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LET’S FIND A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN SAVING THIS COUNTRY FROM SEDITION AND ANOTHER CIVIL WAR AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO SPEAK THEIR WARPED MINDS  A web user watching his content get censored So many people these days are expert on everything. Climate change. Epidemiology. And yes, constitutional law. Author and lawyer Jeffrey Kass digs into what types of speech are kosher and what types of speech are not protected by the First Amendment. As America recovers from the attack on the Capitol, Kass picks apart the balance we need to strike between allowing people to say dumb or even racist things against not allowing speech that is designed to encourage violence and insurrection.
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BLACK LIVES MATTER, VERSION 20.21  Alone and Excluded in a Cafe This essay uses the Netflix show The Good Place as the backdrop for discussing how our society likes to present itself as The Good Place when, for far too many people of color, it can often be a bad place. Rather than point fingers, Author Jeffrey Kass asks readers to just practice empathy and hear what types of things hurt and ail much of the Black community. To listen to others’ pain. To understand why people embrace Black Lives Matter.
STORMING OF U.S. CAPITOL IS THE FINAL WARNING  Charlottesville Extremists March Extremism is on the rise at a rapid pace. It’s reminiscent of the militias back in the 1990s. But we know what happened then. It rose so much that it eventually led to Timothy McVeigh and others bombing the Oklahoma City Building. The anger and disdain in 2021 parallels that dark time in American history. This essay is the warning to learn from our past and not return to domestic terrorism.
VACCINATING AGAINST UNCONSCIOUS BIAS  A Typical Dinner Table Diversity trainer and author Jeffrey Kass has developed a method for ending racial strife with a method he calls End Racial Distancing. It involves creating space in our after 5:00 p.m. spaces and more intimate spaces in life for people who are different than ourselves. We can’t possibly learn and respect each other on a deeper level if we don’t start integrating our homes. If we don’t end racial distancing. This is the key to ending unconscious bias that plagues so many of us.
TIME TO CELEBRATE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST  Ugly Plain Gift Wrap Lovers of peace and justice have a tough time assigning anything good to Donald Trump. By any standard, he stoked the flames of hatred, gave renewed voice to white supremacists and disrespected so many groups it was hard to keep track. From Charlottesville good people on both sides to Mexican rapists, nobody fighting for social justice respects Trump. So when 45 helped procure multiple peace agreements in the Middle East, many on the left remained silent. Author and activist Jeffrey Kass reminds us in this essay that the peace agreements he helped secure among Israel, UAE, Dubai and Morocco are good, regardless of the wrapping paper they came in. That anytime you bring former enemies to peace and normalization it’s a good thing.
This essay is a must read for people wanting intellectual honesty. Lovers of peace and justice have a tough time assigning anything good to Donald Trump. By any standard, he stoked the flames of hatred, gave renewed voice to white supremacists and disrespected so many groups it was hard to keep track. From Charlottesville good people on both sides to Mexican rapists, nobody fighting for social justice respects Trump. So when 45 helped procure multiple peace agreements in the Middle East, many on the left remained silent. Author and activist Jeffrey Kass reminds us in this essay that the peace agreements he helped secure among Israel, UAE, Dubai and Morocco are good, regardless of the wrapping paper they came in. That anytime you bring former enemies to peace and normalization it’s a good thing. This essay is a must read for people wanting intellectual honesty. TIME FOR EUROPE TO PAY FOR THEIR RACIST SINS  Beautiful Portugal The focus has always been on America for its racism and slavery past. But Europe seems to get a free pass even though it was Spain, England, the Netherlands and others who traded and profited from the slaves. The Europeans used their wealth to build their countries and shipped the slaves to the U.S. instead of to Europe. This essay advocates for holding European countries partly responsible for fixing the problems that still plague America from this evil part of history. Activist Jeffrey Kass gives us a refresher course on the African slave trade that helped build Europe.
THE FAILED AMERICAN MELTING POT EXPERIMENT  The story of Chanukah has nothing to do with gifts. It’s the story of the Jewish nation in the land of Israel living at the hands of Macedonian rulers. But unlike other abusers of the Jews, these rulers just wanted the Jews to assimilate. To blend in. To become part of the majority. This essay uses the backdrop of the Chanukah story as a guide for us not using the idea of us all melting into one type to achieve national success Author Jeffrey Kass advocates instead we appreciate and celebrate our own and others’ differences rather than melt them away.
MARGINALIZED GROUPS AREN’T RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL SINS OF THEIR MEMBERS  When a white man shoots up a Vegas nightclub or guns people down in Florida, there’s nobody calling on other whites to condemn them on behalf of the white people. But for some reason, when some member of a minority group, whether it be a Black man, a Jew or a Muslim, we look these groups to issue broad condemnations. As if the bad person committed the crime or heinous act in the name of all people who look or worship like him. This essay explores why this double standard isn’t fair.
NOW TIME TO GET RADICAL ON RACE  Unsplash Photo Credit: Clay Banks People involved in fighting for racial justice are dancing in the street after the defeat of Donald Trump. Indeed, there was much to be concerned about under his presidency. The election is over now, and author Jeffrey Kass in this essay reminds us that racism didn’t start in the last four years and we can’t let our guard down just because Biden-Harris won. Kass gives real solutions to tackling are centuries old issues,
 When the Ohio State Buckeyes put the word “Equality” on the back of their helmets to start the COVID-19 reduced 2020 football season, thousands took to Facebook and Twitter to express their outrage. “How dare they mix politics and football.” “Their ruining college football.” And other similar less PG statements. This essay breaks down how we have devolved into a society where even the word “Equality” triggers people into fear and anger.
 Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons Most people opposed to Donald Trump have a tough time understanding how any good person could possibly still support him after all of his nasty statements. After his refusal to loudly condemn white supremacists. And after his barrage of race-baiting comments. Not into cancel culture himself, author and activist Jeffrey Kass dives into a theories why well-meaning charitable people still support Donald Trump.
 Unsplash Photo Credit: Tobias Roth The vice presidential debate between Harris and Pence wasn’t all that exciting but to the chagrin of many, Mike Pence held his own and stuck to his guns. It may have been a big win for the Trump-Pence ticket but then something funny happened. A fly landed on Pence’s white hair. It was the talk of America instead of Pence’s stronger than expected performance and Harris so-so responses. In this essay, author and attorney Jeffrey Kass has some debating tips for Biden and Pence.
 This essay moves us from the Biden-Trump debate into a discussion on cancel culture and mutual respect. Author Jeffrey Kass doesn’t suggest reducing your values or accepting abhorrent behavior or leaders, but he advocates for a more nuanced way of engaging our fellow Americans, which include family and friends so that we do not continue to digress into the abyss of conflict. This piece causes us to reflect on how we deal with people with whom we disagree. Sometimes even strongly.
DEFAMATION AND DISTRACTION  Too often people, particularly on the far left, are so quick to lump the Jews and Israel in with every colonial conquest the world has seen. They do this in the stated name of advocating for Palestinians. This essay dives into why this is counter-productive and actually doesn’t help the Palestinian cause. Author and activist Jeffrey Kass reminds us that the Jews have a 3,000 year connection to the land of Israel and didn’t colonialize anything. Recognizing rather than canceling the Jewish indigenous connection to that land will allow us to practice intellectual honesty and then actually address where the Jewish state has failed the Palestinians.
 This essay comes just after the death of Supreme Court and social justice giant Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The abortion debate is often the first thing one thinks of when we talk about the Supreme Court. Author Jeffrey Kass uses this backdrop to help us reflect on what the sanctity of life must truly mean for all living, walking, breathing people. That we can’t simply focus on an unborn baby and then ignore the quality of a person’s life after birth. Justice Ginsburg spent her life fighting for equality for women and it’s a great example for us to recalibrate our energy.
HUMANIZING HUMANS ONE MEAL AT A TIME  Unplash Photo Credit @shotsofflouis One of the biggest reasons we have so much disconnect in America is that Black and White folks aren’t taking time to get to know each other on a personal level. This essay advocates for starting with a meal. Not politics. Not issues. Not solutions. Just breaking bread with someone. We often talk over people who are different than ourselves. Like two ships passing in the night with so much lack of understanding of the other. It’s too easy to react to a news story or a traumatic event about another group if we haven’t taken the time to know people from that group on a deeper level. It all starts with a meal, argues author Jeffrey Kass in this essay.
THE ROADMAP OUT. A JEWISH PERSPECTIVE  Unsplash Photo Credit: Chrstina@wocintechchat.com People often ask what can I do to help end systemic racism and injustices. There are many layers to this, but Kass delves into why mindfully supporting Black-owned businesses is one important step in the path to real progress. He uses the backdrop of the Jewish experience coming to America and how they used support for their businesses to move up the American ladder.
WHY WE SHOULD SUPPORT SPORTS STARS TAKING A STANCE  Unsplash Photo Credit: Markus Spiske NBA players decided to cancel games and refuse to play in the wake of racial strife and more police killing of unarmed Black men and women. Author Jeffrey Kass explores why we should support these players and their standing up for their brothers and sisters. Why in this country we want to support and encourage peaceful and verbal protest and change. We can’t take away voice and then simultaneously expect people not to try other methods of change. Thank you LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and company for standing up for Black and Brown people.
 Unsplash Photo Credit: Daniel Lincoln At some point, the word conservative got twisted. I grew up thinking it meant an approach that was careful. Not too risky. Cautious. Not loosey goosey. Thoughtful. My best friend’s dad was a conservative and he also was a conservationist. An environmentalist. He wanted to play it safe with our planet and not just hope the scientists were wrong.
Nowadays, though, conservative seems to have lost its meaning. It especially reared its ugly face during COVID-19 where many conservatives were outraged over having to wear mask. This essay undresses conservatism with the hope of returning to its roots. HOW THE TERMS WE USE IMPACT THE PACE OF CHANGE  Social justice warriors may be well-intended but sometimes the words chosen to advance the cause of justice end up having opposite consequences.
This essay explores why words matter. When we call something genocide or apartheid, what does that mean? When we use words like diversity and inclusion, what does that mean? Our word choices impact how fast we will heal so many of our world’s problems. |
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