Bloodthirsty Liberal

Aggie and I have noted several recent despicable acts, statements, and decisions to come out of Britain.

This one should stand proud with its colleagues:

The British Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a London Jewish day school used racist and discriminatory practices against a boy who was not accepted to the school because his mother is not considered Jewish by Orthodox Jewish law, the British Broadcasting Authority reported.

According to the court ruling, the school’s policy of measuring students’ Jewish identity based solely on Orthodox Jewish law is unlawful and breaks race relations legislation.

Earlier this year, an appeals court ruled that the Jews’ Free School, located northwest of London in Brent, was racist when it denied admission to a 12-year-old boy whose father is Jewish and mother underwent a Reform conversion that is not recognized by Orthodox law.

Maybe you and I wouldn’t agree with the school’s decision, but it’s a private religious school. Can’t it decide who meets its religious criteria?

Do we really want a state—a European state—labeling who is a Jew?

I’m also puzzled by the “racism” charge. The story doesn’t provide enough details about mom—only that she converted to Judaism. It’s not a surprise to me that an Orthodox school would find it hard to accept a Reform conversion. In actual racial terms, it would be like Bobby Seale accepting Al Jolson as a blood brother.

Again, I may not agree with the school, but unless Britain is also butting into Catholic schools and Saudi-sponsored madrasahs—what do you think—I am deeply troubled.

Which one is endangered?

Regular reader Joe from South Africa mentioned in a recent comment the disparity of the numbers of blacks killed under apartheid compared to the overwhelmingly greater number of whites killed since.

This story would seem to confirm his assertion—with the SA government’s lame cry of “racism!” serving as further evidence:

South Africa’s ruling African National Congress has condemned as “racist” a decision by Canada to grant a white South African man refugee status.

Brandon Huntley, 31, had told officials in Canada he could not return to South Africa after seven different attacks.

They included three stabbings, which he said he had suffered as a result of his skin colour.

His lawyer said he was granted asylum because the South African authorities were unable to protect their citizens.

But ANC spokesman Brian Sokutu told the BBC that the decision would “only serve to perpetuate racism” in South Africa.

…

Mr Huntley’s lawyer Russell Kaplan said the asylum was granted because of discrimination - not only over crime - but also because as a white man he would find it difficult to get a job.

“The big question throughout was - was this just an act of criminality or was there a racial motivation? And every single time there was evidence that they were not just victims of criminality, that there was a racial component in the incidents,” he told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

I have no informed comment (which is usually no impediment), but if the government put half as much effort into protecting its citizens—black and white—as they did into hollering racism, well, there’d be a lot more South Africans—black and white—alive today.

I’m sorry, I know 3rd-degree burns aren’t funny, but… well, you read this and try not to laugh:

A man in Western Australia was engulfed in flames when police officers fired a Taser stun gun at him.

The police say they used the Taser on Ronald Mitchell, 36, when he ran at them carrying a container of petrol and a cigarette lighter.

They said that Mr Mitchell, who lives in a remote Aboriginal community, had been sniffing petrol. They suggested the cigarette lighter started the fire.

Mr Mitchell is in critical condition in hospital with third degree burns.

I know, I’m awful.

But sniffing gas in the presence of a cigarette lighter, and causing enough of a ruckus to bring the police—and then charging at them—I mean, come on. It’s a wonder he lived to age 36.

Naturally, race is being discussed as a factor.

You couldn’t read your local shopping circular without seeing pictures of worshipful women like Henrietta Hughes fluttering their eyelashes at President Obama:

We here would like to show the other side: women of color who are not so warmly treated by His Oneness and His disciples:

A reporter for a small newspaper was forcibly removed from a press area near Air Force One shortly before President Barack Obama arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to depart California early Thursday.

Lee said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that she wanted to hand Obama a letter urging him “to take a stand for traditional marriage.”

She said she asked a Secret Service agent to give the president her letter, but he refused and referred her to a White House staffer. Lee said she refused to give the staffer the letter.

“I said, ‘I’ll take my chances if (the president) comes by here,’” said Lee, who identified herself as a Roman Catholic priestess who lives in Anaheim, Calif. “He became annoyed that I wouldn’t give him the letter.”

Lee, who was wearing what she described as a cassock, said she protested when she was asked to leave.

“I said, ‘Why are you bothering me?’ They escorted me outside the gate,” she said.

She said security officers allowed her to return when she promised she would not yell or wave, but then other officers arrived and told her to leave.

“I said, ‘I’m not leaving,’” she said. “They tried to drag me out.”

Two officers then picked her up and carried her out. An Associated Press photographer photographed the incident.

“I was afraid you could see under my clothes,” she said, her voice choking up.

I’ll grant you that if the Secret Service suggested that I do something, I would do it, meekly and compliantly. But Ms. Lee, a reporter, is made of sterner (and perhaps crazier) stuff.

And now we know what happens.

Aggie has a more artistic eye than I, but I’m intrigued by the composition of that photograph. Air Force One is in the background, a cable in the ominous shape of a noose is in the foreground, and her distress is evident. Bystanders watch with puzzled expressions. And I love that LiveStrong bracelet touch. I swear, you could spend as much time on this as you could on a Giotto fresco.

Have at it.

Inspired by the historic significance of President Obama’s election, Saudi Arabia responds with an historic elevation of their own:

Following are excerpts from interviews with Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani, Imam of the Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca, which aired on BBC Arabic on May 5, 2009 and Al-Arabiya TV on February 27, 2009:

Interviewer: Where can Christians [pray]?

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: Christians are allowed to pray in their homes. We have no problem with them praying where they live. But for the bells to be sounded in the land of the Prophet Muhammad – that [runs counter] to the Prophet’s guidance. The Prophet’s guidance, by which we act, dictates: “Drive the Jews and the Christians out of the Arabian Peninsula.” Driving them out is undoubtedly the prerogative of the ruler, but they should be allowed to live here only if their presence is essential.

…

Interviewer: Do you support demands made by women in Saudi Arabia for certain rights that the women feel they lack?

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: Women indeed lack some rights, but not because of Islam or the rules. This is because of the implementation of these rights by their husbands or parents.

Interviewer: But don’t the state and the society impose their restrictions as well?

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: I do not think that society imposes any restrictions on women. We have a woman who has become a deputy minister.

Interviewer: Are women capable of driving, or is this prevented by society?

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: If all women’s rights are reduced to driving a car…

Interviewer: This is just an example, Sheik Adel.

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: There is no other example of women lacking rights in Saudi Arabia. There are women clerks, women doctors, and women laborers.

…

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: I believe that my appointment to the position of imam [of the Haram Mosque] is much more significant.

Interviewer: More significant than the election of Obama?

Sheik Adel Al-Kalbani: In other positions, there may have been [black] people in the past, but with regard to this position, my appointment was a courageous decision. I believe that it is more significant than the election of Obama.

On this last point, I may have to agree with Sheikh Al Kaline. Given the Saudis’ ingrained racism, this is indeed a significant moment. For America to elect a black man as president was just a matter of time.

Unfortunately, given the shameful performance of this president, this was not that time.

In Africa, they poach elephants, rhinos, hippos, gorillas, you name it—so why not white people?

The Spanish government is considering an asylum request from an albino African who claims he might be killed in a witchcraft ritual if sent home.

The 18-year-old from Benin, known only as Moszy, arrived in Tenerife last week with 60 other African immigrants.

Some African nations have reported a growing trade in albino body parts, which some witchdoctors believe can bring wealth and good fortune.

The Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid described Moszy’s fears as reasonable.

The director of the commission, Juan Carlos Lorenzo, told reporters: “In Africa albinos are considered to be a bad omen or a factor of good luck.

“It is logical that he fears for his life because among different ethnic groups his body may be used in a sacrifice ritual.”

Last year, a BBC reporter in Tanzania posed as a businesswoman who wanted to get rich and went to various witchdoctors.

In some cases she was offered, for a starting price of $2,000, a potion made of albino body parts - including legs, hair, hands, and blood - to make her wealthy.

At least 40 albino people have been killed in Tanzania in recent months and more than 10 in neighbouring Burundi.

As any of our regular readers would already have known.

But an albino can’t be both a “bad omen” and a “factor of good luck”, can he? Isn’t there some sort of African Witchdoctor Association that can conduct a double-blind clinical trial to determine which it is?

As an aside, I loved this caption for a picture of an albino that accompanied the story:

People with albinism are more vulnerable to skin cancer

Albinos are trying to escape from being turned into vichyssoise, and the BBC is worried about their SPF number. Unbelievable.

Obama to Lula: “I love you, man.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, March 27, 2009:
This is a crisis that was caused by white people with blue eyes. And before the crisis, they looked as if they knew everything about economics.

Associate Press, April 2, 2009:
During a lunch at the Group of 20 summit in London, Obama shook hands with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and said: “This is my man, right here. I love this guy.”

Obama’s love for Lula is displayed via a hand shake and maybe a forearm grasp.

But his devotion to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is manifested by something a bit more—how can I put this delicately?—intimate:

Not on the first date, Mr. President. You just met the guy.

Where are the protocol people?

Besides, if you’re going to bend over, Mr. President, I think the Saudis like it the other way around.

That headline was good enough for Nat Hentoff, so it’s good enough for me:

The “education president” remained silent when his congressional Democrats essentially killed the Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) in the city where he now lives and works.

Of the 1,700 students, starting in kindergarten, in this private-school voucher program, 90 percent are black and 9 percent are Hispanic.

First the House and then the Senate inserted into the $410-billion omnibus spending bill language to eliminate the $7,500 annual scholarships for these poor children after the next school year.

…

Andrew J. Coulson, director of the Cato Institute (where I am a senior fellow) supplied the answer when he wrote: “Because they saw it as a threat to their political power, Democrats in Washington appear willing to extinguish the dreams of a few thousand poor kids to protect their political base.”

Teachers unions are a major part of that base. Among those demanding that Congress kill the voucher scholarship program was the largest teachers union, the National Education Association.

…

As New York Times columnist David Brooks noted, the congressional Democrats even refused to grandfather in the kids already in the voucher program, “so those children will be ripped away from their mentors and friends … .” President Obama, he added, “has, in fact, been shamefully quiet about this.”

Doesn’t Obama at least have something to say publicly to those children and their parents when his own Secretary of Education Arne Duncan opposed the congressional shutdown of Opportunity Scholarships?

Said Duncan (New York Post, March 6): “I don’t think it makes sense to take kids out of a school where they’re happy and safe and satisfied and learning. I think those kids need to stay in their school.”

Duncan suggests that donors provide financial assistance through graduation to those kids stripped of their Opportunity Scholarships. Perhaps our “education president,” from his continuing royalties from the sale of his books such as “The Audacity of Hope,” might help out.

…

Virginia Walden-Ford, executive director of D.C. Parents for School Choice, offered an excellent suggestion for members of the White House press corps:

“I’d like to see a reporter stand up at one of those nationally televised press conferences and ask President Obama what he thinks about what his own party is doing to keep two innocent kids from attending the same school where he sends his?”

Look folks, we don’t need to say we told you so. Even you unreconstructed liberals knew this was the guy you elected—this was the guy you wanted, just as he is.

Sure, he’ll sock it to the establishment and the powerful—unless they’re unions, lefty fundraisers, and “community organizing” groups. President Bush just held hands with a Saudi prince; President Obama goes a lot further—and on the first date.

We didn’t have to tell you so; he told you so himself.

If I could make this stuff up, I’d be earning millions writing lame scripts for forgettable sitcoms on those lesser independent cable channels:

A trade group of black newspaper publishers named Barack Obama their Newsmaker of the Year, and want to give him an award. Obama finds this so delightful that he’s made it an event … but guess who won’t get invitations?

…

The president is to receive the award from the federation of black community newspapers in a White House ceremony this afternoon.

The Obama White House has closed the press award ceremony to the press.

That’s okay. He’ll always be number one with the media.

And they with him.

You paying attention? I’m only going to say this once.

This is funny:

As is this:

This, too:

But this—where no allusion is made to any human being living or dead?

If you think this is anything other than racist and vulgar, say your prayers.

Got it?