Let Freedom Ring!

I wish all of America could witness the jubilation happening in Miami as many celebrate the death of a terrible tyrant. Perhaps what many citizens around the country, and even in Northern Florida do not clearly comprehend, is that the Cuban people who came to this country did so to escape a brutal, oppressive ruler. They risked their lives to come to America so that their children could live in freedom without the fear and instability of a savage dictator.

I am old enough to remember the influx of Cubans fleeing Castro. My Temple helped countless Cuban/Jewish families come to this country and assisted them in assimilating so that they could live safe, free lives in South Florida.

I grew up and attended school with these children, some of whom were traumatized by a move from their homeland, had to learn a new language, all while trying to block out memories of an oppressive Castro regime. I watched as they acclimated themselves, becoming productive members of the South Florida community. That is why I rejoiced at the news of Fidel Castro’s death.  I wish those brave early immigrants, who first arrived when I was little, were still alive to witness the death of the dictator who caused them so much pain and heartache and forced them to flee their beloved homeland.

It is this knowledge I witnessed growing up. I learned the lessons of the Holocaust in the early 1950’s when I observed many of my neighbors with numbers burned deeply into their flesh. It was then that I first understood the value and the price of freedom and equality. Those courageous men and women were examples of the human spirit, and helped shape the woman I grew up to be. Their endurance and strength became implanted in my brain enforcing the message that we Americans must NEVER allow any dictator to rise up ever again. NOT ever!!!

That is why I am wary and very fearful of Donald Trump. He needs to be watched carefully to make sure he does not turn into a Castro or a Hitler. America MUST remain the land of the free, a shining example of democracy.  Unfortunately, Trump doesn’t seem to understand that in America, EVERY citizen has rights, and we follow our Constitution. He is President Elect, NOT King Elect and is required to uphold our Constitution. He can NOT do whatever he feels like on a whim.

I pray that each of us stays vigilant so that the Cuban people did not flee their country in vain, and that the Jews who fled Europe for freedom, are not suddenly victims once again of  blatant anti-Semitism. And I hope that all the other immigrants who came to this great land because they wanted a shot at the American dream, will get to continue to live out those dreams in freedom.

Today watching the celebrations in Miami, I understood more than ever just how much Castro’s death means to the Cuban community. It represents hope.

I beseech America to carefully make sure freedom always rings throughout our land! It is up to us to make sure that our President Elect does not take away our rights. They are ours to have. Do not let a dictator ruin what so many of our ancestors fought and died for.

G-d Bless America.

A Trump Apocalypse

   A Trump Apocalypse!!

I have been trying not to watch the news these last few days before the election, because I get way too upset at the realization (and the absurdity), that half of our nation is likely  to vote for Donald Trump to become the President of the United States.

That thought has me so baffled and distraught, that I have begun to binge watch just about anything on Netflix to avoid thinking about Donald Trump! Suddenly, rather than watching non stop MSNBC or CNN, I have found other types of TV to  become my  mindless entertainment, just so I don’t have to think about the possibility of impending doom in the event that Hillary doesn’t win the election.

This morning I tuned into the show “The View” to get away from anything political while I had my second cup of coffee.  However, no such luck! The moment I clicked on the tube, I discovered that Chris Wallace was their first guest! And once again I felt that deep sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach that life as I have known it for over 6 decades, was about to end. And worst of all, every time I hear anything about the election, I feel like a “huge” amount of Americans are being sucked into the “Trump Zone”. (Imagine the music from the Twilight Zone playing right now.)

Forget worrying about a zombie apocalypse, and think Doomsday, the Trump kind!!!! Which is way worse because zombies are nowhere near as scary as Donald Trump!

Ugh! Apparently, I can’t seem to get away from that misogynist  no matter how hard I try. Newscasters, even some of my friends and neighbors, and quite frankly the oddest groups of Americans I have ever observed, seem to be coming out of the woodwork and repeating his nonsensical rhetoric. It is horrifying….I feel like I am in the middle of bad B movie where the zombies have eaten the brains of half the population and the ones who are left are not shouting “Brains!” But, are doing that weird Zombie walk screeching, “Trump.” Their lips are moving, but their eyes are glossed over and their brains are completely gone. And daily I become more disheartened at the foolish, surreal behavior I am observing from what used to be perfectly normal human beings.  They are Trump Zombies who have lost all logic, all reason, and are beyond judgment and critical thinking ability. I just don’t get it!!!

For a dedicated educator like myself, to see such recklessness, such a lack of thinking,  it is disheartening. I am ashamed to watch former rational people make irrational decisions. It makes me contemplate if I will have to give up on my life’s dream of making this world a better place. Because, if a man like Donald Trump can run for President of this great nation, then we have reached a new low in standards, a new low in kindness and compassion, and a new lack of decency. Our values in the country I love, seem to have fallen by the wayside and gotten lost somewhere under the bleachers at a Trump rally.

Our political system has traveled far away from just Republican or Democrat. As this election has evolved, it has transformed from normal political banter into vicious GOP intimidation, to  out and out lies. Making dignity, class, responsibility, and actual facts no longer matter. Decades of public service are ignored and bullying is applauded. Nope, I really don’t get what happened in this election.

My goals in thinking that human beings have an innate desire to strive, to learn, to educate themselves to find the truth, and then pass it on to help one another, have been squashed by listening to the fabricated falsehoods of Mr. Trump and his tyrannical verbal accusations or his rampaged tweets. All justifying  violence!

And my desire is to go back to the philosophers of old to seek the truth, which in my estimation is pure and quite simple. If you care about others, you take the high road, and help your fellow man succeed. You fill yourself up with all the knowledge available. If you are going to become a leader, then you make sure that those who are less fortunate than yourself are taken care of and are taught how to care for themselves so they can improve the quality of their lives. And you think positively not negatively.  You uplift the country not tear it down.

So, let me try to clearly break down and explain to those of  you who have decided to vote for Trump, what you are ultimately doing:

1.You are condemning women to remain second-class citizens. Your daughters and grand daughters will learn that they can NEVER achieve no matter how hard they try or how bright they are. By voting for an unqualified Trump over an experienced Hillary, you are showing girls that they can NEVER get to the top! That even if they reach the head of the class, and are the smartest, most competent girls or women in the country, they can NOT defeat an incompetent, less qualified, brash, crude man. Simply because they are female! And because of blind prejudice.

2.  A vote for Trump means you are sentencing minorities to be treated as if they are  subhuman, and not a vital part of our society.

3.  A vote for Trump is saying that bullying is acceptable and that sexual harassment is the norm and requires no punishment for bad, disgusting behavior.

4. A vote for Trump means you are condoning bigotry and allowing sexism to overtake our Republic once again.

5.  You can kid yourself and say a vote for Trump is a vote for conservatism. But conservative values do NOT undervalue women, children, minorities, or the law. Religious freedom means that ALL faiths may worship freely NOT just one faith.

6. A vote for Donald Trump is in essence, saying that you are voting to take away every constitutional right we ever had, and every amendment we added, because Trump does not have a clue about government or our Constitution.

Make no mistake. If Donald Trump wins, the rights of women, children, minorities, will diminish, and we will travel back to the days where women died in back allies, where segregation was legal, where people who were not the majority faith, color, gender in this country were not given jobs, could not go into certain establishments ,or live any where they wanted, or marry who they love.

8. A vote for Trump is more than just a vote. It will be the end of Democracy, as we know it.