I went to register to vote in Woodbury on the Saturday before the Primary. I can’t remember the last time I voted in a Primary (maybe never). This year I wanted to weigh in with my opinion as to whether Joe Lieberman should represent the Democratic Party for the fourth time in the Senate Election. Unfortunately, the Registrar of Voters was not open for business on Saturday. I would have to watch the Primary from the sidelines.
I promise to return to this a bit later.
But now, for the first of my stories.
Years ago Bob Goldburg and I got to talking about Israel and Menachem Begin’s Government. This was after Bob, for health reasons, stepped down from the pulpit of Temple Mishkan Israel. During his tenure as Rabbi of Mishkan Israel, it was said that ours was the only Synagogue in America that had a Foreign Policy.
During that tenure, on one Friday Night Service, he would share that pulpit with Wayne Morse, Senator of Oregon… one of only two Senators to vote against the “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution” in 1964… the resolution that opened the floodgates to our involvement in Viet Nam.
Bob also did some time in the hoosegow. He marched with Martin Luther King supporting a cause he felt was central to our prophetic traditions… Traditions that spoke to social justice and humanity. For those beliefs he was sent to jail.
Anyway… I mentioned to Bob that I didn’t like the turn of the Government in Tel Aviv. I felt that the Conservative Likud, led by Begin, was playing too much to people’s fears… that they welcomed the “blessing” and partnership of the Religious Party in the governing coalition… the Religious Right, and I found little to separate the Jewish Right, from the Christian Right, or any Right for that matter.
There seemed to be no check to the “hard line” path that Begin and Likud pursued… particularly in its policy toward Settlements in the West Bank.
And then I offered that it disturbed me that as a Nation, as a People who had just suffered the ravages of the Holocaust, who had just survived a chapter when opportunities for free societies to relieve our plight were sidestepped for the inconvenience, for the lack of caring… how could we not see a corresponding suffering of the Palestinians.
A People similarly without a homeland… But in their case mis-led by foreign mentor governments who encouraged them not to compromise, not to accommodate… and then as a result had to suffer in refugee camps, while their “patrons” relished at their suffering and pointed to the injustice.
What disturbed me further was the manner in which dissent from Likud positions was equated with collaboration with enemy — or encouraging their intransigence.
I said that all this reminded me too much of criticism over the Viet Nam protest… Our boys are in uniform — my Country right or wrong (and if it were “my Country right or wrong” we’d still be pledging allegiance to the King and England. Too many folks forget that our Nation was born in protest).
As Jews in America we were told that we had to support Israel… we had to support its policies, even if those policies were unjust… to do otherwise would be to play into the arms of our enemies who, in the worst case, wish to annihilate us, or, in the best case, simply don’t like us and don’t want us in their country clubs.
Bob listened patiently, offering words to magnify or clarify a thought. And then he finally said to take heart… that there was liberal dissent in Israel as well (it just didn’t get the play here in the U.S.)… just as there had been in this Country during Viet Nam… that it was a growing voice that would gain momentum… that Labor would return to power. And hopefully, reason and a sense of social justice would prevail.
I wonder what Bob, if he was still with us, would say today? I don’t think he would be too happy over the course of events — in this Country or in Israel. And I could well imagine that his Rosh Hashonah Sermon this year would be first, an articulate attack on the War in Iraq and the Bush Administration, and second, support for Israel, then a shot at the rogue regimes of the Mid-East, and finally, compassion for all peoples of the region who fell victim to the results of misguided policies.
To the second of my stories…
In late May or early June Norwalk High School hosts an orientation night for the students and the parents of the incoming Freshmen class. This is as much an evening for the parents as it is for the kids… especially for first time parents — as was the case for Ellen and me when Zack readied to enter Norwalk High School.
The students are taken in tow by upper classmen… shown the layout of the School, have questions answered and undoubtedly provided the skinny on what rules can be stretched and which teachers to avoid.
Parents are herded into the auditorium, and we heard an address by the Principal, John Ramos. I think the purpose of his remarks was to impress upon us the serious responsibility that he, and the Staff and Faculty, assumed in educating our children. I think his speech was meant to make us feel good, give us confidence and not to frighten us.
Then in turn he introduced the Department Heads… English, Math, Science, History, Foreign Languages, Technical and the Arts. Each Department head had been given 3 minutes to give an overview of the course work and instruction. Again, the purpose was meant to enlighten and not to frighten.
When we left the auditorium I mentioned to Ellen that I was shocked at how poor each of the oral presentations were. From Ramos on down, there had not been one well prepared speech either in its content or in its delivery. This was meant to give us confidence about the quality of instruction that Zack was supposed to receive?
It bugged the shit out of me. This was from the best Faculty of the Department? You know… three minutes… that’s two pages of material and you couldn’t do better than that? On a once a year deal? That probably doesn’t have to change from one year to the next?
And what of Ramos? A Phd and a bright guy. But a Principal has to be good in Public. A Principal has to be bright and good in Public. That’s what they get paid for. Just bright guys are a dime-a-dozen… they can sit behind desks and make good Assistant Principals.
Maybe they misplaced their notes?
Hey, wait! That was it! The well crafted speech that they used year after year was left home on the kitchen counter, and it was only discovered a half hour before show time — too late to run home and fetch it… just have to scribble out a few ideas on a couple of index cards.
Yeah… that’s what I’m going with. This was just bad luck. The teachers (and Ramos) are miles better than they just presented.
On the way home, I reminded myself of the one and only time I had to go into the Men’s Room of Grand Central Station… I was with Zack, who was 4 or 5 at the time, and we saw grubby looking bums sitting in the urinals… I thought to myself, “please let these guys be undercover cops.”
Yeah… “please let these teachers be good.”
So, let’s get back to where this started…
It was Tuesday night and Sandy and I stayed up to hear Lieberman and Lamont give their speeches of Concession and Victory.
I was not, and am not, a big fan of Joe Lieberman. When he ran for Governor I had voted for Lowell Weicker.
For many folks, however, Lieberman’s presence on the National ticket was of great symbolic importance for the American Jewish Community. He was a source of pride (maybe the way women felt about Geraldine Ferraro).
Here was a man who was not only a Jew; but he was observant. He kept a Kosher home and followed Orthodox laws that few Jews in this Country, or on a worldwide basis, practice.
And maybe it’s an over simplification; but when an ugly matter of moral conduct reared its head in the White House, it would be Joe Lieberman, a voice of integrity and high ethical standard, to advise Bill Clinton to step aside for the good of the Country.
I admired that… in much the same way I admired Barry Goldwater when he delivered similar mail to Richard Nixon.
But if I wasn’t a fan of his before, I am certainly not now… I truly didn’t want to see him representing our State any more. His support of this Administration’s Policies in Iraq is more than I can stomach. Yet I had heard the whispers about losing seniority in the Senate (I thought that was what Dodd was for)… and more disturbing — the anti-Semites will be applauding side stage.
Is that what this is about? He’s “our guy”? He’s our guy right or wrong?
Sorry… I think that because he is “our guy”, it’s terribly important that he be the right guy… he is our “face” to the rest of the Country. And I think it is time for him to plan for life after public service.
Lieberman’s speech conceding defeat aired first. He is not the best of public speakers. He is dry in his delivery. But given the force of words and sentiment, he can make an effective address. His speech was not particularly good. But it was obvious he was prepared for the outcome of the election results. He had already announced his fall back position if defeated in the polls… he intended to run for a fourth term as an Independent. His speech then, was a launch pad for his run as an Independent. It was clear that he wasn’t ready to look for another line of work.
Anyway… I wasn’t too interested in Lieberman. I really wanted to hear what Lamont had to say. If the Registrar of Voters had been open on Saturday, Lamont would have had my vote.
“Campaign Headquarters” on Election Night morphs into a “pep rally”… goofy hats, corny signs, awful music… if you’re there it might be fun… but to see it on TV, it looks like a bad fraternity party. And the unfortunate citizens who are trapped on the podium have to be reminded not to get too drunk, or look too dumb (which they do anyway… look dumb that is).
Once word that Lieberman’s speech had concluded, Ned Lamont stepped up to the microphones. Amongst the hoots, shouts, cheers and applause, Lamont smiles and settles the crowd down and said that he apologized for taking so long to get to the stand (ostensibly, he was expecting Lieberman to concede earlier), and then he said without pause, “the drinks are on me!”
I shook my head. I could see George Bush, the Father saying something stupid like that. Even the Reformed George Bush, the Younger would use something like that to appeal to a crowd of ‘ol boys. Maybe this was a Greenwich thing.
But you know how it is… say something impromptu to show the human side before launching into the prepared stuff. But prepared stuff, even though it’s staged, when it’s good, is meant to enlighten and inspire us… to give definition to ideas.
So I waited for Lamont’s prepared stuff… something well thought out and reasoned… maybe even a clever turn of a phrase… a well articulated idea that could be the foundation of the upcoming campaign.
And I waited… OK, some typical political drivel followed the “drinks are on me”… And I waited. The camera scanned the podium… his key supporters who had to smile and behave. Lowell Weicker was there… Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton… Al Sharpton? What the hell was he doing there? And Jesse Jackson… wasn’t he the guy who called New York a “Sheenie Town” (he had apologized for the insensitive remark and promised to eat a bagel and cream cheese for breakfast… maybe he can lead Mel Gibson’s rehabilitation?).
Maybe I should re-think who I will support?
I turned off the set. If Lamont had anything inspiring to share, I missed it. I’m glad that Lieberman lost. And I am glad that I turned off the TV before Lamont had the chance to further disillusion me. From his stance on the War in Iraq alone, I know I would have voted for the better guy.
Maybe the next time Lamont finds himself on the podium claiming victory or acknowledging defeat, he will have something well thought out to share, and he will do a better job of presenting it.
For sure, I will not be on the sidelines on November 7. I will be up before first light to cast my vote at Old Town Hall in Woodbury. I will vote for the best choice as I see it. And I hope that you do the same. Hopefully reason and a sense of social justice will prevail.