OPINION
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2005
PAGE 7A
WWW.KANSAN.COM
BEELER'S PERSPECTIVE
Nate Beeler/EXAMINER
THE B-SIDE
Jews must be self-critical in Middle East controversy
I am a Zionist. I was named for a great-grandfather who lost his entire family in the Holocaust, and so I believe strongly in the importance of a safe place for Jews to gather in times of trouble. Israel is that place, but only barely.
SAM HOPKINS shopkins@kansan.com
Bus bombings and compulsory military service have sunk
in as unwelcome facts of life for many native-born Israelis and immigrants alike. The Zionist vision of aliyah, meaning "ascent," is often inverted to yeridah — "descent" — the word used to describe Jewish migration away from Israel.
Yeridah can be explained easily: the Jewish dream has long been to live in peace, with religious and cultural freedom. Personally, I feel safe and free in the United States as well as in Israel, but many Israelis are frustrated
Modern Israel has been at war since its birth in 1948, albeit with different combatants and at different levels of intensity. The Star — literally "shield" — of David graces Israel's national flag, but that age-old Jewish symbol has covered far too many coffins for true comfort.
by so many unfulfilled promises of peace.
We Jews have historically been victimized for our distinctness.
The desire to transform our fate has sometimes introduced a paradox — even when inflicting harm, we hold ourselves as victims. It is extremely difficult for people whose only strength
An Arab friend recently asked me about a map he had seen in anti-Israeli propaganda that is common in the Middle East. The map shows "Greater Israel," a purported Zionist plot to conquer all the land that was once a part of Ancient Israel. I have seen those maps before and sighed with disappointment as I beheld them.
over two millennia has been education to imagine themselves as bullies.
I sighed because Greater Israel was once the dream of a right-wing minority that included Likud Party founder Menachem Begin. The idea
was foolish but tempting to many Jews who were sick of being kept in small neighborhoods and villages that made easy targets for anti-Jewish mobs. They thought territorial expansion might bring quiet.
Here's the kicker, though:
The same Menachem Begin
who railed against the Arabs was the first Israeli leader to forge a peace treaty with an Arab country. From 1979 to 1981, Jewish settlements in the Sinai Peninsula were destroyed by the Israeli government that had chartered them, and the land was returned to Egypt, from whom it had been conquered in 1967.
We Jews are astute commentators when we have the gift of outside perspective.In our conflicts we must maintain that sense, avoid recourse to arms whenever possible and be more harshly critical of ourselves than anyone else could ever be.
The desire to achieve security must be coupled with our own resilient good will. The current
military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip should be part of this process: A big dream — more land and security — has been tempered by a bloody reality that is swallowing the integrity of key Jewish and Zionist principles of justice and self-determination.
Some Jews and Arabs believe that God commands them to kill the other. The Holy Land itself is charged with history and bitterness. But, like any pre-school teacher will tell you, "He hit me first" is not a valid argument forever. Eventually, someone has to grow up so that the fighting can stop.
A country of Jewish character should be a land of justice for all nations, whose strength and safety are rooted in sympathy cultivated during a long history of victimhood.
ators when we have the gift of outside perspective. In our conflicts we must maintain that sense, avoid recourse to arms whenever possible and be more harshly critical of ourselves than anyone else could ever be.
We Jews are astute commen-
THE CROSSWORD CAN WAIT
❖ Hopkins is a Prairie Village senior in linguistics and international studies.
Teasing no reason to deny foster care to gay parents
The Texas House of Representatives attempted to pass legislation last week that would make it illegal for anyone who identifies themselves as homosexual or bisexual to be foster parents.
MATT SEVCIK
msevcik@kansan.com
When I read this news, I thought, "Wow, this column practically writes itself.
How can anyone prefer children to go hungry than have foster parents? How can anyone prefer that children sleep in cold alleys at night than in heated bedrooms?"
I laughed to myself and thought, "Do I really even need to write this column?"
But you see, there are people out there with a disease. It's a social disease called homophobia,
disease. It's a social disease and unfortunately, it exists in many different, difficult-to-discern degrees.
Any irrational fear, any unfair perception or prejudice, even if never acted upon toward another human being because of an aspect of their lifestyle they cannot control is discrimination.
And this discrimination is referred to as homophobia when it is directed at someone based on their sexual preference.
It is essentially a slap in the face to a group of people who exist in your culture whether you want them to or not.
Many of you may have noticed that there is always
an excuse for discrimination that makes people feel better about it, such as religion for instance.
"Oh yeah, there is this book written two thousand years ago that says your lifestyle is unnatural and so you can't get married, openly serve in the military or provide homes to needy children."
ual acts in front of the child?
Or maybe you like scientific excuses for discrimination?
Nothing difficult in history was ever accomplished by recoiling in fear. And yes, kids will get teased for having two dads or two moms. But, I'd rather have kids getting teased than turning to drug dealing or prostitution because the government had a problem with their foster parents' sexuality.
I live my life according to certain aspects of this book when it benefits me, and although allowing you to have these unalienable rights could never possibly affect my life, I feel the need to promote hateful discrimination because God will be like totally pissed off at me if don't."
raise a child, and when I hear this, I can't help but wonder: Just what are they implying here?
"Oh yeah, because of certain evolution-induced rules about how to conceive a baby — i.e. man and a woman only — it's only natural that you shouldn't be allowed to engage in an institution created by man — marriage — nor can you defend our country as well as a person who likes the opposite member of their sex, nor can you raise a child without it turning out all totally messed up."
But, many people reading this column would say that it crosses the line when they want to
But, I know most of our readers don't feel this way. They say they don't mind homosexuality. They don't care what the hell people want to do in the privacy of their own homes.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense to me.
Do they think the parents are going to try and turn the child into a homosexual, because this would be such a cataclysmic tragedy? Do they think they will engage in sex-
"No, of course not!" the homophobes respond. "We're just afraid that society isn't ready for a child raised in this kind of environment. They'll get teased at school, they'll have a hard time growing up."
Oh, OK. I never thought of this. If a problem is too difficult to tackle, we'd better just leave things the way they are.
You know, lots of people said they had nothing against black people, but that racial school integration would just be too hard. They said, "Oh the black people will get teased at school. They'll have a hard time growing up."
foster parents' sexuality.
Well, we need to wake up and realize the problem isn't going to be solved if we shy away from it. Nothing difficult in history was ever accomplished by recoiling in fear. And yes, kids will get teased for having two dads or two moms.
But, I'd rather have kids getting teased than turning to drug dealing or prostitution because the government had a problem with their
And the sad truth is, most people don't want these kids. Most people don't want to waste their time. They've been through hard times, they've been passed up for adoption, and our government — in all of its compassionate conservatism glory — sure doesn't want to fund programs that give out "handouts" to take care of them.
But I'll tell you where these kids end up when there is no one else to take care of them. They end up with pimps working the streets. They end up with gangs selling drugs.
But for some people who distort religion and science to promote hateful, discriminating legislation, they'd rather have kids turning tricks or selling dope than worry about "a poor kid being raised by faas."
But, you know, I can write columns in The University Daily Kansan, and politicians can try to pass legislation, and kids can try to hand out those little bibles on Wescoe Beach that we all leave in whatever class we have next, but think hard about who this law really hurts.
Not me, not the representatives, not the foster parents, not the church member; this hurts the children. So think about the 6,000 Texas children who would be displaced by this law.
And let's make sure it's never 6,000 Kansas kids.
♦ Sevcik is a Leavenworth junior in English.
REPORT CARD Pass:
♦ KU softball. The Jayhawks reversed their fortunes by sweeping fifth-ranked Oklahoma over the weekend. It's been a difficult season at times, but it appears that they could finish strong and on a high note.
- **Farmer's market**. Fresh fruit and vegetables make their return to Vermont Street on Saturday.
Fail:
- Pope Benedict XVI. We've been a little hard on the pope since his promotion, but he didn't exactly inspire confidence when he told people that he prayed to God that the papal conclave couldn't elect him.
♦ New York Yankees. With a payroll of nearly $206 million, what exactly is the excuse for last place?
Free All
Hey editorial board, you guys are so awesome recently. I mean, first you failed KUnited, and then you failed the Catholic Church. Well guess what? We're gonna keep on winning. Bye!
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my roommate just had to bribe me $$ to write her paper,
and I said, "No, thanks, I'm not a Missouri Tiger."
---
In honor of Senator Dole's visit this Tuesday, we should spruce up campus a little bit. You know, pick up trash, plant a tree, and put the hot dog cart back on Wescos Beach.
I'm pretty sure April 20 is probably the stupidest holiday ever invented, and people need to grow up. Thanks.
I was just curious why we have leaflowers out on the windiest day that I've ever seen in Lawrence.
If not for Matt Dougherty, Roy Williams never would have won the national title.
-
My pet peeve is my dog named "Peeve."
I woke up this morning to the Village People. Today is a good day.
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