For Once, Barney Frank Gets It Right

I heard Barney Frank on "Morning Joe" this morning, 3/17/15 making remarks apropos Israel that were spot on.  He said, in so many words, that Netanyahu's declaration that, if he were to be re-elected  prime minister, he would keep the Palestinians from forming an independent state -- this due to security considerations -- ran counter to the wishes of the world community.  That even now nations worldwide are as concerned with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as they are with extremism in Islam such ISIS.  This is idiotic, but true.

Let's give that a moment's thought.  European's concern with the measures that Israel must take to defend  itself in the face of Islamic intransigence are as high on their list of concerns as are terrorists murdering, raping, enslaving all who do not share their horrific theology.  Is it necessary to add that Israel is the only country in the middle east that promotes equal rights for women, equal rights for members of the LGBT community, and extends equal rights to its citizens of various religious persuasions?

Polls have been taken showing that in an election held today on the west bank, it is likely that Hamas would trounce Fatah.  Is that what we would wish on Israel -- another community firing rockets at them?

There is a path to peace and it is through normalization.  Only through normalization will the welfare of the Palestinian people rise to a level where it will become obvious that democracy and good relations with the Jewish state next door is the proper path to follow.  One problem, for Abbas "normalization"  remains a dirty word.

And, you're right, Barney, the rest of the world doesn't get it.

Will The Real Michael Brown Stand Up

First there was Tawana Brawley.  Now, there's Michael Brown.  But, there is a difference.  Tawana Brawley deserved our sympathy.  If I recall correctly, she suffered abuse at the hands of a terrible step father.  Al Sharpton turned that situation from one of trying to help a needy child, to one of attempting to besmirch the reputation of an honest prosecutor.  To some extent, the justice system worked.  A lawyer working with Al Sharpton was disbarred.  Al Sharpton was heavily fined.  But, his fine was only paid after many, many years by his supporters -- not by him.  Hiding his money is a skill well honed by the Reverend.

In the case of Michael Brown and Ferguson, the situation was quite different.  Here malcontents decided to burn the town of Ferguson because an unarmed black youth had been shot to death by a police officer.  An account of the shooting was spun to the point where it bore little resemblance to what had actually happened.  Based on this false narrative, hoodlums describing themselves as "protesters" burned local businesses, overturned cars and fought with the police.  The month of rioting culminated in the shooting of two police officers.

This miscarriage of justice did more than simply cause grievous damage to innocent Ferguson citizens.  It angered honest citizens who watched on their TVs what the protestors were doing.  What flaws exist in the system -- and there are many -- make correcting those flaws far more difficult.  We can clearly see a great many flaws such as the many black kids murdered by other black kids.  Then too, it's clear that there are communities where police culture and the lack of diversity in the police departmens need to be addressed.

But, while these flaws must be corrected, improving the system becomes far more difficult when it's reduced to "us" versus "them."  And, that's what Al Sharpton has been doing.  Sharpton may be a lot of things, but one thing he's not is a Martin Luther King.