A Modern Inquisition

The leadership of some mainstream Christian Churches, including the Presbyterian, Methodist and Lutheran Dominations, have sent a letter to the United States Congress asking that aid to Israel be curtailed because of Israel's maltreatment of the Palestinians. Ironically, the groups most endangered in the middle east because of their religion, are the Christians.* Copts are fleeing Egypt for their lives, Christians have fled Iraq for their lives, and the Christian sects in Syria will be endangered when Assad falls. Mainstream Jewish groups are finally beginning to be fed up with their Christian counterparts, no longer trying to explain and justify Israel's preference for survival in a hostile part of the world. Today, 20 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel. The church leaders should concern themselves with the fate of Christians in the Arab world, on that they remain almost silent. The Photograph is of a church burning in Egypt.

*Because of Israel, the Jews can defend themselves,and the Christians in Israel.

The Night of Broken Glass

In 1938, on the nights of November 9 and 10, the Nazis whipped up anti-Jewish riots in a pogrom now known as Kristallnacht.


During these two nights, synagogues were set on fire and thousands of Jewish shop windows were broken.



Ninety one Jews were killed. 30,000 were arrested and taken to camps, a harbinger of the Holocaust.

Pawlowski's Freakout

Although President Obama won handily in Allentown, there are a few polling places where Republican and conservative candidates are in play. One of those bastions is the 17th Ward, 3th District, conducted at Sons Of Israel Synagogue. Although one of highest turnout polling places in Allentown, Obama won by less than 30 votes. Voters arriving there witnessed an unusual sight, the mayor of Allentown trying to disenfranchise their right to petition. Pawlowski told the press that he was concerned that the water lease opponents were being deceptive about his proposal.

"We have gotten reports that circulators are telling people that the city will be selling the plants," Pawlowski said in a statement. "We have spent nearly four months educating people about a proposed lease/concession. We can't allow a distortion of the facts. We are seeking to make sure that individuals are getting the correct information."

I have no doubt that the petition circulators were following the letter of the law. They are well aware of the administration's scrutiny and actions against their effort. In regard to distortion, Pawlowski should tell the voters that the lease will not expire until their grandchildren need a nursing home.

I Like Ike

The lawn signs in Allentown's deep west end, and across the Cedar Crest Boulevard into South Whitehall, favored Romney by far. I did notice an Obama organizational house down my street. For three days no less than half a dozen cars were there, with volunteers coming and going all day. Although I was at my polling place by 7:00A.M., I was number 90 in line. The neighbor ahead of me said that he and his wife would be clicking on a different name for President. I had assumed from the yard signs that Romney would take my district, he didn't. Romney lost every district in Allentown, and the total vote in South Whitehall. The pundits say that the Republican Party is out of date with current demographics and values. Shown in the photograph is Chester Riley from The Life of Riley, a program from the 1950's. He would end each episode by saying, What a revolting development this turned out to be.

Roosevelt's Health Declines

When Republicans ask me about Jewish voting trends, I usually reply that the Jews don't know that Roosevelt died, and that he didn't particularly like them anyway. They have been genetically programmed for the Democratic Party since their great-great bubas thought Roosevelt was helping them. Jewish support for Obama slipped from 78% in 2008, to 69% on Tuesday. Although that is a significant move of the needle, considering how important Israel is to the Jewish psyche, and how little affinity Obama has for that nation, genetics still prevailed.

The Analogy Called Allentown

Not so long ago, Allentown was a giant in both industry and commerce. While Lehigh Structural Steel fulfilled orders for oversized fabrications under the Tilghman Street Bridge, Western Electric invented the tiny transistors, a few blocks beyond on Union Boulevard. During the summer months, workers and their families from both heavy and light industry would entertain themselves at the drive-in movie, Dorney Park and the Max Hess baseball stadium, out on MacArthur Road. Western Electric would evolve into Lucent, which pioneered another electronic wonder, the silicon chip. The City of Allentown did it's share by updating our water system, to fulfill the demands of these industries. We now have been reduced to thinking that a baseball stadium on the parking lot of Lucent is commerce. We are reduced to selling our water system to pay for bad decisions by the mediocre. We actually celebrate these compromises.

Photograph of better days under the Tilghman Street Bridge