I have said many times that I am proud to be an Amercian. I have given glowing praise to this great 'experiment' in representative democracy called the United States of America. I am not going to go into details again now. Suffice it to say that my feelings for what this country has done for the Jewish people and what that means me is profound.
And that’s why I find this so troubling. Cross Currents has posted an article about the upcoming Nevada Democrat and Republican Caucus. And the only way for anyone to participate in this caucus is to violate Shabbos. That’s because Shabbos is when it is being held.
I frankly don’t get it. I realize that the vast majority of Jews don’t care either about political cauduses. Nor to they care about Chilul Shabbos. But there are a few …and their rights to exercise their basic democratic right to choose who will lead their country is being denied.
As the article states:
Two elements of Nevada’s political parties’ decision to hold the caucus on Shabbat that make it especially disturbing: the fact that it is entirely avoidable (the caucuses could have easily been held on a weeknight or even after Shabbat ended), and the fact that it categorically excludes an entire group of people based on their religious identity…
Why would the poltical parties in Nevada do something like this? I know Saturday is a convenient day for most people, but don’t they realize this problem by now? Were they born yesterday? Are they so indifferent to Religious Jews? Are we second class citizens?
Where has the vaunted ACLU been? Why hasn’t this been challenged constitutionally? Why haven’t any of the candidates noticed it? …or if they have, not spoken out about it?
I don’t think there is any anti-Semitism involved here. Just insensitivity. And it is insensitivity to one of the most productive and loyal constituencies in America!
I just don’t get it!
As the people at cross current say:
The Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, says it best: “In a country that values religious liberty, no person should ever be forced to choose between practicing their religion and participating in their democracy. America is the most religiously diverse nation in the world, and the political process should be open to all on equal terms.”
I really don’t get it!
