#628 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Friday April 7)
Good morning,
THE ISRAELI COURT CRISIS, REDUX
Some people have said that the Netanyahu’s attempt to pack the Israeli Supreme Court is “just like” how it is in the U.K. That is simply false. The current Israeli system is a balance of members of the court and of the Knesset. Only, the U.K. is entirely different.
The Prime Minister of the U.K. nominates members of the Supreme Court to the sovereign for approval and appointment. The PM is required to choose from a list created by a non-partisan commission (not tied to the court or the Parliament). The PM may not choose anyone not on that list. Further, the commission is required to consider only those who meet certain qualifications in the practice of law and service in the judicial system.
The U.K. system is pretty reasonable, particularly in the context of a parliamentary form of government. It ensures that the legislature and executive (remember that the government is created from the governing majority in the legislature) cannot turn the judicial branch into another political branch, and that based upon a simple majority.
CHILDREN WILL LISTEN
The classic Into the Woods will be appearing at the Ahmanson Theatre later this year. There is a tune, “Children Will Listen.” The message, of course, is that children pay attention and learn from what they observe. They learn from what they experience, what they read, what they are taught in school, what their parents, church, and others teach them, and how people around them behave.
It is important that we treat children like the sentient beings that they are, knowing that it is our job to ensure they grow up into thoughtful, productive, caring mates, friends, parents, and citizens. If we want them to be discerning readers, parents, and citizens in the future, we need to be honest with them.
Those who would seek to diminish the value of the American experiment and the meaningful contributions it has made over the years are denying children of their rightful birthright in one of the few nations founded on ideals, versus ethnicity. By the same token, there are those who only want to candy-coat the past and think that learning about slavery or our complex relationship with Native Americans somehow will disrupt the status quo or teach their children about the darker side of American history. This is equally wrong. We need to learn where people did the right thing and when they came up short. Denying students a balanced perspective on the positives and the shortcomings in our history, focusing only on one narrative, is to deny them a fuller sense of their world.
We are in the midst of numerous battles over the curriculum to be taught about American history. These battles are being waged at the state level and in local school boards. There are numerous examples of school board members being heckled and threatened for allowing certain concepts to be taught. Then there are the disputes over what books children should be permitted to read. Let us remember that parents have an out-sized influence on their own children. They can decide to “ban” a book from their own children. But they shouldn’t have the right to ban books from other children.
Amidst all the debate on what books people can read, or the history they can learn, I think in the end there will be a reckoning. Some day these children will be adults and will wonder what all the fuss was about and why we didn’t trust them to read and analyze history and important works of literature. What will they think then? The children are listening.
A STORY OF SCIENCE, SAVING LIVES AND PASSOVER
From Skip Kessler:
“David Oshinsky, the author of Polio, An American Story, who was a year ahead of me at Cornell, was a good friend. I have his book on my bookshelf…
This is possibly the greatest story in our family’s history. In 1946, Joan’s great uncle Ben attended his 40th law school reunion at the University of Michigan. (Yes, great uncle Ben graduated in 1906). The reunion coincided with Passover that year and great uncle Ben got in touch with the then director of the University of Michigan Hillel. The director wanted great uncle Ben to meet a fellow named Jonas Salk who was doing polio research. Salk told great uncle Ben that he needed expanded facilities to continue his research. Great uncle Ben told Salk that he owned a farm outside of Pittsburgh and that the barn could be turned into what was later call the “mouse house” where numerous mice could be tested. Salk moved to Pittsburgh shortly thereafter and lived on great uncle Ben’s farm while conducting his life saving research.
To round out the story, while at his 40th reunion, great uncle Ben attended a Hillel Passover seder. Hillel did not have its own facility and conducted the seder in a church. Great uncle Ben asked the director how much it would cost for the Hillel to have its own facility. The director told great uncle Ben the amount and on Monday, when great uncle Ben returned to Pittsburgh, he sent a check to the director to build the new facility. Joan and I honor great uncle Ben’s generosity through the Uncle Ben 1946 Fund which subsidizes the Passover seders at the U-M Hillel each year.
Have a great day,
Glenn
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