A Hill With A View

MINOR SPOILERS BELOW The latest Marvel show wrapped on Disney Plus, and the critics are raving. Ms. Marvel, which featured a young, Pakistani Muslim heroine, checks all the intersectional boxes and is the archetype for “owning the cons.” Despite their best efforts, however, Disney managed to push a strong, conservative message in its show.  The dirty little secret behind the American Muslim community is that they are extremely socially conservative. The basic tenets of social conservatism include a strong nuclear family, preferably religious but at least with a deep connection to the local community. It is more modest than the overtly sexual society in which most coastal liberals participate in, and more respectful as well.  Ms. Marvel checks all these boxes, and then some. Kamala Khan’s parents are deeply involved in her life, as is her mosque and her faith. She attends services, community events and even shares heartfelt conversations with her mother on the difficulties of immigratin

Originally published July 13, 2022  https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6926-can-lee-zeldin-pull-off-an-upset-victory Any other year, any other president, and any other governor, and the race to lead the Empire State would be decided well before Election Day in November. With this year, under this president, and this governor, all bets are off. Congressman Lee Zeldin is taking on Governor Kathy Hochul, and the deep blue New York State may be under Republican leadership for the first time in decades. Hochul, who replaced disgraced Governor Andrew Cuomo, has a major advantage in registered Democrats. It is the only area in which she has an advantage over Zeldin, and that may be enough. First, the campaigns themselves have vastly different focusses. Hochul will be focusing on abortion, guns, and January 6, three issues that Democrats believe to be nationally popular but essentially non-factors in New York. Abortion is state law, and that will not be changed unless there is a ma

Originally published July 6, 2022 https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6894-kathy-i-don-t-need-the-numbers-hochul-s-power-grab After the Supreme Court ruled that the state of New York could not pick and choose who is allowed to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense, Democrats mobilized to pass a law that says they can pick and choose who is allowed to exercise their constitutional right to self-defense.  Every New Yorker should be outraged at this egregious power grab based on nothing but a determination to keep their own citizenry in line. The New York Metropolitan area, which encompasses the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, and other areas, is home to a majority of New York residents.  For generations, the culture of gun ownership has been non-existent to most people who live in these areas.  Even if some own guns, it is not something that most people fight to protect like they do in other states.  So it is difficult to feel invested in a right that yo

 Originally published June 29, 2022 https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6864-trump-s-legacy-week Victories abound for life, religion, and self-defense rights came down from the Supreme Court over the past week, reaffirming and protecting freedom for at least one more generation.  While Democrats, the media, and Never Trumpers are trying to distract from the real issues of the nation with the irrelevant and wasteful January 6 committee, the true legacy of President Donald Trump is sitting in those three big chairs in the Marble Palace down in D.C. Obviously, the biggest headlines are going to the Dobbs decision, which overturned the heinously-decided and morally-abhorrent Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. The decision that came was nearly identical to the leaked draft that attempted to threaten one of the concurring votes into changing their minds. In a sheer act of bravery, however, the conservative justices did not waver, even after a man was arrested outside of Justice Brett K

 Originally published June 22, 2022 https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6826-knesset-dissolves-israel-prepares-for-fifth-election-in-three-years The fractious coalition between right-of-center, left-wing, and Arab parties that made up the Israeli Knesset majority disbanded this week, prepping the Jewish state for its fifth election since April 2019. This will end the one-year tenure of Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and the first time an Arab party was included in the majority coalition. This eventuality came later than most critics predicted but was written on the wall when Idit Silman (Yemina) announced back in April that she was retiring. That turned the bare 61-seat majority into a 60-seat tie. Analysts at the time said that without a new coalition formed within the existing Knesset, something that the Arab Joint Lists would likely not support, a new election was inevitable. This opens the door for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, to regain c

Originally published June 22, 2022  https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6824-religious-freedom-destroyed-jews-cheer “Pride goes before ruin” – Mishlei 16:18 The above quote, which the Christian community translates to “Pride comes before the Fall,” has greater significance today than in generations past. Unless you are incredibly fortunate, the relentless avalanche of “Pride” has been blinding you with their aggressive seizure-inducing barrage of colors, and the accompanying displays wouldn’t be appropriate for a Las Vegas nightclub, let alone public consumption. The Jewish community is not immune from this, not by a long shot. Last week, a New York State Judge ruled that Yeshiva University was not a religious institution, so it could not be exempt from disallowing the Pride Alliance from having their student club on campus. While YU is planning to appeal the ruling on the grounds that it is obviously a religious institution, many Jews are celebrating the “victory.” Rachael

Originally published June 15, 2022  https://queensjewishlink.com/index.php/opinion/6786-breaking-down-the-bipartisan-gun-bill-framework On Sunday, a group of 20 Senators - 10 Democrats and 10 Republicans - revealed a framework for a gun control bill.  While not the sweeping legislation that activists desire, this legislation is the closest thing to a compromise on guns that has occurred in Washington in decades.  Like everything coming out of Capitol Hill, there’s the good, the bad, and the ugly.  Support for state crisis intervention orders This is the so-called “red flag laws,” and the framework doesn’t create a national red flag law, rather it “provides resources” to “create and administer laws.”  Only a bureaucrat would know what resources are necessary to create laws, so this is likely to be the provision to watch when the full text of the bill is created.  This could be good, or it can be very, very bad.  The problem with red flag laws in general is twofold.  First, like in the B