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May 9, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: Reverence, Yes; Worship, No

Mona Charen: Did Israel Drive Out the Arabs 60 Years Ago?

JWisdom: Ultimate opportunities by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

May 8, 2008

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: Israel at 3,500+

Jonathan Tobin: Still Fighting the Same War

Steven Plaut: How ‘nakba’ proves the fiction of a Palestinian Nation

JWisdom: Taking Israel for Granted? by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

May 7, 2008

Rabbi Hillel Goldberg: Israel is irrelevant to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Dion Nissenbaum: Latest Olmert scandal could derail efforts to force Israel's compromises

JWisdom: My Inner Ventriloquist by Sara Yoheved Rigler

May 6, 2008

Caroline B. Glick: Anti-Zionism at 60

The Kosher Gourmet By Ethel G. Hofman: In honor of Israel's 60th anniversary, the former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with a smorgasbord featuring the taste and essence of the Jewish homeland

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Jewish Deer in Nazi Headlights

May 5, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Busy work

Jonathan Mark: Remarkable half-century old Mike Wallace interview with Abba Eban puts current anti-Israel sentiment into perspective

May 2, 2008

Rabbi Berel Wein: Rote religiosity

Caroline B. Glick: Whitewashing Hamas

JWisdom: Parent trap?

May 1, 2008

David Zwiebel: Faith communities can learn from Orthodox Jews in stimulating private philanthropy for religious education

George Friedman and Peter Zeihan of Stratfor: The Shift Toward an Israeli-Syrian Agreement

JWisdom: It's time to wake up by Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis

April 30, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: Pennsylvania's Democratic slugfest may leave some Jewish votes up for grabs

The Kosher Gourmet by Linda Gassenheimer: Fresh herbs, sauteed veal and tiny creamer potatoes makes a light spring dinner

JWisdom: How to Build a Mentch by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 29, 2008

Daniel Pipes: Barack Obama's Muslim Childhood

Joel Brinkley: On human rights, the U.N. once again strikes out

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: When The Truth is Unbelievable

April 28, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I'm often stuck in the doctor's waiting room for hours! Doesn't he owe me something for my wasted time?

Steven Emerson: New U.S. government policy advises agencies to avoid using some of the very same words that make up terror groups' names

JWisdom: Why You & I Never Die: A Jewish View of Immortality, Part I by Rabbi David Aaron

April 25, 2008

Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg: Schadenfreude isn't kosher for Passover --- or at any other time

Rabbi Berel Wein: The secret of how the data bank of memory is transferred from one generation to the next

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part III

April 24, 2008

Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The successful failure

Fred Burton and Scott Stewart of Stratfor: Placing the terrorist threat to the food supply in perspective

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen, Part II

April 23, 2008

Connie Ogle: An intricate game of a novel

Jonathan Tobin: Making Sense of the 'J Street' Jive

JWisdom: Stepping Up to A Higher Spiritual Life by Rabbi Lawrence Kelemen

April 22, 2008

Jonathan Rosenblum: Why Israel's 'Leaven law' matters

Caroline B. Glick: Obama the Savior

April 18, 2008

Rabbi Harvey Belovski: Multimedia tool of antiquity

Caroline B. Glick: Revealed Truths vs. revealed lies

JWisdom: More than miracles by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 17, 2008

Rabbi Avi Shafran: Deconstructing Dayeinu

Rabbi Elazar Meisels: Is innovation at the Seder a slap at tradition?

JWisdom: Discovering Your Divine Mission, Part III by Rabbi David Aaron

April 16, 2008

Jonathan Tobin: A Prayer for Sderot's Children

Ethel G. Hofman: Sumptuous Seder

JWisdom: The Divine is in the details by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 15, 2008

Rabbi Dovid Zauderer: Let Charlton Heston Go!

Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Jimma, tyranny's enabler

JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part IV by Dr. Lisa Aiken

April 14, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: The Snitching Supervisor

Jonathan Tobin: Forget the Fun and Games!

JWisdom: Sincerity is Valued Most by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

April 11, 2008

Rabbi David Gutterman: A Mystery in the Middle East

Caroline B. Glick: Why Ahmadinejad smiles

JWisdom: Elevated illness by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 10, 2008

Stratfor Intelligence Briefing by George Friedman: A Mystery in the Middle East

The Kosher Gourmet By Steve Petusevsky: The spring elegance of asparagus

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith by Rabbi Nosson Scherman: The Power of Rational Lies

April 9, 2008

Michael Feldberg: An all but forgotten Colonial doctor who put his Jewish values before his life

Jordan "Gorf" Gorfinkel's "Everything's Relative" gets philosophical

JWisdom: Four Rabbis in Bnei Brak by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 8, 2008

Caroline Glick: Covering for the enemy

Elliot B. Gertel: 'House' goes Hasidic

JWisdom: Relationships: Beyond Mars & Venus, Part III by Dr. Lisa Aiken

April 7, 2008

The Jewish Ethicist by Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir: Q: I have a translating business. Recently someone asked me to translate some financial documents that are clearly forged. Should I agree?

Jonathan Rosenblum : Israel is unwittingly helping to fuel the international campaign of delegitimization against it

JWisdom: Matzah and leaven as a life philosophy by Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski, M.D.

April 4, 2008

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: The Mystery of Suffering

Caroline B. Glick: Fear of democracy

JWisdom: Dirty Jews by Rabbi Sroy Levitansky

April 3, 2008

Rabbi Y. Y. Rubinstein: Parents --- and the children who would be them

The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Manweiler: Tempted by restaurant dressings? Don't be. Here are recipes that can be made at home, healthier!

JWisdom: The importance of retaining a 'slave mentality' by Rabbi Mordechai Becher

April 2, 2008

Mitch Albom: Child abuse, disguised as faith

Jonathan Tobin: Unreasonable Accommodations

JWisdom: Holocaust in the Perspective of Faith with Rabbi Nosson Scherman: Eliminating Jewish Influence over Germans

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!)

Jewish World Review April 13, 2007 / 25 Nissan 5767

Bad Boys

By Greg Crosby


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Sometimes, on an evening when there is nothing else to watch and my wife and I want to just veg out and watch something easy and noncommittal on television, she will suggest that we put on "Cops," the reality show where a cameraman rides along with real honest-to-goodness police in a prowl car as they go about doing their duties. By the way, for all you readers under the age of 60, a "prowl car" was what they used to call "squad car." For readers under the age of 50, "squad car" was what they used to call "patrol car."


I think what my wife likes about "Cops" is the fact that we actually see real bad guys get caught by real police officers. I like that, too. In this day and age when so many crumbs seem to get away with everything, including murder, it's a real cathartic viewing experience to see bad guys apprehended and (hopefully) punished for the crimes they commit. It's like when you're driving in your car and you see a jerk in a $65,000 Mercedes whip a U-turn in the middle of a busy street and then get nailed by a cop. You say, "YEAH! That's the way it's supposed to be!"


We've been watching this show off and on for years now, and there are a couple of things that I just don't get. One thing is, why do so many of the police officers shave their heads like the gang members do? Why would a cop want to look like the lowlifes they are pursuing? Listen, I know what the bad guys look like; I want the good guys to look differently. I don't want our soldiers in the Middle East running around in head scarves, robes, and big black moustaches, and I don't want our cops here at home looking like gangbangers.


Another thing that has become evident after watching many episodes shot in cities all over the United States is, the cops all talk alike, no matter what part of the country they work in. A cop in Bakersfield, California sounds like a cop in Kansas City and like a cop in Denver, Colorado and like a cop in Miami, Florida. They all use the same phrases and speech patterns, and this is the really strange thing, they all have the same accents. It's as if they all grew up the same neighborhood. Now why would that be? Is there a national cop school that all rookies attend to learn how to sound the same?


For my taste, the police on those shows treat the crooks way too gently. There is much too much politeness in the way the bums are handled. For instance, an officer will approach an obvious strung-out doper, filthy dirty, tattooed from top to bottom, with no driver's license and a belligerent attitude and say something like, "Excuse me, sir, would you step out of the car please?" This is no good. I want the cop to say, "Out of the car, you ugly-looking piece of human garbage!" as he bodily pulls the punk out of the vehicle and onto the ground face first. That's what I want.


Oh, and don't refer to the slob who has just broken parole, held up a convenience store and engaged in a 45 minute high speed chase as "the gentleman." Gentleman? Are you kidding me? The proper title for that person would be something so utterly unprintable in this space that I wouldn't be able to even use the initials. But that's what the police should call him, not "gentleman."


Of course they can't call the bad guys names or treat them the way they deserve to be treated or else the ACLU and other groups would hit the local police departments with so many lawsuits that they wouldn't be able to do their job at all. So they handle the crooks and scoundrels with kid gloves and respect, no matter how much abuse is thrown at them. I know I couldn't do it - I'd want to put on those kid gloves and punch those guys in their ugly faces.


The bad guys know only too well the limitations that the cops are under and they use every opportunity to take advantage of that. They know that unlike in the movies when cops would say, "stop or I'll shoot," real police can't do that. So the bad guys will attempt to outrun the cops - either on foot or in a car. Maybe if the criminals thought they might get shot they wouldn't take off so fast, but they know damn well the cop can't fire his gun at the "suspect" so they figure it's worth a try.


As frustrating as it is to witness how hampered the police are in their ability to fight crime, it does the heart good to see the majority of the bums get arrested and taken it - at least on the show. People want the bad guys to lose and good guys to win - and that in a nutshell must be why "Cops" has been such a popular program all these years. In real life it doesn't always work that way, too many bad guys win. Fortunately for society, there are always some good guys who want to become cops to protect the rest of us. G-d bless them.

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.


JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. A freelance writer in Southern California, you may contact him by clicking here.

Greg Crosby Archives

© 2006, Greg Crosby

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