Rep. Hasner: Taking From Teachers, Giving to Jewish Museum

• Don't you ythink it's time to make russian jews wear yellow stars so the american population can identify them

• Yes, we all know the Holocaust was a very grim time. But can we all move on, please? This culture of perpetual suffering needs to end.

• In responding to Juice and Pulp rants, blog posters who hide behind bullshit pseudonyms like "Christian" and "philosemite" reveal the same moral courage and conviction as the anonymous assholes who scrawl responses to graffiti on low rent rest room walls. Which reminds me: "We who scrawl on bathroom walls "Roll our shit in tiny balls. "Those troubled by our words of wit, "May eat our tiny balls of shit. "Otherwise,they can just go fuck themselves." From a Ravenna, Ohio Shell Station Men's Room - Circa 1984

• Ask Adam Hasner which country his pledge of Allegance belongs to and he'll probably say.............., his second allegance is to America. Him and so others. It is truly sad that so many people use America as a means to advance their own agenda even if it means denying Americans. I say love America, serve America and let America be your number one choice; second to none.

• Deirdra Funcheon did you mention that CAIR is a terrorist front group? Why did you characterize a First amendment protection rally as an anti Muslim event? You are not a journalist you are a propogandist.

• HEY IDIOTS!!!!! If you did the math, you'd see that the money Hasner moved was 0.001% of the Excellent Teaching Program's budget. 0.001% How on earth is that news worthy? The authors of this stupid blog just wasted 0.001% of our lives with their stupid hatred. Get a grip, idiots.

• So, lets take $62,979 from the budget for Florida's Excellent Teaching program and shift it into the budget for a Holocaust museum! Doesn't the holocaust get enough funding? These blind "SUPPORT ISRAEL" morons need to get the hell out of representing us! They are representing their own special interests!

• Brother Ellis: I suppose what I'm having so much trouble trying to say all comes down to this: HISTORY SHOULD INSTRUCT -- RATHER THAN JUSTIFY. Which is why I am so frustrated by those who would claim exclusive rights to historical victimhood (like Hanser and his counterparts at AIPAC). More to the point, I've spent time in Israel three different times on assignment as a working journalist -- and seen first hand how Israel's national psychic is based on (1)the slaughter of six million Jews by the Third Reich, (2) Masada and (3) the Jewish nation's70-year war with its Arab neighbors. In other words, based on my experience as an American journalist, if Valley Forge and Independence Hall define America, Israel bases its national sense of self on Yad Vashem and Masada. Which I find both sick and scare as hell Again from a personal point and as a recovering alcoholic, I have a strong aversion to those who justify their both their behavior and base their sense of self (identity) as victims of cruel fate. In recovery, for example, we are taught that blaming others (parents, spouses, bosses, etc.) for our destructive drinking and drugging is unhealthy, dishonest, and worst of all, prevents us from living as responsible equals in the Family of Man. Thus, after three score and ten years, I've had a South Florida belly full of Americans who -- as Jews and Cubans -- invest their respective passion for Israel and Cuba far above and beyond their feelings for the United States. (Yeh. I suppose this does raise the scary business of loyalty. But then I�ve yet to understand, or respect, Jewish Americans who willingly risk their lives as enlisted members of the Israeli Defense Force � while declining to serve in our nation�s armed forces.) Finally -- to get a sense of the truly toxic nature of living your life as a victim -- please Google the recent study by Daniel Bar-Tal, an internationally recognized and highly respected political psychologist, native Israeli and Tel Aviv University professor. Bottom line? As Bar Tal told Israel's oldest newspaper Haaretz: "Most of the nation (Israel) retains a simplistic collective memory of the conflict (between Israeli's and Palestinians), a black and white memory that portrays us (Israelis)in a very positive light and the Arabs in a very negative." "This memory," Haaretz continues, "along with the ethos of the conflict and collective emotions such as fear, hatred and anger, turns into a psycho-social infrastructure or the kind of experienced by nations that have been involved in a long-term violent conflict. "This infrastructure gives rise to the culture of conflict which we (as Israelis) and the Palestinians are deeply immersed, fanning the flames and preventing progress toward peace. "Bar-Tal claims that in such a situation, it is hard even to imagine a possibility that the two nations (Israel and Palestine) will be capable of overcoming the psychological obstacles without outside help." Finally, Haaretz writes that Professor Bar-Tal and the co-author of his recent study, "find a close connection between the collective memory (of modern Israelis) and the 'past persecutions of Jews -- "'the whole world is against us' and the Holocaust." And so, Brother Ellis, for now I rest my case. Oh yes. Is Elllis your real name? Because mine is not Tomasi. (As �the man who always gets away,� Rollo Tomasi was a mythical character in one of my all-time favorite movies �LA Confidential.�) Anyhow� Out of respect for your intelligence and rational response to my Hasner-spawned Juice rant, you deserve to know my name is John deGroot. Shalom.

• Mr.Tomasi, Thank you for your thoughtful incite and you make very goods points on other uncivilized behaviors that are very important and in my view deserve to be brought to everyone's attention in what ever way possible.I think the Jews have showed us the correct way to do this because we see it in the news constantly. That means people will ask questions and knowledge will be gained for the betterment of everyone. How else will this knowledge be taught. The schools are not teaching it. It's only a few people who have any interest in history or see the need for it. I think it can only mean these things will be repeated over and over again. How sad, isn't this suppose to be what true education is all about. How often do you come by a history buff? It does happen but not very often. When I tell stories of past lessons learned, most of the time people look at me like I made that up. But when someone takes the time to look up something I have said, it makes the process work. Especially now with the internet it is easy to do so quickly. Don't get me wrong I'm no history professor, I'm am just a regular guy who loves history and appreciates the knowledge it provides. What ever we can do in any way that makes sense to do I'm for it. What a great country this would be if history museums were all the rage not video games, and arguments broke out about lessons learned, not how quick someone could master game buttons. This can't happen unless a few people do a lot. Do you think this possible? I sure hope so for the sake of all of us.

• Mr. Ellis makes a powerful and valid point. That said, how many Holocaust Museums must we erect to mark the evil enormity of man's inhumanity to man? Florida currently boasts two Holocaust Museums - one in Miami Beach, the other in St. Petersburg. But what about Palm Beach, Orlando, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Pensacola? Should each of these towns have their own edifice dedicated to humanity's shadow side? And should the displays in each Museum be limited to the Jewish victims of the Third Reich? Or should they also recognize the senseless slaughter and genocide of so many others ... ranging from Mao's millions, to Stalin's, or the Turks' Aremenians, or today's African innocents, or yesterday's native tribes of North and South America, and so on? In short, is genocidal victimhood the exclusive property of the Jews? Or are there others in the Family of Man worthy as tragic members of this horrific club? I await Mr. Ellis' response to my questions. Oh yes. I too have been to Hitler's Death Camps. And Jerusalem's over-powering memorial to the Holocaust as well. But, having also stood at ground zero in Hiroshima, I've come to believe it's far more spiritually healthy to live for the future instead of the past.

• It has been said many times that traveling makes you a better citizen. Nothing could be more true than a trip to Dachau concentration camp in Munich Germany or even Washington D.C. If you can enter these buildings with a open mind and see for yourself what occurred and not become choked up or have a tear in your eye when you finish, you will have accomplished something that I have not seen any other human do yet. Do I need to remind you that this didn't start with the Jews but ended that way. The last time I went to Dachau it was full of young children from schools by the bus loads. Yes the Germans may have learned there lesson. The question is has anyone else. What ever can be done to educate ignorant people it will be worth it. By the way I'm not Jewish, I am protestant.

• Question I have for philosemite: Possible is it to be Jewish but not a victim?

• So how fucking long must we be forced to wallow in an emotional Holocaust Hangover? So it was horrible. But it was also more than 60 years ago. A generation BEFOREAdam Hanser was born. Better he should let it go and move on instead of spending my tax dollars on a devastating human tragedy that took place a world away nearly three generations ago. Even worse, having voiced this opinion,l've opened myself up to being called a flaming bigot "where it's just soooo cool to attack Jews."

• Why is it relevant to your story that he is a Jewish state representative? You publish that 96 other state representatives voted in favor of the amendment. Please tell me when you will be publishing their names, races, and religions. You seem to imply that a Holocaust museum is a "special interest" that will only serve Jews. That a Holocaust museum is an "earmark" to get Jewish votes. If that is the case, you need a history lesson. The Holocaust is a lesson for all mankind. In fact, its sad when you think about it, that a Jew had to push for it. The rest of us shouldn't need the Jewish people to remind us that genocide is within human capability. Or maybe, Deirdra Funcheon, you are a Holocaust denier? Deirdra Funcheon in your previous article on Hasner you only cite CAIR, why is that? Have you ever heard of Salman Rushdie? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rushdie or Theo Van Gogh? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_van_Gogh_(film_director) But Hasner is the devil because CAIR says so? Do your research or leave the journalistic profession, Deirdra Funcheon. Tell me, Deirdra Funcheon, given the circumstantial evidence against you, why would be unfair to you for me to assume you're just an ignorant anti-Semite? Are you Jewish, Deirdra Funcheon? I see a long and prosperous journalism career for you, Deirdra Funcheon. Especially here in South Florida, where its just sooo cool to attack Jews.

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