Monday, June 13, 2022

Oscar-nominated ‘When We Were Bullies’ looks back in shame on 1965 schoolyard attack

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/oscar-nominated-when-we-were-bullies-looks-back-in-shame-on-1965-schoolyard-attack/

In her on-camera conversation with Rosenblatt, she does comment on the fact that kids seem to be hardwired to pick up on vulnerability in other kids.

“Kids are tuned into that in the oddest way. They can pick up something that the adults can’t see. It’s a sixth sense or something,” Mrs. Bromberg remarks.

Anti-Bullying-Policy-- Darchei Torah

 https://www.darcheitorah.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Anti-Bullying-Policy-February-2019.pdf

The Yeshiva will: · Where bullying is reported to Yeshiva staff it will be investigated and acted on. This also applies to bullying that occurs off the Yeshiva premises, such as on Yeshiva or public transport, trips, or Shabbos meals. · Use the curriculum, assemblies and form time to inform Bochurim on bullying issues · Provide guidelines on what is considered bullying behaviour · Ensure robust systems are in place for recording and following up bullying related incidents · Provide relevant training for key staf

Bullying In Yeshiva

 http://www.5tjt.com/bullying-in-yeshiva/

Bullying is a problem that we are perhaps sweeping under the rug, but it exists in our yeshivos, day schools, Bais Yaakovs, and camps. Even if no one is stealing someone else’s shoes, the ona’as devarim, and often even the physical abuse, exists in our environments as well. Bullying hurts others, can have devastating repercussions for its victims, and is an issur d’Oraisa–a Torah prohibition. Its existence in our institutions is tantamount to having pork or any other treif or tamei food.

Sunday, June 12, 2022

Study Shows Widening Gap in Death Rates Between Democratic, Republican U.S. States

 https://www.newsweek.com/study-shows-widening-gap-death-rates-between-democratic-republican-us-states-1714879

Published in the British Medical Journal, the study shows that the difference in death rates between Democratic and Republican counties increased by a factor of more than six times from 2001 to 2019.

This was especially true among white Americans, and was driven by deaths caused by cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease, suicide, drug overdoses and unintentional injuries.

Lauren Boebert Jokes She Prays for Biden: 'May His Days Be Few'

https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-joe-biden-prays-days-few-charis-christian-center-bible-1714991 

Speaking on Saturday at the Charis Christian Center Family Camp Meeting in Colorado, where she was a guest speaker, the Republican politician referred to bible verse Psalms 109:8 as she spoke about the 79-year-old Biden, much to the delight of the crowd. The video has so far been viewed over 480,000 times on Twitter.

January 6 committee releases new video timeline of Capitol riot | FOX 9 KMSP

COVID might be spreading as fast now as it was during previous surges, testing company says

https://www.kxan.com/news/coronavirus/covid-might-be-spreading-as-fast-right-now-as-it-was-during-previous-surges-testing-company-says/

“We’ve been seeing high positivity since the middle of April, so we really believe there is a lot of people out there with COVID who just aren’t testing with a lab that is reporting to public health,” Isaac Turner with Curative said. He also notes that at-home testing likely plays a big role and that case numbers are underrepresented.

The January 6 hearings showed why it’s reasonable to call Trump a fascist

 https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/6/10/23162442/january-6-committee-hearing-june-10-trump-fascist

Throughout Trump’s presidency, there was a raging debate among experts as to whether it was accurate to describe him as a “fascist.” One of the strongest counterarguments, that his political movement did not involve the kind of street violence characteristic of Italian and German fascism, was undermined on January 6 — though some scholars still argued that the term was somewhat imprecise.

HARMONY THROUGH OPPOSITES - what is the message?


I have long thought that Rav Lopiansky’s appreciation of his father, Rabbi Bentzion Lopiansky, which appears in his collection Time Pieces, is the most powerful hesped of a father by a son that I have ever read. The lessons Reb Bentzion taught his son about how to put oneself in the shoes of another are literally unforgettable.

Reb Bentzion once saw Aaron, then nine or ten years old, tagging along after a group of boys in the Bialystoker Shul on the Lower East Side, where he served as the shamash. The boys were teasing a homeless vagrant who slept in the shul’s furnace room, until he chased after them. Reb Bentzion called his son over, and spoke calmly and warmly as always.

“You see that man?” he asked. “He was born a cute little baby whose mother stroked him and nursed him. She cooed to him and delighted when he cooed back and smiled at her. His father fantasized about his infant son achieving all those things he had failed to attain.

“Now look at what has become of him. Is it not a tragedy? Should we not be moved to tears? And you are compounding that tragedy by taking a tzelem Elokim and treating him like dirt.”

Aaron’s tears flowed freely with both compassion for the vagrant and shame at his cruelty, as his father finished speaking even more softly than he had begun.

Suggested inspirational message from this book review

1 Jews are inherently like goyim
2. Even with Torah - basic decency is lacking
3. Without lessons from a sensitive parent it is is impossible to be a mensch

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Trump's Actions Were 'Treason Squared,' Kirschner Says After Jan. 6 Hearing

 https://www.newsweek.com/trumps-actions-were-treason-squared-kirschner-says-after-jan-6-hearing-1714938

Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner alleged Friday that former President Donald Trump's actions on January 6, 2021, appeared to amount to "treason squared" after the first public hearing of the House select committee investigating the U.S. Capitol riot was broadcast on primetime television.

IT SOUNDS COUNTERINTUITIVE

 https://mishpacha.com/it-sounds-counterintuitive/

The term “mainstream media bias” is intended to conjure up the image of a courageous, embattled right-wing media, struggling to attract readers and facing sustained persecution from the all-powerful liberal media. The truth, however, is that all media outlets are “mainstream” within the universe of their target audiences. All exhibit “bias,” too, in the sense that they take editorial positions and feature only the pundits they choose, slanting toward one or another side of the political spectrum. Bias, albeit more subtle, creeps into all news coverage, too. That’s just journalism — and human beings — at work.

What did Miriam do wrong?

 The story in the Torah is described as lashon harah br Chofetz Chaim but is it

According to the sources Miriam was concerned about Moshe being an abusive husband. She mentioned this in private to her brother without intent to degrade Moshe. What should she or could she do differently? The Torah does not say it was lashon harah but simplt indicates she mistakenly thought all prophets were the same

(1) And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman.

(1) (Devarim 24:9): "Remember what the Lrd your Gd did to Miriam on the way when you went out of Egypt." The Torah exhorted us hereby that we mention verbally, always, the great punishment [leprosy] that the Blessed Lrd brought upon the tzadeketh, Miriam the prophetess — who spoke only about her brother, whom she loved as her soul...she did not speak in denigration of him, but only compared him to other prophets. And she did not speak so to his face to shame him, and not in public, but only to her brother Aaron, privately. And he [Moses] was not offended by all this, but in spite of which all her good deeds did not avail her and she was punished with leprosy for this. How much more so will other people, the fools, who are prolix in speaking "great and awesome things" against their friends, be severely punished for this.

(NaN) (2) And he [the speaker of lashon hara] also transgresses (Vayikra 19:18): "And you shall love your neighbor as yourself," whereby we have been commanded to be as solicitous for our friend's money as we are for our own, and to be solicitous of his honor, and to speak in his praise, as we are solicitous for our own honor. And if one speaks or receives lashon hara and rechiluth against his friend, though it be true, it is apparent that he does not love him at all — how much more so is he in violation of "as yourself!"

Trump 'Failed in Duty' on Jan. 6, 'Reveled in' Riot, Says GOP Rep. Tom Rice

 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-failed-duty-jan-6-reveled-riot-says-gop-rep-tom-rice-1714957

Rep. Tom Rice, a South Carolina Republican who voted to impeach Donald Trump after the January 6 Capitol riot, is standing firm in his stance that the former president "failed in his duty" to stop the assault.

Rice made his latest comments in a Friday interview with The New York Times just days before facing a high-stakes primary race on Tuesday. The South Carolina Republican is up against State Representative Russell Fry, whom Trump has endorsed as part of an ongoing effort to unseat those who oppose him.

AP FACT CHECK: Yes, Trump lost election despite what he says

 https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-pence-electoral-college-elections-health-2d9bd47a8bd3561682ac46c6b3873a10

Trump’s former attorney general, William Barr, found no evidence of widespread election fraud. Trump’s allegations of massive voting fraud also have been dismissed by a succession of judges and refuted by state election officials and an arm of his own administration’s Homeland Security Department.

No case has established irregularities of a scale that would have changed the outcome.