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Nov, 21, 2008
Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Money matters?
Caroline B. Glick:
Civilization walks the plank
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Rabbi Avi Shafran: Bronfman's blindness
The Kosher Gourmet
By Linda Gassenheimer: Portobellos add a hearty flavor to pasta with pesto
Nov, 19, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Spread the wealth? Jewish tradition and income equality
Elliot B. Gertel:
'Mad Men': Tackling prejudices or reinforcing them?
Nov, 18, 2008
Dr. Debby Schwarz Hirschhorn: The End of the Age of Reason
Jonathan Tobin: Does Barack + Bibi = Disaster?
Nov, 17, 2008
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: The End of the Age of Reason
Diana West: Gulling Americans into making terror legit?
Nov, 14, 2008
Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: The Power of Spiritual Inertia
Caroline B. Glick: The perils ahead
Nov, 13, 2008
Stratfor Intelligence Briefing: How Bush and Obama together could change the Middle East dynamic
The Kosher Gourmet
by JeanMarie Brownson: Sweet and savory, crispy and meltingly tender bestilla
Nov, 12, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir : Tyrannical Co-Workers
Michael Doyle: High Court to consider today donated monuments that may have religious messages in public parks
Nov, 11, 2008
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Will Obama stop government officials considering institutionalizing financial jihad?
Jonathan Tobin: They Will Decide Their Own Fate
Nov, 10, 2008
Rabbi Avi Shafran: $8 billion, modern-day Tower of Babel being built?
Barry Rubin: A letter to the president-elect from a Middle East realist
Nov, 7, 2008
Rabbi Francis Nataf: Of Children and Immortality
Caroline B. Glick: Livni's Obama strategy
Nov, 6, 2008
Rabbi Yonason Goldson: How I tricked a classroom of apathetic students into grasping the fallacy of moral relativism
The Kosher Gourmet
By Gina Kim: Tips for making the perfect soup --- includes recipes
Nov, 5, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
By Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Destitute Debtors
Bruce Weinstein: 'Religulos': Bad title,even worse movie
Nov, 4, 2008
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Treasury Dept. submits to Shariah law
Frida Ghitis: A surprise for Obama in the Middle East
Nov, 3, 2008
Jonathan Rosenblum: Who says Jews are Smart?
Jonathan Tobin:
Was He Wrong About Everything?
Oct. 31, 2008
Rabbi A. Henach Leibowitz: Our Immutable Noble Essence
Caroline B. Glick: Running against Bush
Oct. 30, 2008
Jonathan Rosenblum: The End of the Special Relationship?
Steve Lipman: 'Kid Kosher' Gets A Title Shot
Oct. 29, 2008
Binyamin L. Jolkovsky: GET US THE TAPE THE L.A. TIMES REFUSES TO RELEASE, AND WE'LL GIVE YOU CASH!
Dr. Ari Korenblit: Making The Write Choice for President
Oct. 28, 2008
Mona Charen: Denial runs through American Jewry
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Sell-off to capitalism or sell-out to Islam?
Oct. 27, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Are tax deductions for charitable donations moral?
Jonathan Mark: The Mystery Of The Arab-American Vote
Oct. 24, 2008
'Why aren't all religious people vegetarians?': Response by Miriam Kosman
Caroline B. Glick: Testing Obama's mettle
Oct. 23, 2008
Daniel Pipes: Obama Would Fail Security Clearance
The Kosher Gourmet
by Linda Gassenheimer: A fast chicken dish with an Asian accent
Oct. 20, 2008
Gary Rosenblatt: Still One Torah
Jonathan Tobin:
Government 'Gifts' Are Not Free
Oct. 17, 2008
Jonathan Rosenblum: Sukkos and the Great Meltdown
Caroline B. Glick: The disappearance of law
Oct. 16, 2008
The Jewish Ethicist
by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Copying DVDs: RIP OR RIPOFF?
Cal Thomas: Blaming the Jews (again)
March 22, 2007
J-Rhythms with Avraham Rosenblum: JWR's cutting-edge music program showcasing performers -- singers, song writers, musicians, and bands -- who learn and live the Torah lifestyle (OUR NEWEST IGODCAST !)
Oct. 29, 2003
Mortimer B. Zuckerman: Graffiti On History's Walls (MUST-READ!)
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Jewish World Review
Oct. 3, 2005
/ 29 Elul, 5765
Sometimes it is black and white
By
Kathryn Lopez
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
When recently asked about his state's parental-notification ballot
initiative that would prohibit minor-age girls from getting
abortions without a parent's knowledge, California Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger replied: "I have a daughter. I wouldn't want to have
someone take my daughter to a hospital for an abortion or something
and not tell me. I would kill him if they do that."
Now that's refreshing!
Hold on, hold on. Before you run off, I'm not slamming "choicers"
this week, and I'm not lauding "lifers." This isn't the debate about
whether you or I began at Day 1 or at 24 weeks. And, mind you, I'm
not endorsing murder here -- and the governor later clarified he
wouldn't actually kill the hypothetical person. But that was a
totally normal Dad reaction he had (a fact that, as a good
politician, was surely not lost on Schwarzenegger). You can be on
any side of the abortion debate (the Terminator wants it legal) and
have that healthy gut instinct.
The Schwarzenegger reaction came in somewhat stark contrast to some
other recent parenting news. September was a bad month for
motherhood, at least on the news wires.
A New York mother decided it was time for her 13-year-old daughter,
and her 14-year-old female friend, to each "have sex and get it over
with."
Mom got a hotel room, hit the mall with the kids, and found an 18-
and 19-year-old who'd do the dirty deed with the girls. Mom was in
the hotel room with them during the loss of innocence (though it's a
safe bet this woman's daughter lost that long ago).
In Colorado, wanting to be a "cool mom" of a teen boy (making up,
she told police, for her own outsider days in high school)
41-year-old Silvia Johnson is accused of boozing and drugging it up
at parties at her house with teenagers -- and having sex with some
of the boys in attendance at these regular bashes.
On the West Coast, there's the tragic case of young Eliza Jane. Her
mother, Christine Maggiore, is HIV positive and insists that the
virus doesn't cause AIDS. So she has taken no medication, has had
children, breastfed, and kept the kids away from reputable doctors.
And now 3-year-old Eliza Jane is dead. Though this Mother of the
Year is disputing it, the coroner's report says the toddler died of
AIDS-related pneumonia.
I bet Arnold Schwarzenegger would have some healthy thoughts on that
California mother.
These Motherhood Hall of Shame stories are obviously not the norm.
We know that because they still make headlines. And for that, at
least, we can be grateful -- though it doesn't help Eliza Jane or
the most likely messed-up kids of their sexed-up mamas. It's the day
we stop finding these stories extraordinary or are not outraged when
we'll be diagnosed with a fatal cultural malady.
When you put these recent cases beside some other
against-all-that-is-good-and-right-and-natural stories like the case
of Andrea Yates, who infamously drowned her five children in a
bathtub, and New Jersey teens Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson who
almost 10 years ago tossed their apparently beaten-to-death newborn
(he had suffered multiple skull fractures) in the dumpster, you get
the feeling that we do have something to worry about -- beyond
individual cases.
The dumpster story has repeated itself enough that there are now
drop-off slots at hospitals and other locations for mothers to
abandon their living babies. I'm all for doing whatever it takes to
give a kid a chance at life, but it's a disturbing perceived
necessity.
It's disturbing to realize that the instinct for some supposedly
thoughtful, sophisticated types is often to defend and accommodate
bad behavior. There are mental-health issues in a lot of these
cases, obviously, but regardless, a society can and must say loud
and clear: "That's wrong. That's evil. That can never happen again."
Instead, when Yates murdered her children, folks at the National
Organization for Women and others rushed to her defense.
Instead of making excuses and defending crimes, we should make sure
we all have our heads on straight about the preciousness of human
life. Because there is no greater gift.
Again: Obviously, in all these shameful, criminal stories, there is
a necessary discussion to be had about prevention. In most, if not
all of these cases, there were sick people involved who clearly
needed some kind of help. But when a terrible deed has been done,
they also need punishment. And despite the virtues of forgiveness,
there is a place for unwavering societal condemnation. You can still
love the sinner and condemn the sin. But we've got to do the latter
in each and every one of these despicable cases. It will say
something shameful about us the day we don't see that -- the day
your instinct isn't to have an "Arhnuld-like" Dad kind of reaction.
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