David A. Lehrer
Trump, racism, sexism — and hope
The Trump inauguration approaches just as many people are emerging from their post-election funk.
Some ‘Profiles in Courage’
South L.A. will, hopefully, have a hospital that won\’t have the term \”killer\” in front of its name, because of the very difficult steps that have been taken over the past two weeks and the hospital is reborn. Perhaps, Turkish governmental leadership will begin to confront its dreadful past vis–vis the Armenians when they realize they can no longer successfully bully organizations to ignore history to its benefit.
L.A.’s Jews and other minorities: oh, how we’ve danced!
In Los Angeles, the most diverse city in the world, we Jews have grappled long and hard with our sense of place in America. Ultimately, having found our \”place in the sun,\” we have forged meaningful relations with many of the communities that make up this complicated goulash.
The ‘Munich’ Concern Is Us — Not Film
Were Spielberg another too-left Hollywood type who cavalierly flirted with the tough issues posed by \”Munich\” with no previous record of involvement or concern about Jewish matters, one might begin to fathom the nastiness of the attacks and the gratuitous personal barbs. But he comes to the movie with a distinguished, if not unparalleled, track record of achievement vis a vis the Jewish community, Israel and its image.
‘Munich’ Portrays Real World Issues
In recent days, several pundits have criticized \”Munich,\” the new film by director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner, for drawing a \”moral equivalency between the Israeli assassins and their targets — both explicitly … and implicitly.\” Furthermore, they argue that it has inaccurately portrayed the Israeli avengers as morally conflicted about their mission to eliminate the perpetrators of the Munich massacre.
‘New’ Farrakhan Embodies Old Message
Last weekend, the nation\’s capital hosted the Millions More March, a gathering commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Nation of Islam\’s
Million Man March. The Rev. Louis Farrakhan, the main convener of the march, led tens of thousands in a daylong marathon of blame, calls for \”self-help\” and extremism.
Just the Facts
Jews in America are more favorably regarded than Catholics, barely less well liked than Protestants and far more highly viewed than Evangelical Christians.
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