Who am I and how and when did I get there?
I think I differentiated from parental stuff -- relative to going to religious services, relative to politics, relative to racism... relative to being Jewish... ALL a matter of not following the FEAR suggested by father relative to all those issues. And that differentiation... that distinct set of values and positions I took stay with me today... I am loyal to my old self!!!
AHHHH... loyal to my OLD self... Not changing with new information... BUT I would say new information is vague and not clear and may not be true!!! Fear though is still a feeling and worry and constrains me, I think! Do NOT LEAD!!!!
Do not teach... especially when the teaching is near "do what I say not what I do". And so relative to racism ... I know I fight that in myself from time to time... And live, I think, non-racist!!! When it some to anti-semitism .. I have rejected that as a link to other Jews.. and the same might be said for issues related to Israel... I try not fear anti-semitism .. or I did not -- but now, these days.. I do worry!!! As for Israel - I fully support its existance and even as a Jewish State... not fully democratic though I would like it to be tolerant and accepting .. as the Torah commands! Treat the Stranger Well!!!
And I think I am more Liberal than an old person might be... on the other hand -- maybe the old saying (Churchill??) that there should be a difference between a pre-40 year old and a post 40-year old ... is and was never? true.. Maybe it was a way of getting old folks to be more conservative than the stuff they experienced and saw in their lives would lead them to be!!!!
I am a died in the wool Liberal. I am a humanist. I am a Jew. I am a man. I am a feminist (maybe). I am for peace and GOODNESS.... Yes - be GOOD!!! And I believe most people want to be good... and yet their leaders are able to tap into fears and badness! Sad!
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