"Life is not a problem to be solved,
but a reality to be experienced."
- Soren Kierkegaard
Change
Enjoying the experience of Life should be appreciated, as we all know, life is constantly changing. The good moments don't last and thankfully neither do the bad one.
Nothing can or should stays the same. Life is meant to be fluid...constantly changing, evolving and progressing. Just as a caterpillar morphs into a butterfly and then must die, so too do Humans... We live our lives through laws, rules and guidelines, but those (before us) who blazed our trail, meant for their guidelines to be interpreted for the current day... an existence they could never have imagined. This holds true for our Bible as well as our Constitution. Those who live by every exact word of these sacred documents are doing a disservice to the lives we all cherish. Just as we can't stop time, we can't stop the evolution of our humanity. Our job is to help positively guide the inevitable alterations of our existence and reflect on how to live life enjoyably, responsibly and productively. With all this in mind, we hope our leaders represent us to continue this progression in life. When reflecting on the "olden days", we shouldn't have the desire to return there but to glean knowledge from our history. Guns law, that were written over two centuries ago, must be modified to represent today's reality. The bible's "author" had no concept of modern medicine and technology. We must learn from our past but candidates who look in the rear-view mirror for the solutions of today's issues are not the leaders best qualified to guide our future.
Voices for Change
One thing that seemed to change this week was the decade old silence of Justice Clarence Thomas. The cat who got his tongue (since Feb. 22, 2006) returned it. Thomas hadn't spoken during Supreme Court oral arguments in over ten years, and not surprisingly, the issue that inspired him to speak up was the right of domestic abusers to retain their guns. Maybe he feels obligated to speak now that his conservative comrade, Justice Scalia has passed away. Though many of us would prefer Thomas returned to his silent demeanor especially as the next issue in front of him and his 7 "friends" was abortion rights. But Justice Thomas wasn't the main target of pro-choice voices being aired this week. Justice Kennedy is the possible swing vote on whether Texas anti-abortion laws infringe on women's rights. These laws have caused many of Texas' 41 clinics to close leaving only 18 still operating for a population of nearly 5.4 women of childbearing age. And if the laws are upheld, 10 more Texas clinics would close. Some states, like Mississippi, only have one clinic left. Oral arguments were made on Wednesday and a decision is expected in June which would reverberate throughout the country. No one explains a ridiculous situation better than John Oliver and his (14 minute) outrage is warranted and worth watching.
Iranian Changes
There is a feeling that Iran, too, could be changing. The results of the recent Iranian election produced "moderate" leaders...as moderate as possible when the true moderates were eliminated from running during the initial election phase. Even the grandson,
Hassan Khomeini, of the first (Supreme Leader) Ayatollah Khomeini was booted in the first round due to his reformist stance. So, of the approved candidates, the voters picked the ones most likely to help continue a progressive movement for Iran. Let's hope these small steps lead to more radical changes in Iran.
Votes help Change
The one thing that helps create change ( good or bad) is voting. Back in 2010 when left-leaning voters were absent from the polls and conservatives came out in droves, the fallout was a majority conservative Congress. The new leadership set their sights on actions most of us would abhor. They instituted over 1,000 new abortion restrictions that in turn forced the closure of 1/4 of our nation's abortion clinics (162 of them). They tried 60 times to overturn ObamaCare and despite constant mass shootings, they kept guns laws untouched. And according the
Samantha Bee, today's Trump problem is due to our (dems) lackluster attendance in the 2010 election.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw41BDhI_K8 So Michiganders, it's our turn to vote in our
Tuesday Primary. To find your polling station, click here:
Change and Effect
Welcome home astronaut
Scott Kelly from spending and suspending nearly a year in space. He now holds the American record, though Russia has us beat. He was chosen (and volunteered) so science could study the bodily effects of extended space life as they compare his vitals to his identical twin brother,
Mark Kelly who spent his last year and the 5 years since the shooting of his wife,
Gabby Giffords, fighting for sensible gun regulations. Sadly, success in this department is miniscule even after daily mass shooting which Americans seem desensitized to. Take
Chicago for an example, which just experienced the highest gun violence in 16 years. This gun problem seems to be spiraling out of control. One rationale for the high gun death in Chicago is that the police are "gun shy" after the high profile damaging video of an officer shooting a teen in the back. Nothing is Black and White (no pun intended), but if, hypothetically, we either gave everyone guns or took everyone's guns away, which scenario would decrease gun deaths?
Change for Good
I am a big fan of
Bill Gates for his leadership, dedication and generosity to the wellbeing of Humanity. And Bill Gates is a big fan of Israel as he publicly announced his admiration to Israel's technical contributions to "improving the world".
I also happen to agree with him on the Apple vs. FBI cell phone case where he feels there is a balanced solution to the issue.
Everyday is a clean slate. Its never too late to change. Thanks,
Jordan Zaslow for this thoughtful video:
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
The Good
The Bad
If you can't seem to contain your desires while sitting next to an 80 year old women maybe you shouldn't be in public let alone on an airplane. This lawsuit shouldn't be needed but the necessity of ultra-orthodox men to be constantly separated from women is ridiculous.
The Ugly
Shame on the two Pennsylvania Catholic Bishops who (a Grand Jury this week stated) covered up hundreds of child sex abuse cases by local priests. This is despicable behaviour of our past that must never repeat itself. Thanks to the Oscar winning film and the Boston Globe for their "Spotlight" on this horrific era.
Music Department
Flight of Chords
Good news for Flight of the Conchord lovers. They are working on new material and have a Summer tour schedule that includes Detroit.
http://tinyurl.com/hcakhhg
Flight on Wheels
(music and action start at the 1:10 minute section)
Wishing you and your family a
Sweet Shabbat Shalom
lisashabbatshalom.com
Condolences to the family of
Lucy and Ray Henney on the passing of Ray's mom,
JoAnn Henney. JoAnn created a beautiful family with her husband (of 59 year), George Henney. May her memory and spirit bring comfort to those who loved her and mourn her passing.
Condolences to dear friends,
Brian and Liz Guz and their family on the passing of Brian's dad,
Jack Guz z"l. May Jack's spirit and love bring comfort to his family and community and may his life be a blessing to all who knew him.
Condolences to
Vivian Lieberman and her family on the passing of her beloved son,
Jay Lieberman z"l. May Jay's memory and spirit bring comfort to those who loved him and my his life be a blessing unto his family and friends.
Our most famous Detroit detective and city council president,
Gil Hill died this week. Not only was he beloved by those who knew of his devotion to the people of Detroit, but Hollywood saw his talent when casting him in the acclaimed Eddie Murphy movies,
Beverly Hills Cop. Rest in Peace,
Gilbert Roland Hill
