Blame Your Brain
The Kosher Gourmet by Julie Rothman Almondy, flourless torta del re (Italian king's cake), has royal roots, is simple to make, . . . but devour it because it's simply delicious
April 14, 2014
Rabbi Dr Naftali Brawer: Passover frees us from the tyranny of time
Eric Schulzke: First degree: How America really recovered from a murder epidemic
Georgia Lee: When love is not enough: Teaching your kids about the realities of adult relationships
Gordon Pape: How you can tell if your financial adviser is setting you up for potential ruin
Dana Dovey: Up to 500,000 people die each year from hepatitis C-related liver disease. New Treatment Has Over 90% Success Rate
Justin Caba: Eating Watermelon Can Help Control High Blood Pressure
April 11, 2014
Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Silence is much more than golden
Susan Swann: How to value a child for who he is, not just what he does
Susan Scutti: A Simple Blood Test Might Soon Diagnose Cancer
Chris Weller: Have A Slow Metabolism? Let Science Speed It Up For You
April 9, 2014
Jonathan Tobin: Why Did Kerry Lie About Israeli Blame?
Samuel G. Freedman: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Jessica Ivins: A resolution 70 years later for a father's unsettling legacy of ashes from Dachau
Matthew Mientka: How Beans, Peas, And Chickpeas Cleanse Bad Cholesterol and Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
April 8, 2014
Dana Dovey: Coffee Drinkers Rejoice! Your Cup Of Joe Can Prevent Death From Liver Disease
Chris Weller: Electric 'Thinking Cap' Puts Your Brain Power Into High Gear
April 4, 2014
Amy Peterson: A life of love: How to build lasting relationships with your children
John Ericson: Older Women: Save Your Heart, Prevent Stroke Don't Drink Diet
John Ericson: Why 50 million Americans will still have spring allergies after taking meds
Sarah Boesveld: Teacher keeps promise to mail thousands of former students letters written by their past selves
April 2, 2014
Dan Barry: Should South Carolina Jews be forced to maintain this chimney built by Germans serving the Nazis?
Frank Clayton: Get happy: 20 scientifically proven happiness activities
Susan Scutti: It's Genetic! Obesity and the 'Carb Breakdown' Gene
|
| |
Jewish World Review
August 12, 2008
/ 11 Menachem-Av 5768
What's On Our Minds
By
Jackie Mason & Raoul Felder
| 
|
|
|
|
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Believe it or not, we read and think a great deal of the New York Times columnist Bob Herbert. He is clever, smart, and a good writer. But recently we think he has made a big mistake (besides writing for the New York Times). McCain recently ran a TV ad that we believe was devastating, linking Obama with Paris Hilton. His point was obvious: just because somebody is a celebrity, you would not vote for them to have their finger on the atom bomb. Bob Herbert interpreted the commercial as being "highly sexualized" and designed to feed stereotypes about what black men really want, i.e. white women — or, at least some similar nonsense.
Mr. Herbert misses the point. The point was that both Paris Hilton and Barack Obama are famous for being famous. Indeed, Mr. Obama is the Paris Hilton of politics. Neither one of them had basically accomplished much after they obtained a certain pinnacle — Paris Hilton doing her nightclubbing (arguably, her imprisonment), and Barack Obama being elected to the Senate. Yes, we know he was against the Iraq war, but so were our brother-in-laws, but neither Obama nor our brother-in-laws were Senators at the time and were not in a position to put their money (our brother-in-laws would have to borrow it from us) where their mouth was.
Mr. Herbert views the campaign apparently, as do many other people, sadly, as being one that turns on the linchpin of race. Ironically, the only candidate who seems to have brought race to the campaign was Mr. Obama. ("You know, [I don't] look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills.")
We do, however, believe we do live in a post-racial world — at least here in America. There is not a person this side of a lunatic asylum that hires or fires somebody because of their race or religion. We basically hire the person who can best do the job.
Of course, many years ago race permeated hirings, firings, admissions to schools, etc. The biggest national bank would say in their want ads, "Jews need not apply," and if you were African American they would do you a favor if they took your money. Now, the last president of Citibank was a Jew, and the CEO of the largest entertainment company in the world (Time Warner) is an African American.
We believe the cogent point in Obama's nomination and his triumph is the nomination itself. When Michelle Triola sued Lee Marvin, the actor, for palimony, she was successful in having acquired that right. Everyone forgets that she basically received nothing through the courts, but what she did do was establish a principle, namely that palimony would be alive and well and living in America. Similarly, by Obama's being nominated, it meant that a particular glass ceiling had been breached. Now, he must rise and fall on his own abilities, achievements or lack of them. We do not believe that anyone would or would not vote for Obama (except for a few nitwit plantation owners in the South) because of his color and, indeed, our suspicion is that even these same people would vote in the blink of an eye for Colin Powell.
If racial prejudice is not dead in America, hopefully it's taking its last gasps, so let's not give it resuscitation.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributors Jackie Mason needs no introduction. Comment on this column by clicking here.
Archives
© 2008, Jackie Mason & Raul Felder.
|
|
Columnists
Toons
Lifestyles
|
