Israel's Dilemma Fighting Martyrdom

Rockets fired from inside Gaza City

During the second world War, the United States had trouble wrapping it's head around the kamikaze attacks. There is a similar situation occurring in Gaza. Israel is not targeting civilians; Hamas has placed their rocket launchers in civilian sites, with public approval. The rockets are fired from playgrounds and rooftops. As of Sunday, Israel aborted twenty five air strikes because their pilots reported seeing civilians near the targets. The leadership of Hamas has spoken in the past of jihad and martyrdom. They stated that they form human shields of women and children. Although urban rocket launchers and civilian causalities serve the purpose of Israel's enemies and distracters, Israel must protect its citizens. 

above reprinted from November of 2012 

ADDENDUM FEBRUARY 21, 2024:When Hamas attacked on October 7, 2023, butchering Israeli children and girls at a music festival, they knew full well that the Israeli response would be ferocious. As always, Hamas fired their weapons in Gaza from civilian locations, themselves placing their civilians in harm's way. Palestinian causalities have been enormous. Although world opinion quickly turned against Israel, they remain determined to destroy an enemy which will accept no co-existence. Many uninformed about the history of the conflict consider Israel an oppressor, some even accusing Israel of genocide. Some are predisposed to think the worse, others don't understand that some realities in this world leave few options.

Culture And Reality In New Allentown

The juxtaposition of the headlines pretty much says it all about the New Allentown. Although I'm low information on the symphony,  I'm forced to be more up to date on the shootings.  Although we learned that this is first homicide of 2024, we're not informed as to the number of shootings. It is that number, the shootings, that has gutted New Allentown's quality of life. 

In my day, before Allentown became what I now will call New Allentown, a man from Alburtis usually meant that his family lived there for multiple generations. Now it may well mean that he moved there three weeks ago.

In the old times we never had or needed a Lehigh Valley Homicide Task Force.

$100 A Week

In 1935, a Jewish boy earning $35 a week carrying 300 pound blocks of ice, was offered three times more to fight; win, lose or draw. For one hundred dollars a week, Jock Whitney, British aristocrat and sportsman, owned Abe Simon. Abe won his first 14 fights, 12 by knockout. On his climb to fight Louis in 1941 he would knock out 27 opponents, including Jersey Joe Walcott.

reprinted from September 2009

A New Police Station For Allentown

The mayor and police chief are clamoring for a new police station, to replace the aging facility built in 1962. The newest house I ever lived in was built in 1956. My previous houses were built in 1929 and 1905. Most of the row houses in Allentown date from 1895 to 1930.  While the police station heating system may indeed needed replacement, that doesn't require a new building. 

I think that this mayor and police chief should concentrate  more on quality of life issues before being concerned with replacing perfectly serviceable  municipal buildings. A new building won't reduce crime, but it will increase taxes.

Shown above is a 1960's era postcard, with a rendering of Allentown's new municipal facilities at that time.

Republicans Forego Allentown

Republicans have long forfeited Allentown, but with no candidates for this year's state representative races, they are also abandoning surrounding sections of Lehigh County. Josh Siegel in the 22nd,  Mike Schlossberg in the 132nd, Peter Schweyer in 134 and Jeanne McNeill in 133 all get a pass come November. 

A local Republican laments that they can't attract good candidates because the local media amplifies smear tactics used against them. Although there may be some truth to that explanation, as a conservative independent, I find the lack of choice in the voter booth unacceptable.  I hope an independent comes forward in some of these races.

Pictured above is my billboard from 2014, when I ran as an independent against eleven term powerhouse Julie Harhart from Northampton, and a Democrat. If I was younger and nicer, I would love to run again.

Lanta Suspends Service Because Of Snow

I haven't  been on a Lanta bus since my days at William Allen. However, I've been to Lanta headquarters and other locations for meetings about their service.  I first got on their case when they ended bus service to the former merchants of Hamilton Street, steering their passenger victims to their detention center across from the former Morning Call building. 

It seems that whenever there is a frisky snow predicted, they're awful quick to suspend service. While I can appreciate that they would like to avoid stuck buses, they seem less concerned about stranded passengers. Do not those who take a bus to work depend on it for their return trip home?

Lanta accounts to nobody. Although there are occasional Dept. of Transportation meetings which allow public comment, it doesn't carry any weight with the decision makers.