Tag Archives: North Korea

August 18, 2017

Open Letter to President Donald J. Trump

By davidgroen1

dt4

Dear Mr. President,

I hesitated in writing this letter, partially because I questioned whether or not it would make a difference and partially because I realized I may anger or offend some people in the process.  I chose to move forward regardless out of an obligation and responsibility I felt to the history and memory of all those lost in my family and other Jewish families in the Holocaust. Although I take issue with much of what I see coming from your office, I recognize and respect the office of the President of the United States and will address you appropriately, even if I often question whether or not you share that same respect.

I am one of those rare few who is willing to break from his position if he feels it is the right thing to do.  I did not vote for you, and do not support much of what you appear to stand for, but will speak positively about you when I feel the situation merits it.  For example, I supported your tough talk directed towards the leader of North Korea.  I believed it was an example of not trying to be reasonable with an unreasonable person and felt that a show of strength was necessary in this instance. I also have come to the conclusion, one shared by many of my fellow Jews, that you do indeed like the Jewish people.  I recognize that many people who lean to the left as I do felt differently, but that is not what forms my opinions. My opinions are formed by my personal history, my family’s history, and the values instilled in me both by my parents and my understanding of the world around me. Sadly I find you to be heading down a path that puts you progressively on the wrong side of history.

I find myself wondering if you have a clear understanding of what the Nazi Party was and what people who suffered under their rule, primarily Jews, went through during that time.  Unlike many others who are not fans of your presidency, I do not underestimate your intelligence.  So I must ask myself, are you detached from the reality of what this all means, do you not care, or does your very large ego lead you to believe you are smarter than everyone else?  No matter how bad some protesters on the left may behave, protesters that represent the Nazi philosophy have chosen to represent brutality unlike anything the world has ever seen. I know your supporters that see this letter will come back with all kinds of information about how bad certain liberal elements are, but no matter what they come up with it will not justify any defense or the establishment of a false equivalency with the Nazis that marched this past weekend in Charlottesville and the fanatic that killed an innocent woman. Your supporters may choose to sell their soul in the name of what they call Conservatism, but make no mistake, supporting you when you do not make the clear distinction between the KKK & Nazi marchers from the marchers on the left is indeed the selling of a soul.

You debated with reporters as though you represented the groups on the right. What about the Alt-Left was your retort?  You spoke of what you called “violence on all sides”. Would you have condemned “violence on all sides” after the Jews of the Warsaw ghetto rose up and fought against their Nazi oppressors?  I am a Jew and a Zionist that takes issue with what I see as a hijacking of the left by the anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, pro-Palestinian block looking to push their occupation agenda. That being said, they are no more comparable to the Nazis than you are to Hitler.  I have disagreed and debated with many who have chosen to compare you to him since you exerted yourself into the presidential race and ultimately the presidency.  I find the comparison to be  unfair and unjust. I still do.  I even debated it with my late mother who passed away this past April. She would refer to you as “another Hitler”. My response very simply was, to be compared to Hitler you have to be a murdering fascist, something you are not and I believe never have any intention of becoming.  That being said Mr. Trump, because of your lack of desire to rid these modern day Nazis of oxygen, on the contrary your words have given them life, I actually found myself happy my mother was not alive to see this.

Maybe this is not entirely your fault.  After all, you are only human. You too feel empowered when you can say anything, no matter how unethical or immoral and get no push back from the holier than thou Mick Huckabees and Mike Pences of the world. These men who claim to be so devout and so committed to God and decency are notably silent when it comes to criticizing you at times when you deserve criticism.  But they too have sold their soul, finding whatever financial gain or acquisition of power available to them is worth forsaking their values for.

I’ve tried as hard as any person on the left to give you the benefit of the doubt.  That being said, there is no compromise or acceptance coming from me when Nazis are involved, and to any of my fellow Jews, that includes your daughter and son-in-law, that feel there is compromise, shame on you. Shame on you for allowing even the slightest bit of life or existence of a group who would kill you at their first opportunity. Frankly Mr. President, I suspect that by Hitler’s standards and rules you would also be killed.  After all, you are the father and grandfather of Jewish children.  Maybe you should remember that the next time you wand to say, “what about the Alt-Left?”

I met you once many years ago in the Plaza when you were married to Marla Maples. I too was married at the time, and my then wife who was normally very shy, asked if she could take a picture with you and Marla.  Before you left I asked you if it would be tacky if I gave you my business card.  Your response was, “yes, but do it quickly I am on my way out”. As funny as that was it told me something about you that possibly applies to what is happening here today.  It tells me that  just because something is tacky or even wrong, you still might be willing to do it.  That is all good and well when taking my business card, but that doesn’t fly with me or much of the country when it comes to dealing with Nazis.  You owe it to too many people, including your own family to do better, before it’s too late.

I realize that to you I am no one of significance.  Sadly I believe it possible that only your supporters are significant to you.  That being said, I am an American, I am a Jew, and as a voter I am not happy with what I am seeing.  You may find that many people who did not once feel as I do, may feel that way now. You should see that as significant.  In the meantime I urge you to put your ego and sensitivity aside and lead this country as it is meant to be lead, with decency and deference. After all, as President of the United States that is your sworn oath and responsibility. Whether you like it or not.

Sincerely,

David Groen

LIKE THIS POST? SHARE IT ON FACEBOOK OR TWITTER

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

READ MORE OF WHAT I HAVE TO SAY IN THE COMMON SENSE LIBERAL

JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL IS NOW ON TWITTER @gcimovement

IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

August 22, 2014

A Message from a Former Liberal

By davidgroen1

liberal2I am here to announce to the world that it is now official.  I am renouncing my Liberal status.  Let me be clear that this is not a total overhaul of my views and opinions on all the social issues that could only label me as a Liberal. Those views have not changed. The reason for me renouncing my status is that I no longer wish to be associated with people making excuses for bad behaviors and for those who are tolerant of anti-Semitism masquerading as anti-Zionism.

I recently wrote 2 letters, one to George Clooney and another to Russell Brand.  Although the vast majority appear to have enjoyed and agreed with the tone and content of the letters, I have received more criticism on these letters than on anything I’ve ever written.  I don’t mind the criticism, on some levels I even like it.  I don’t suppress opinions and generally don’t wish physical harm on anyone for having opinions that differ from mine.  What I do have a problem with are people believing they are taking some sort of moral high ground by not criticizing anti-Semites or being so careful to not unfairly demand the opinion of those who could influence the thoughts of millions. I am convinced they take this approach because they either don’t truly understand how high the stakes are or because they are just too frightened to do otherwise.  Either way it’s a mistake.

Let me break it down and explain something everyone needs to understand before it is too late.  Yes I ridiculed Russell Brand.  I insulted him, referenced his mental illness, and attacked his character more than I attacked his words. Although I stand by everything I said to him, let’s say for argument sake my letter was a despicable and unfair defamation of character.  It’s still not even close to being as bad as what he is doing.  Hamas has two things people need to be aware of when looking at the entire picture.  First they have a charter that speaks of its commitment to driving every Jew out of Israel and its mission to kill every Jew alive.  The second is a sponsor, Iran,  with a large supply of weapons and a hatred for Israel, as well as a budding alliance with a rogue and nuclear North Korea.  Hamas has stated that its conditions for a cessation of hostilities includes the opening of a port and lifting of the Naval blockade.  If this would be done under Hamas leadership, it would put the very survival of the State of Israel in jeopardy.  So when Russell Brand gets on his high horse and criticizes Israel for his actions, he is in essence saying that its survival means absolutely nothing to him.  He is saying to me and to the world that it is perfectly acceptable to have North Korea ship nuclear weapons into Gaza.  So now I ask those of you attacking my words and defending him, what is more offensive? One man insulting and ridiculing another or the other calling for actions that translate into millions of dead Jews?

I’m more concerned as to whether or not George Clooney, a man who potentially can influence millions feels as his anti-Semitic fiance does, than I am with whether or not someone thinks I am out of line for connecting her words to him.  That misplaced use of Liberal ideals and so-called tolerance is unacceptable to me.  As I’ve said many times, “Never Again” does not mean Never Again unless it insults George Clooney.

Listen to the words of someone who has called himself a Liberal till now and has done so without apology.  Wake up and start realizing what is at stake here.  I do not have any children of my own, but I have many children in my family who I hope will be able to live a happy and safe life.  Too much tolerance for anti-Semitic behavior and too much concern for the feelings of people who aren’t helping us when they should is what truly offends me.  They threaten the safety of all Jewish children and ultimately all children on the planet, including the very children they pretend to defend.  If that doesn’t offend you more than a personal attack on an actor, I urge you to reexamine your values. Furthermore, this thought process that has people thinking my “nasty” letters somehow contribute to anti-Semitism is dangerously naive.  One person even said that Amal Alamuddin, George Clooney’s fiance, gave us a gift by turning down a spot on the panel as though she did it for any other reason other than her own benefit.  I am not going to thank an ant-Semite for something merely because they took one less action of hatred against Jews.

I used to believe that the ideal of Liberalism brought people together even when they disagreed on important issues.  Maybe it does that on some levels, but when it becomes a tool with which to hold views that translate into serious harm for the Jewish people and the entire civilized world, not only do I want no part of it, I question why anyone else who loves a peaceful and secure world would.

HOW TO BUY THE BOOK

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

Follow Holland’s Heroes on Twitter @hollandsheroes

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

August 11, 2014

The Nuclear Scenario

By davidgroen1

Nuclear_bombIt’s the topic we don’t often bring up, but it’s always somewhere in our minds.  With all that is happening in the world one might think it is just a matter of time till we see the use of some form of a nuclear weapon.  It’s a terrifying thought and quite frankly one that makes no normal person happy, regardless of where it would be used.  We can choose to ignore the subject, a decision I would understand because of how frightening it is to imagine, but what I am going to do in this piece is break down the numerous scenarios in which it could happen.

I’ll start with the 5 countries that are members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. They are the United States, Russia, United Kingdom, France and China.  I believe the least likely of the  to be presented with an option in which to go nuclear is China.  Of the remaining 4, only Russia finds itself in a conflict close to home, but the fact that it is so close to home is the very reason not to use it.  The concerning thing about Russia has always been that after the break up of the Soviet Union there was a concern that weapons were scattered in various locations. That fear has dissipated somewhat with the control Vladimir Putin seems to have over the area, but that being said, Russia is the country on the list I see as most susceptible to terrorist infiltration.  The remaining three are all facing the potential threats of terrorist attacks by Islamic terrorists and should an attack be serious enough and the source identifiable, one can’t take a nuclear response off the table.  That is something all would be reluctant to do unless the attack on them was nuclear, and even then it would be uncertain.

There are four other countries that are nuclear powers, three declared and not members of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and one which is not a declared nuclear power but widely known as being one. There are more scenarios here and they are all quite terrifying. The first two, India and Pakistan, are the ones that might be seen as most likely to use  a nuclear weapon on the other.  Although the tensions between the two have calmed somewhat over the years, these 2 countries still don’t like each other and have very different global interests.  I believe India would only consider doing so if forced into it  and I believe Pakistan under its current leadership would not use it.  But this is where it gets interesting.  The Taliban has a significant presence in Pakistan and with neighboring Afghanistan still unstable and dealing with its strong Taliban force, no one wants to even think about what would happen should Pakistan’s government be replaced with a government aligned with Islamic extremists, or even worse a Taliban government.  That would without doubt be a global game changer.

There are 2 countries left to speak of, one of which is the one undeclared nuclear power, Israel.  Israel, like the nations in the Non-Proliferation Treaty, will only go nuclear if absolutely necessary, meaning if it is a matter of survival.  Israel would not need nuclear weapons to wipe out Iran’s nuclear program and is more likely to keep Iran in check with the threat of reprisal should Iran get nuclear weapons and use one of its proxies to attack Israel.

I left North Korea for last.  This was not an accident.  It is unquestionably the most dangerous of all the nuclear powers.  Besides the fact that their dictator Kim Jong has repeatedly threatened the U.S., it’s believed that North Korea helped fund the building of Hamas’s terror tunnels from Gaza to Israel.  No one finds it hard to believe that Kim would have a problem providing Hamas or any other terrorist organization with a nuclear weapon.  Like Hamas, Kim Jong’s Korea doesn’t care about his own people so he would have no problem contributing to a genocide of another people.  I have no doubt Israel is watching him very closely.

The terrorism scenario is always out there of course, be it a conventional bomb or dirty bomb,  especially since there are groups that have declared their willingness and desire to cause devastation in large western cities, most notably New York City.

All this is conjecture, but with all the conflicts going on today anything can happen at any time.  Let’s hope this doesn’t.

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

Follow Holland’s Heroes on Twitter @hollandsheroes

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

August 7, 2014

Coming Soon to an anti-Semitic stage near you:More Israel Bashing

By davidgroen1

gazaflagIf Hamas is telling the truth, and this is the one time it actually might be, fighting between Israel and the terrorist organization will resume tomorrow. They have made it clear that unless Israel removes the naval blockade and allows Gaza an active port they will resume hostilities when the cease-fire expires.  With an open port Hamas would be able to receive unlimited amounts of weapons from its supporters, bastions of morality like Iran, Qatar and North Korea.  As obvious as it should be that removing the blockade would be devastating to Israel’s security, and as obvious as it will be that Hamas is the one resuming the fighting, be prepared for another round of Israel bashing when civilians once again get killed because the leadership of Hamas has no respect for human life.  Those who hate Israel and the Jewish people will only be happy if they are willing to take a beating, which thank God they are not.  Stay tuned for the predictable.

 

CLICK TO JOIN “THE GLOBAL COALITION FOR ISRAEL” ON FACEBOOK

Follow Holland’s Heroes on Twitter @hollandsheroes

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized

April 2, 2013

A Citizen’s Plea

By davidgroen1

Abraham_Lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portraitAlthough I write this post as a proud American, it is my belief that the strength and position of the United States of America is of great importance to the entire civilized world.  Debate is a good thing and it is a cornerstone of American society.  Part of the greatness of the country is the freedom of all its citizens to express themselves no matter how diametrically opposed one citizen or group may be from the other.  However, the freedoms given by the founding fathers, as important as they are, do very little good if they are used a destructive force against a united society.

Let me make it clear to anyone reading this that I am not being so presumptuous to think that anyone can put a limit on the freedom of speech.  Any limitations put on it destroy the very premise it was built on.  So in essence, all I am doing in this post is exercising my freedom of expression with a personal plea.  Let’s get it together people.

It is time to come together as a nation and stop the bitter attacks against one another.  Abraham Lincoln once said, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”  We are destroying ourselves.  Not with differences of opinion or ideology, not with conservative or liberal stances, and not with a loyalty to the Republican or Democratic Party.   We are destroying ourselves with conspiracy theories, personal attacks and vendettas, and hatred towards those who think differently than we do.  Intelligent debate has been replaced by name calling and accusation.  Idealism has been replaced with a corruption that has ambitious people taking advantage of weaknesses created by a modern society blinded by the desire to always find the easy way out.

I am a Social Liberal, but it is very important that I make something very clear.  This is a totally non-partisan post.  Those who are guilty are on all ends of the political spectrum and to say otherwise would just compound the problem and destroy any credibility this post might have.  Even if one side is harsher than the other, something both sides take turns being, we are still at a stage of verbal conflict where it behooves either side, even the attacked side to take a softer stance if it creates a more unified nation.  We need that right now.  For despite the importance of the debates taking place in the country today, the true enemies are not domestic.  There are forces such as Islamic regimes and a North Korean crazy who want to see us wiped off the map.  I may be Pro Choice, but I’ll support my Pro Life fellow American against those whose intention is to murder us.  And if someone opposes gay marriage, although I disagree with their viewpoint, I don’t see them as evil for standing by what they believe in.  And I may have an anti-gun philosophy for the average American, but I also know that an extremely high percentage of those who are passionate about keeping their guns do not want them for the purpose of killing their fellow Americans.

My point is that even the most Conservative of civilized Americans are not my enemy, just as I am not theirs.  But if we go after each other with venom and hatred we risk doing the very thing the great Abraham Lincoln warned us about, and that is destroying ourselves.  As an American this is my personal plea to all those reading.  Let’s not go down that road.  Let’s debate the issues but never stop working together for the best possible solutions to our shared problems.

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Uncategorized