Tag Archives: Liberty

10 July 2023

Juneteenth and Passover

By Rick Ladd

NB – Before reading the following post, please be advised it was written with the assistance of Chat-GPT, after a couple of iterations of my asking for a blog post on the subject, and clarifying what it was I looked for. It’s not quite my style, but it gets across the subject I was having a bit of difficulty honing in on. I would likely have been more wordy, so I’m content to leave this up in order to get the gist of my thinking out in the world.

As a former Jew who is now an atheist, I have always been interested in social justice issues and have been an advocate for antiracism for many years. However, it was only in the last few years that I learned about Juneteenth, an American holiday that celebrates the emancipation of African American slaves. As I learned more about Juneteenth, I couldn’t help but compare it to Passover, a Jewish holiday that commemorates the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

At first glance, it may seem like Passover and Juneteenth have little in common. Passover is a religious holiday that is celebrated by Jews all over the world, while Juneteenth is a secular holiday that is primarily celebrated in the United States. Passover has a long history that dates back thousands of years, while Juneteenth is a relatively new holiday that has only been officially recognized by the federal government since 2021. However, as I delved deeper into the meanings behind these holidays, I found that they share a common theme of liberation and freedom.

For Jews, the story of the Exodus is a powerful reminder of the importance of freedom and the need to fight against oppression. The story tells of how Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom, and it is a story that has been retold for thousands of years. During the holiday of Passover, Jews gather with family and friends to retell the story of the Exodus, eat traditional foods such as matzah and bitter herbs, and participate in symbolic rituals such as the Seder. The holiday is a time to reflect on the past and to look towards a brighter future.

Juneteenth, on the other hand, celebrates the emancipation of African American slaves. The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, which is the day that Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that all slaves in Texas were free. This announcement came two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, and it marked the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is a time to celebrate the end of slavery and the beginning of a new era of freedom and equality.

Despite the differences between Passover and Juneteenth, they share a common theme of liberation and freedom. Both holidays celebrate the idea of breaking free from oppression and moving towards a brighter future. They also emphasize the importance of family and community. For Jews, the Seder is a time to retell the story of the Exodus and to pass down traditions and values to the next generation. For African Americans, Juneteenth is a time to celebrate their heritage and to remember the struggles and sacrifices of their ancestors.

As an antiracist, I find it important to acknowledge the intersectionality of these two holidays. While Passover and Juneteenth have different histories and meanings, they both symbolize the fight for freedom and justice. As a former Jew, I feel that it is important to recognize the role that the Jewish community played in the civil rights movement. Many Jews were active participants in the struggle for civil rights and worked alongside African Americans to fight against racism and discrimination. As an atheist, I believe that it is important to recognize and celebrate the diversity of cultures and traditions in our society.

In conclusion, Passover and Juneteenth are two holidays that may appear to be very different on the surface, but they share a common theme of liberation and freedom. As someone who is no longer practicing Judaism but is committed to antiracism, I find it important to acknowledge the intersectionality of these two holidays and to celebrate the diversity of cultures and traditions in our society. Passover and Juneteenth are reminders that the struggle for justice and equality is ongoing and that we must continue to fight against oppression in all its forms.

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13 July 2021

State of the Union

By Rick Ladd
The Criminal in Chief

This treasonous son-of-a-bitch is still holding our nation hostage with his lying and gaslighting. Now 1/6 was a fucking love fest? Donald John Trump incited and instigated the violence that took place at the Capitol on January 6 of this year. He IS responsible for the damages, injuries, and deaths.

I know its fraught with political consequences, but Trump MUST PAY for his criminality. AG Merrick Garland needs to bring charges against him, as well as the people who stormed the Capitol. If he is not held accountable, it will happen again and again until they succeed in tearing this country apart.

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , | posted in Government & Civics, History, News & Politics, The Law

25 April 2021

Huddled Masses

By Rick Ladd

I recently came across this simple graphic I put together and I took the opportunity to re-read this poem in its entirety. It hit me that I had neither heard nor read the complete poem by Emma Lazarus, entitled “The New Colossus,” before I had put this together (which was probably sometime last year) and, in fact, didn’t have much of a recollection of reading it back then.

So I then posted it on Twitter, which gave me the opportunity to read it a couple more times. Each time, I gained a bit more insight into the message Ms. Lazarus was attempting to convey, and each time I felt her message a bit more deeply.

It didn’t get that many likes, but it did generate enough feedback for me to pay really close attention to the poem, and I took the opportunity to read it several times. It finally brought me this image of my Bubbie, my paternal grandmother, along with my uncles Sam and Al and my aunt Sophie, arriving in New York from the Ukraine, where they had fled the pogroms. My grandfather, who I never knew, had made his way to Chicago and had worked to earn and save enough to send for all four of them to book “steerage” to the United States. My father was the first-born in the United States.

Reading her words and looking at this beautiful picture of the Statue of Liberty lifting “her lamp beside the golden door” moved me to tears as I thought of the struggles my ancestors must have endured, knowing as well that most of them never made it past their sixties, if they made it there. My father didn’t quite hit his 60th birthday before he died and, as I mentioned, I never knew my grandfather. I only saw my grandmother once that I can recall, as we lived in California and they lived in Chicago.

I also felt a deep sense of gratitude that my family was able to escape those pogroms relatively intact and they were able to resettle here in the U.S., where I was born a quarter century later. The more I read the poem, the deeper I feel that gratitude, though I’m disappointed to find things have been slipping backward in the struggle for justice and equality and in the level of welcome this country has traditionally shown (even if sometimes half-heartedly) to the ongoing flow of immigration.

I hope it moves some who read it as it moved me. This is the attitude I want my country to have toward immigration.

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13 July 2019

Four Boxes of Liberty Redux

By Rick Ladd

I didn’t really care for the visual I created and posted yesterday, depicting the four boxes of Liberty, so I created another one. I thought yesterday’s was OK in depicting the concept, but I used really simple graphics of the boxes themselves. Last night I thought maybe I should use pictures depicting people—at least for some of them. So . . . here’s the new graphic. It’s much larger than the one I posted yesterday.

PS – You can use all of these boxes simultaneously, save for the last one. Even during a revolution, though, civil life has to continue and it’s quite conceivable all four boxes could be in play at some time.

I hope it doesn’t come to that, but I don’t see the Republicans and white supremacists (I consider them synonymous today) just fading away.

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12 July 2019

Four Boxes of Liberty

By Rick Ladd

Just came across a concept I was unaware existed, though I have often thought of all four of these “boxes” we must use to “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” Although the phrase has, apparently, been used lately by right wing extremist groups, I believe the concepts it represents are useful and correct.

The four boxes to be used in defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo.

By engaging our fellow citizens in various ways and methods, e.g. newspapers, flyers, social media, blogs, and other methods of arguing our positions on issues, we are using the soapbox. When we vote, at least every two years, we are using the ballot box. When those who have attempted to usurp the people’s power or who have betrayed their oaths of office or otherwise show themselves unfit for office, we (sometimes) are able to use the jury box to convict and send them packing. Finally, should all other methods fail, as Americans (I would argue as humans) we are entitled; nay, we have no choice but, to bear arms in defense of our liberty and freedom.

You can read a little more about this concept here.

2 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , | posted in Government & Civics, History, News & Politics, Politics

20 December 2017

Jingo Bells. Jingo All The Way

By Rick Ladd

How could I know what country I’m in if there weren’t so many flags flying all over the place? The Urban Dictionary defines “Jingo” as “Someone who is extremely and overly patriotic. Differs from regular patriotism in that jingoism is usually more aggressive.”

Jingoism

My . . . aren’t we exceptional, if we don’t say so ourselves.

Call me crazy, but I find it puzzling and borderline offensive to see flags flying all over the place. Flags are appropriate for military installations, vehicles, and uniforms. Same goes for police and firefighters. Even at schools they make some sense, and I have no problem with individuals flying them from their home for Independence Day, Veteran’s Day, and similar occasions.

But Arby’s? Taco Bell isn’t flying one, though I suppose you could make an argument for a Mexican flag being appropriate. The Hat has no flag pole and neither do most businesses in most any city or town. Flying a flag at a business is, I suppose, up to the owners of the business, and they certainly have every right to do so. I just can’t help wonder why it’s deemed so important to continuously announce one’s patriotism or theoretical love of country. If your flag is bigger than mine, does that mean you’re a better citizen than I; that you’re more enthusiastic about our freedoms and liberties, such as they are?

Also, we Americans seem to have forgotten our flag etiquette. In fact, I’d wager the majority of the most enthusiastic flag wavers know the least about how one respects the flag. For instance, you are not supposed to wear it as a piece of clothing. Three people come to mind immediately: Sarah Palin; Ted Nugent, and Tomi Lahren. If you fly one at night, it’s supposed to be illuminated, yet I’ve seen many a home with a flag displayed 24/7, and unlit at night.

I’m not claiming to be more — or even as — patriotic as the next person. What I am interested in pointing out is the hypocrisy of people who wear their patriotism on their sleeve (sometimes quite literally) and lay claim to being super patriotic, despite having neither the knowledge, nor the understanding, of proper respect and etiquette with respect to our nation’s flag. When I think of patriotism, I harken back to what Thomas Paine wrote 241 years ago this Saturday in “The Crisis“:

“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated.“

A phrase from Shakespeare’s Hamlet also comes to mind. I paraphrase:

“The Jingoist doth flag wave too much . . . methinks.”

This overblown patriotism they exhibit is hardly convincing. If they were so damned patriotic, so pure in their love of country which — one might be disposed to think — requires a love of its people as well, it should show in their actions and their relationships with their fellow citizens. On the contrary, most of the loudest chest-beaters harbor a great deal of declared animosity to those they deem as “others”. It’s difficult to see that as something American values ought to exalt.

I learned a long time ago the truly strong are humble, reserved, and quick to help, not hurt others. By the same token, the truly patriotic aren’t likely to brag about or hold their love of country as a weapon to be wielded in a culture war against fellow citizens. As an American, I love my country . . . and I love it more than I love any political party, any religion, or any philosophy of governance or economics. As a human being, I love humanity more than my country, but I was born here and I’ve lived here all my life, so it means a lot to me; nearly everything I’ve ever loved is within its borders. Nevertheless, I don’t need to feverishly wave a flag to prove I’m an American. It’s my heritage, and I’m thankful for it, not proud of something I had nothing to do with.

3 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | posted in Government & Civics, News & Politics, Parking Lot Thoughts, Personal, Philosophy, Politics