I HAVE AN ACQUAINTANCE, the brother of a girl I dated in junior high.
He is a liberal.
As a liberal, he sees only things he wants to see – ignoring all opposing opinions and facts – and he hears only what pleases him.
I have another acquaintance, this time a woman who also is a liberal. As with her male counterpart (they do not know one another), if something is not as she thinks it should be, she won’t deal with it.
These leftists are the perfect representatives for Psalm 1151.
My leftist acquaintances are not alone. I am certain there are “conservatives” equally blind and deaf to ideas they don’t hold.
On the other hand, most conservatives I know will at least consider another’s point of view.
These people, acquaintances , not friends, are intelligent people. Both are college grads – I wonder how they managed to pass courses with which they were not in 100 percent agreement. They both are in my age bracket – in other words, they have been exposed to more than a biased viewpoint over the years.
Yet now, in their dotage, “They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;
They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not;”
Of course that is not entirely accurate: they have mouths and they speak invective against all things they oppose.
Not logical arguments, but attacks.
My acquaintances are – sadly – a sign of the times. They represent the political left, and it is a densely populated “political left..” These are Hillary’s people.
These are the people who hit the streets supporting illegal immigrants (whom they hire to do their grunt work), these are the people who rally to support Temporary Protective Status for people who came to America more than 5 years ago (just how long IS “temporary?”) people who, unlike the American citizens of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, who returned home to help rebuild their islands, refuse to go home to help their neighbors pick up the pieces.
These are people, many of whom are Jews, who populate J Street and other anti-Israel organizations claiming Israel is an “apartheid” state; do they even KNOW what “apartheid”2 means?
They fail to realize – or simply WON’T recognize – that an “apartheid” would not have a minority on the Supreme Court (Israel does), have a vocal minority party that preaches hatred for the government that protects their free speech (Israel does), would not have integrated minorities into the army, health organization, and at all levels of government (Israel does).
Finally, if Israel is an oppressive, apartheid state, why are so many Muslims trying to get in?3
- I know it’s an unfair question, but have these Israel bashers ever BEEN to Israel Have they first handknowledge of life in Israel -- for Jews and non-Jews alike? Have they ever seen the Muslim homes on the road between Tel Aviv and Nazareth? Most Israeli Jews don’t have homes as beautiful. I lived there and I worked with Jews and non-Jews.
These leftists prefer to cut off their noses to spite themselves – preventing a Jewish LGBTQ group from participating in an LGBTQ march4 or the leftist woman’s organization that would rather walk out than march with a Jewish actress5.
- On the other hand, I never have heard anyone refuse medicines developed in Israel – “Palestinian leadership” makes a beeline for Israeli medical care when it or the leadership’s kin need superior care. Nor have I heard of any anti-Israel/anti-Semite refusing a mobile phone because critical components were developed or made in Israel. Eyes but cannot see; ears but cannot hear.”
Making decisions based on “facts” provided by people who are committed to the leftist/liberal cause is akin to going to one university for bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees taught by instructors who were educated at the same university. Guaranteed stale. (Some universities wisely require that master candidates attend a different university to reduce academic inbreeding.)
I note that liberals/leftists are fond of stating their positions, loudly and forcefully, but they are far from willing to LISTEN to differing opinions. If they dislike what someone says, the will shout down the speaker so no one can hear a contrary point of view.
My liberal/leftist acquaintances basically are good people; they just are people with blinders (and ear plugs).
Eyes but cannot see; ears but cannot hear.”
Resources
1. Psalm 115: https://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26b5.htm
2. Apartheid: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid
3. Muslims move to Israel: http://daledamos.blogspot.com/2012/03/arabs-and-muslims-prefer-to-live-in.html
https://youtu.be/iqd7xg199aY
4. LBGTQ: http://www.newsweek.com/gay-pride-marchers-jewish-flags-told-leave-chicago-parade-628879
5. Actress: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Palestinian-womens-group-out-of-Womens-March-over-Scarlett-Johansson-539355
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
