Tag Archives: American

March 3, 2015

Open Letter to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

By davidgroen1

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Dear Congresswoman Pelosi,

For much of the day I debated whether or not to write this letter, but since I had difficulty purging my mind of your earlier histrionics I felt I had no other choice.  The histrionics I am referring to were the disrespectful and unprofessional reactions you displayed during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.  You went on to insult the Prime Minister further by making a point to leave the chamber before he did and then issued a statement that included the following comments.

I was near tears throughout the Prime Minister’s speech – saddened by the insult to the intelligence of the United States as part of the P5 +1 nations, and saddened by the condescension toward our knowledge of the threat posed by Iran and our broader commitment to preventing nuclear proliferation.

Ms Pelosi, I ask of you the following.  Just imagine if the leader of a powerful nation had sat and negotiated with Adolph Hitler.  And then imagine if that same leader had determined that negotiations were not only the right approach, but that they were working as well.  Now imagine that this misguided approach empowered and gave extra time to an evil regime to establish itself and start a juggernaut of evil that would result in 60 million people dying as well as a genocide that would result in the murder of 6 millions Jews, and millions more people including Serbs, gypsies and homosexuals.

I won’t insult your intelligence, because I now see how sensitive you are to that, by presuming you do not already know my point and to when and whom I am referring.  One can have a long debate as to whether or not President Obama compares to Neville Chamberlain, but there certainly is no debating the fact that Iran’s intentions for the 6 million or so Jews living in Israel are basically identical to the intentions Hitler had, and sadly was successful in carrying out against the Jewish population of Europe.

I present to you this question.  With what is at stake for not only the State of Israel but the entire world, so what if Prime Minister Netanyahu did insult the intelligence of the United States?  Why exactly does this bother you so much?  And to be quite blunt, with so many members of Congress giving him a standing ovation and so many people respecting and appreciating what the Prime Minister said, do you truly believe you can speak for this country when making this claim?  I know of numerous people, very intelligent people who greatly appreciated this speech.  I am sure Congress consists of numerous people of above average intelligence and most of the one’s I saw watching his speech seemed anything but insulted.

I offer this statement as an answer to most of these queries.  In taking this stance against America’s most important and most loyal ally, elements within the Democratic Party did exactly what they claimed they objected to the most. They politicized the speech.  And what made it even worse, and may very well be some of the source of your consternation, is that it did not make those who opposed the speech with vigor look very good.  Seeing as you were one of those people, I can see how you would be upset.

I want you to know that this letter comes from a man who has voted Democrat far more often than he has voted Republican and from someone who voted for Barack Obama.  This is not a letter from a right-wing Conservative.  This is a letter from a Jewish American man who loves the State of Israel, loves the United States of America, and loves peace and freedom.  And this is a letter from a man who can not for the life of him understand why anyone who loves any of those three would be insulted by Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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January 15, 2015

Open Letter to Mehdi Hassan in response to his letter to “Free Speech Fundamentalists” in the Huffington Post

By davidgroen1

mehdi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Mehdi,

I am not Islamophobic.  I am also not a liberal pundit.  I am however a Jewish American Zionist who is opposed to any extremism that leads to violence against innocents.  Although I know you are not Jewish and would guess there is a better than fair chance that you are not a Zionist,  if I am to take you on your word in this letter, you are opposed to extremist violence against innocents. However, unfortunately like too many other decent Muslims, I believe you are missing a crucial point in your argument.  The concerns you have revolve around circumstances created by fellow Muslims, not the liberal hypocrites you feel the need to attack in your letter.

CLICK HERE TO READ MEHDI HASSAN’S LETTER

I think there are those who are standing up and screaming for free speech that are indeed hypocrites.  I do not however feel that they are the problem, nor do I believe that you are utilizing your time in the best manner possible by using this moment to expose their flaws.  This letter you wrote is the first thing I have ever seen written by you.  I do not know how much time you have spent on the more critical aspects of the global crisis we find ourselves in today.  I accept and appreciate how devastated you were personally by the awful acts of terrorism in Paris.  It is for this reason that I write to you with a degree of respect.  However, I believe it is critical for you to understand Mehdi, that the entire narrative is generated by the vicious behavior of more than a few Muslims.  And what I hope you realize, is that my making that statement does not make me Islamophobic.  I would be happy to meet you, shake your hand, have a drink or lunch and have a nice conversation.  I would look at it no differently than getting together with anyone else for the first time.  You being a Muslim does not make me see you automatically as a threat  or a problem.  That would make me Islamophobic.  Being honest about the reality of our world today, albeit harsh, does not.

How does this connect to your issues with what you call the Free Speech fundamentalists?  Unfortunately it is very simple and very basic.  They are not murdering anyone.  They are not trying to stop people’s activities at all costs regardless of the carnage or loss of human life. I’ve seen very little of the product to come out of Charlie Hebdo. Why? Because it is irrelevant in what should be the discussion today?  If I were to play devil’s advocate and say the creators of the product produced by Charlie Hebdo were and are offensive and disgusting, that would be a very minor infraction compared to murder.  Making offensive cartoons is not a crime punishable by death.  As you know and have stated.

You are fed up?  So am I. I am fed up by those who believe that a proponent of free speech who verbally attacks those whose viewpoints they despise are considered to be against free speech themselves.  That is hogwash.  I write Open Letters, many a lot harsher than this one, all the time.  Sometimes I am insulting, demeaning, and even downright nasty.  But I have never threatened one person with physical harm nor do I ever encourage or belong to any organization that does encourage physical harm, even to those I know hate me just for being Jewish.  Instead I exercise my free speech to expose them for what they are, and do my best to help encourage a verbal process that makes them shut up.  But let’s be honest Mehdi, there is a lot more chance of this letter generating a threat against my safety than there is of your letter generating one against yours.

All actions have consequences and words have responses.  If I attempt to drown your words either through my words or a process, I am not opposing free speech.  Instead I am using my free speech to battle you in the appropriate and civilized manner.  As I know you to believe as well, violence is neither an appropriate nor civilized manner in which to silence someone and someone who holds that same opinion is not a hypocrite just because in their expression of their free speech they say something we find ignorant or abhorrent. It just gives us the opportunity to oppose them in the same manner. Unless what they say promotes violence, in which case I think we would both agree they are not on our level.

Some of your points I believe to be valid and some points I disagree with vehemently, but I only truly take issue with what I consider is your moving the narrative in a wrong direction, and for that reason I hope you reconsider your approach.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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January 7, 2015

The Increasingly Rapid Destruction of Freedom

By davidgroen1

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Anyone with any degree of normalcy and decency is of course horrified for the victims and families of the victims of today’s terrorist attack in Paris.   That being said, if people continue to deny the realities of the situation, what happened today will become increasingly more commonplace.

What we are witnessing is an attack on global freedom.  Working in a satirical magazine’s office should not be a dangerous job. However, forces within the Muslim world are choosing to make it one, and to deny that fact is tantamount to folding up the tent and running away.  As a Jew, and specifically as an American Jew, whether I speak up or remain silent I am ultimately in some danger anyway.  But for a citizen of France or any other western country who is not Jewish, their life is now clearly threatened by what they say or do in the name of freedom. Most importantly, this may have happened in Paris, but it was an attack on anyone on the planet who dares to make statements offensive to Muslims.

Earlier today I heard someone on CNN make the comment, and I paraphrase, “Muslims find killing innocent people abhorrent”.  I found it to be an interesting statement and predictably unchallenged on CNN.  Let’s assume his comment to be true. The problem with the statement is, what do radical Muslims consider innocent?  Is someone who commits blasphemy against Islam innocent in their eyes? If not, this commentators comments indirectly and possibly unintentionally justify today’s attack.  The other problem with this statement is very simply put, it is too little too late.

The comparisons between Nazi Germany and radical Muslim are becoming more and more prevalent.  For the most part this is due to the behaviors of those most vicious.  Sadly there needs to be one more comparison made.  Until Germany was not only defeated, but crushed, we did not have the luxury of distinguishing between good Germans and bad ones.  The only distinction was between those Germans fighting against the Nazis and those either staying neutral or participating in their activities.  If Muslims want to avoid Islamophobia and ultimately global catastrophe, they need to stand up against the evil within their midst.  It is no longer enough to assume that we know you don’t support murder.  You need to fight it with the rest of us.  If you do not, there will come a time when you will be victims of the same evil, albeit from the source or from those reacting to the source.

This is of course a much more complicated battle to fight than the battle against Nazi Germany.  After all, that evil was centralized in one country, while this evil has tentacles reaching all over the world.  But it must be fought, because ultimately it looks to encompass all those who cherish freedom and tolerance and subsequently may be the greatest global danger we’ve ever seen. I am certain it has already made many fearful of expressing their views, something that can only be seen as a victory for the enemy.

I know this attack was reportedly committed by only 3 men, but make no mistake, culpability falls on a large percentage of the Muslim world, for it is now no longer enough to meekly say you don’t like it once it has already happened.  The burden now falls on those claiming to cherish peace, to demand and fight for peace. Otherwise those words are hollow shells that do nothing to improve the situation.  Otherwise how do we even know you truly want a peaceful and tolerant world?

Peace, freedom and tolerance have no religion or passport. Those who truly want it, want it for everyone and will stand up to their own in order to make it happen.  We no longer have the luxury of assuming those who claim to want this freedom actually do if they do nothing to help make it happen.  Just as we couldn’t hope the quiet Germans didn’t support Adolph Hitler.  Had we assumed otherwise, freedom would have been destroyed many years ago.  Let’s not allow it to be destroyed today.

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November 3, 2014

Open Letter to Hypocrites Everywhere

By davidgroen1

hypoDear Hypocrite,

You know who you are.  You’re the person who screams and shouts against injustice when it’s fashionable.  You take a stand against those you know won’t hurt you.  You somehow manage to miss the obvious, stay quiet through the worst atrocities, and pick on the people you don’t like, not the people who actually do something wrong.

I admit I will never be completely objective.  I am a Jew and a Zionist.  I am also an American born of Dutch parents.  This means that I will always hope to find the positive when assessing the behaviors of anyone Jewish, Israeli, American and Dutch.  I also have a particular fondness for Canadians and I feel a strong connection to the British.  I actually like a lot of people.  What I don’t like are manipulators, thieves, imperialists, and most of all murderers.   I admit there are many grey areas in the first 3 categories and therefore some of it could be left open for interpretation, but a murderer is a murderer and I therefore won’t ever defend one.  What is important here is that this is the category in which you specialize.  You don’t look at the facts and determine who really is a murderer, you use your personal biases to change the terminology and manipulate the narrative.

Case in point, “the militant” or “freedom fighter”.  You somehow establish a moral equivalency between the Israeli soldier and the Palestinian terrorist. You try to make the case that the fight is equally justified on both sides, when in reality Israel’s fight is not against an established army of a credible nation, it it is a war against terror.  You may or may not work for the United Nations.  If you do, and I’ll be fair and not make any assumptions, you may be in favor of investigating Israel for war crimes or you may not.   If you are, do you realize that your hypocrisy is contributing to the destruction of the planet?  Your agenda is one that attacks the one democracy in the Middle East and ignores the wrongdoings of those committing acts of murder.  You speak of human rights yet you give a pass to those most guilty of human rights violations.  It makes no sense to the unbiased person, but makes all the sense in the world to those with a certain very dangerous and cynical agenda.

Then there’s the hypocritical Liberal.  I personally hold some viewpoints that would only be described as liberal and subsequently  am not blanketing all Liberals in this letter by any means.  The one’s I am referring to are those who claim to fight for tolerance and understanding and then turn around and attack and defend the wrong people.  Case in point, the academic that puts all their focus on boycotting Israel because they claim Israel has apartheid views and is persecuting the Palestinians, but says nothing about those nations openly and aggressively persecuting certain groups within their citizenry.

It’s always easy to distinguish between the sincere defender of the innocent and those who are tainted by personal bias.  The most objective statement a genuine person would have said about the war in Gaza if all they cared about was human life and not the political aspects and causes would have been, “I wish they would stop fighting so innocent people no longer get killed.”  I’ve never criticized one person who said they wanted peace for both Jews and Palestinians.  There truly is nothing wrong or hypocritical in wanting that. What is wrong is to claim you want this and put the blame on Israel.  You make excuses for the bad behavior of terrorists causing the conflict and concern yourself more with their rights than you do for the rights of not only the Israelis fighting it, but the Palestinian people being used as pawns by their very people.  Your behavior is not unlike the activist that focuses more on the treatment of a criminal in jail than on the rights of the victims they hurt.  You may define it as Liberal, but to me it is at best the epitome of misplaced Liberalism, and at worse devious hypocrisy.

If you are someone who claims to be a fighter for women’s issues and gay rights why are you not fighting against those governments or terrorist organizations that abuse both women and gays?  Why are you more focused on Israel building houses in areas most of you can’t even find on the map? And if you care so much about dead babies, why do I never hear your loud voice when it comes to Jewish or Christian babies?

You may also be that wealthy celebrity that speaks out against capitalism and inequality in western society while living off of the success you achieved from the very structure you so vehemently criticize.  Personally I’d rather you just shut up and give a huge donation to people who need help.  Otherwise all you’re doing is attempting to make yourself look like someone who cares.

Hypocrisy isn’t a Conservative or Liberal thing, it’s not a Republican or Liberal thing, and it certainly isn’t only an American thing.  It’s a self-serving cowards thing, and it’s becoming rampant.

I could go on and on because we live in a world overflowing with hypocrisy, but you get my point and most importantly, you know who you are.  You may pretend to care about right and wrong but in the end you just want to make an impression or push an agenda, and you are causing irreparable damage.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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September 14, 2014

My 92 Year Old Mother Weighs in on the NFL and off the field Violence

By davidgroen1

momdayEarlier today I had a conversation with my mother regarding the violent behavior of football players in the National Football League.  It is important that I clearly indicate that the football players I am referring to play in the NFL because my mother, Sipora Groen, a 92-year-old Holocaust survivor from Holland, takes umbrage in the fact that we call the sport football.  I’ve heard her say countless times, ” That’s not football. They call it that but it’s not football.”  For my mother, what Americans call soccer is the REAL football.  It’s no secret how she feels about American football either.  She hates it.  And for her, the recent rash of violence from its players is vindication for her opinion.

The point she wants to make, and specifically asked me to relate to my readers, is that the nature of the sport creates an inevitability of this behavior.  She believes that a sport with constant violent hits, and men jumping on top of each other to keep the other men down, sometimes in large piles, creates such a pent-up aggression that these men are left with a need to relieve this aggression in some manner or another.  She is appalled by the domestic violence as any other normal person would be, but she also feels that the sport is not a normal sport and that as it exists in its current form will ultimately lead to more violence off the field.

She went on to say that she even believes that boxing is better because it only involves two people and the actions of these 2 people in the ring are carefully monitored.  She dismissed out of hand my notion that football is carefully monitored as well because in football men just haphazardly pile on top of each other.  She  is very clear about her opinion.  Unless the actual sport of football changes, more players will be involved in off the field violence.  She feels so strongly about this that it is her opinion that Ray Rice would not have hit his fiance, now his wife, in the elevator if it were not for his involvement in football.  I disagreed with this, but she insisted she was right, and at 92 and sharp as a tack, she very well could be.

Once my mother was done giving her opinion I promised I’d write this, but also told her I had to go.  I wanted to watch the football game.

 

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September 4, 2014

Open Letter to Eric Roberts

By davidgroen1

RobertsMicDear Eric,

A friend of mine recently brought it to my attention that actors and musicians on the downside of their careers tend to be the ones with the biggest and most critical mouths.  I want to start by thanking you for adding credibility to his statement.

A little background about me first.  If anything, I’m a Democrat.  I say it like that because I’ve always leaned somewhat on the left on some issues, very on the left on others, and with the exception of foreign affairs never on the right-wing side of issues.  Subsequently I am not the guy you would expect to hear from on this matter.  However, I am so disturbed by this tactic used by you and others to push a political agenda at all costs, that I felt a burning need to speak up.

For you or anyone else to say that George W. Bush killed James Foley is nothing short of despicable.  Just like those who chose to blame him for 9/11 or those who blamed Bill Clinton for 9/11, to assign blame to an American president on that level is divisive, disgraceful, and a misguided use of a platform you really shouldn’t even have.  Since you clearly don’t get it, allow me to explain it to you.

I am not getting into, nor am I willing to break down the efforts or decisions of American presidents to you in regard to their foreign affairs policies, because the point you clearly do no get is that it is irrelevant in this discussion.  What is relevant is the use of language and the accusation you so emphatically disseminated.  For those who used partisan politics to pick a president to blame for 9/11 let me start there.  Al-Qaeda and Osama bin-Laden are responsible for the deaths of over 3,000 people on 9/11, not Clinton or W. And you, the great political mind that you are, need to understand that it was not George W. Bush who killed James Foley and many others including Steven Sotloff, it was the terrorist group known as ISIS.

There’s a trend today among people like yourself, people who all of a sudden have a lot to say about the events taking place in the world.  They tend to reveal their fears of the real evil by going after someone else.  I understand you don’t want to piss off the real bad guys because then you might get hurt, but as an American I prefer you didn’t attack a former president in a manner that actually helps the bad guys.

As far as your last comment stating that Barack Obama stands for compassion, whether or not I agree with you or not isn’t the issue either.  What is the issue is that ending the statement as you did proves that your damaging indictment of George W. Bush is nothing other than an irresponsible and very partisan statement at a time when we need non-partisan actions and behaviors.

And here’s a twist that might really shut you up, although I doubt it.  My last 3 votes for president went to Obama twice and George W. Bush once.  So I clearly am not taking sides based on party politics.  I just don’t like what you did.

Sincerely,

David Groen

 

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September 3, 2014

Should we show the gruesome images?

By davidgroen1

1408572490517_Image_galleryImage_sotloff_jpgThere has been some discussion after the most recent beheading of an American journalist that displaying the images is counterproductive.  I considered the argument credible enough to address it and wanted to speak on the subject and welcome the debate.

Yesterday after the news broke that journalist Steven Sotloff had been murdered in the same gruesome fashion that James Foley had been murdered, I posted the news together with an image of Sotloff next to an ISIS terrorist seemingly moments before his murder.  There are those who feel that displaying such images gives ISIS exactly what they are looking for, notoriety, attention, and a lot of frightened people.  I will be honest.  I’m on the fence regarding this issue.  With that said it is easy for me to make both sides of the argument.

ISIS, or ISIL, appears to be in some ways as literal as any terrorist group we’ve ever seen. What I mean by that is that their number one weapon of choice is fear.  They are literally focused on pushing their agenda by generating as much fear and terror as they possibly can.  More than likely it explains how they blitzed across Northern Iraq to a crumbling Iraqi army.  They want to terrorize every American watching and want to instill fear into every civilized person on the planet.  The videos and photos they release are designed to create that effect, and it can be argued that displaying them plays right into their hands.

The other side of the argument is that the display of the images and videos changes nothing other than awareness.  Awareness may manifest itself in horror, but we must ask ourselves this question.  Is it better to be horrified and aware of an impending danger or peacefully ignorant to its existence? Granted there is a middle ground.  We can be aware without being terrified. But fear is an emotion we can control.  If we actually see those images and or videos and rather than being afraid we become angry and determined, an argument can be made that the displays actually backfired on the terrorists.

I’m not really sure what is correct.  I clearly lean towards the second option as evidenced in the photograph I displayed yesterday, but I am so uncertain and respectful of the other opinion that I have chosen a different picture today.   It’s a fluid situation as I expect my feelings on the subject will be as well.

 

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September 2, 2014

Open Letter to Lady Gaga

By davidgroen1

Lady-Gaga-7Dear Lady Gaga,

The reason I write to you today is very simple.  I am an American Jew and a Zionist. I am also very active in blogging and in social media in providing whatever support I can for Israel and the Jewish people at a very difficult and scary time. I have attempted to reach a number of celebrities through my use of Open Letters.  Most of these letters are letters in which I harshly criticize these “stars” for their very blatant anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic stance.  To be quite frank with you it sometimes becomes a bit draining.  It often feels like I am banging my head against a wall when I try to wake people up to how their political viewpoints and so-called humanitarian stances are really just prejudice against Jews.  So thanks to you I have an opportunity for once to write a more pleasant letter, and seeing how I always have enjoyed your music and style anyway, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity.

In my last paragraph I referred to these people as “stars”, using quotation marks to make the point that many of these people are shells of their former celebrity selves with their careers on downturns.  That is part of why I am so intrigued and grateful to you.  You are still as true star.  Your talent has not diminished, your fan base is still growing, and you never have and never will pander to a certain group because you have nothing better to do or nowhere else to achieve your fame.  You are a real and genuine individual with real and genuine ideals.  A large percentage of the people who read my work fall into the category of Conservative so I am sure they don’t agree with your stance on certain issues, but in this world where evil and hatred are gaining a strong foothold, I hope they recognize your actions in standing behind Israel are a shining light in a darkening world.

Don’t you find it interesting that the supporters of Israel like myself only get mad at those who hate Israel and the Jews while those on the other side get mad at you for not hating Israel?  I would never be mad at you for showing compassion for anyone, as long as you continue your fair and clear-minded treatment of Israel and the Jewish people.

I also hope your actions wake up those who seem to have tolerance for everything other than the most free and democratic society in the Middle East.  I don’t know if your enlightenment is based on studying and understanding issues or you were just “Born this way”, but whatever it is I thank you and hope you have the time of your life performing in Tel-Aviv.

Thank you again.

Sincerely,

David Groen

P.S. When I write the nasty letters I try to find the ugliest pics of the people I write to, but in your case I picked this one because I think you look super cute.

D

 

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August 16, 2014

Where’s the Love?

By davidgroen1

Hamas-Children-600x350The great Golda Meir one said, “Peace will come when the Arabs love their children more than they hate us.” Sadly I believe we are further away from that being a reality today than any other time since that incredibly poignant statement.  As sad as it may be that they hate us even more now than they did then, is the fact that in their actions they appear to love their children even less.

Despite the impression some may have from reading my posts, I am both a hopeless romantic and a softy.  I am not a hardened bitter person.  I not only believe in love, I have always accepted it in my life.  It doesn’t matter what kind of love either, be it in romance or the type you have for good friends and family.  I am a fan of love, think its important that it exists in everyone’s life, and feel it needs to be one of the core values present for any individual and in any family or community.

So last night I had a revelation.  With the exception of one thing, the members of  Hamas and their terrorist buddies never speak of the love for anything. They certainly hate a lot, especially anything Jewish or American, but love is hardly ever mentioned.  The one thing they do proudly and openly love, is, of all things, death.

As so much of the world chooses to blame Israel for the plight of these poor children in Gaza, even with the tragedy of those killed in this recent war, the larger tragedy is the life being given to these children by those who should love them.  I am by no means presuming to say that Palestinian mothers don’t love their children, but in allowing Hamas to rule and to educate their children on the path their life should follow, they are not manifesting their love correctly. They are giving their children over to a regime that proudly states, “We love Death for Allah like Israelis love life.”

There’s a genocide going on in Gaza alright, but it’s being committed from within and by the same people using the term to generate hate against Israel and the Jews.

Golda Meir’s words were wonderful, wise and correct.  Even with that said, it would be a good start if they loved their children more than death. They need to work on that before they work on not hating us.  Until that happens there won’t be much improvement for anyone’s situation, either in Israel or in Gaza.

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August 15, 2014

Letter to President Obama Regarding the Administrations Foreign Policy

By davidgroen1

pobamaDear Mr. President,

Please allow me to start by saying that I write this letter to you with the utmost respect for the office you hold and will therefore address you accordingly.  However, as a citizen of the United States and as a Jewish American exercising my right to free speech I intend to speak on some issues I find both concerning and disappointing.

I am by no means your usual critic.  I am a Democrat and a social Liberal who voted for you twice.  I’ve defended your performance and I’ve verbally attacked those I have felt were opposed to your presidency for inappropriate reasons.  I have been aware and willing to speak out against those whose criticism seemed to be a smokescreen for racial bias caused by the color of your skin or your middle name.  I have recognized that you have encountered serious opposition from the House of Representatives and Senate often making your job more difficult than it would normally be.  I say all this to emphasize that I, as a citizen and a supporter, have been more than fair in my personal judgments.  So with that in mind you will understand that this is not a letter from a Conservative Republican that would have found very little favor in your performance, nor is it from a racist that would have found none at all. This is a letter from someone who has been somewhat of a supporter and defender of you and your efforts over the past  6 years.

Even as I write this letter I hold out hope that the issues I find disturbing do not tell the whole story and that you are doing things behind the scenes that would explain their logic and benefit, and that I, as someone with no understanding of the inner working of politics would have no way of knowing what actually is the true reality.   I accept that as a possibility, but with the information that I do have available and with my somewhat limited understanding, I will share with you my major concerns, specifically with your administration’s foreign policy.

My biggest concern has been with the administration’s approach towards Islamic extremism.  I understand and will not question your acknowledgment of people of all faiths.  It is a commendable sentiment and in a perfect world people of all faiths can live side by side with dignity and respect.  However, as you are fully aware, not everyone in the world is pursuing that same utopia. I do not think for one second that you are not aware of the threat ISIS and other terrorist organizations pose to the free world, but as a citizen observing your actions or inaction toward their development and growth, I respectfully question your strategy.  I can understand your reluctance to engage in military conflict unless completely necessary, what I am questioning, as are many other Americans, is at what point do you actually deem it necessary? The humanitarian mission recently carried out in Iraq was a commendable one and it was easy to see the necessity there, but at what point is action taken to eliminate a serious threat to America and its allies?  ISIS has taken over land, weapons, and large sums of cash with what appears to be little to no resistance.  I understand not getting involved in the internal problems of other countries, but it seems abundantly clear that ISIS is not merely a problem that will remain isolated to the region.  Are we to wait until they do attack us on American soil?  I am sure you feel as we all do, that waiting for that to happen is unacceptable.  I just don’t see what is being done to prevent that.

There are those on the far right that not only question your tactics in dealing with Muslim extremism, but your motives as well.  I am under the assumption and belief that you mean to do what is best for the country even if I question your methods.  This is what baffles me most about your dealings with Israel. I am not alone in feeling at least some degree of abandonment and betrayal towards Israel and the Jewish people.  I recognize some of the support you have given to Israel, particularly in the funding of Iron Dome, but some of the actions taken by the administration as well as some of the statements made, have been anything but positive.  I have often said, in an attempt to be fair and objective, that the Jewish people need to understand that you were elected President of the United States, not Prime Minister of Israel.  But knowing that as I do, I am baffled that you would not put your complete support behind Israel, the country most likely to fight an enemy not only committed to its destruction, but to America’s destruction as well.

Mr. President, I know that compared to the ocean that is your set of accomplishments in life I am a mere drop of water. I also know that I do not match up to you intellectually.  That being said I am still an American with a voice and an opinion that is shared by many other Americans.  Our opinion deserves to be considered.   As a Jew who has lost a significant degree of faith in your friendship towards the Jewish people, I ask you to recognize Israel’s need for support in combating not only its enemy, but America’s as well.  Most of all, I ask you to tell us how you intend to keep us and future generations safe from enemies that appear to be growing with little resistance.

Sincerely,

David Groen

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