The Gospel at Mass this past Sunday, October 13, was from Luke 17:11-19 and was the story of Jesus on his way back to Jerusalem after travelling in Samaria and Galilee. He encountered a group of ten lepers on the road. He greeted them and they asked Him, ”Master, can you help us?”. Jesus prayed and said, “go, your faith has cured you”. He went on His way, and the ten lepers looked at each other and were overjoyed. Their flesh was healed. They ran to their towns to share their joy with their families, but one of them decided to go back and find Jesus to thank Him. He found Jesus, knelt and gave thanks. Jesus enjoined him to rise and asked the question…”were there not ten who were healed? Where are the other nine?”
The Missing Nine Today
Luke’s Gospel instilled in me a thought. Here we are today, 21 centuries later, witnessing a transformation in the Middle East, a region of the world that has been plagued by war for thousands of years and a hotbed of terror, on the brink of peace. But here in America, we remain a “House Divided”! We see history being made thousands of miles away thanks to the monumental efforts of one man, President Donald Trump, who has brought together allies and adversaries to forge peace and begin the reconstruction and rebuilding of war-torn Gaza. Many believed this day would never be possible, but the first steps have been taken. It brings to mind the effort put forth under the Marshall Plan in the aftermath of World War II, in which America led the victorious allies in a bold plan to rebuild 19 nations in Europe and the entire nation of Japan.
Where are the thanks to President Trump from those in our homeland?
Divided Praise in the Homeland
He has been recognized and thanked all over the world, including Iran. But here in America, the Democrats are for the most part silent.
What it takes to achieve such undertakings is a visionary, someone who can see past the vitriol and hatred, and envision the possibilities that can become realities. That is what a businessman can do. That is what a builder can do. That is what President Trump has done. Now it is up to the partnerships he has forged with the Arab world and Israel to strengthen their resolve and make the vision come to reality. Does anyone believe that this could have been accomplished by politicians who have never been in business before? By lawyers who have never run or operated a company before? Both the Senate and Congress are inundated with lawyers, which, in my humble opinion, is why nothing gets done. Lawyers are essential, but their claim to excellence is their ability to argue, to debate. What happens when you argue and debate ad nauseam? Nothing gets done. Donald Trump is a successful businessman accustomed to getting things done. He is an outsider, and that is why he is disliked. That is what fuels the hatred and the vitriol and the TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).
So, what about here, in our own backyard? What stands in our way of focusing on the future? Why has there been no unanimity of thanks? The answer, sadly, is stupidity and anger. Democrats despise President Trump. But if you ask them why they hate him so much, they cannot answer except for typical remarks such as….”he’s a bully; he’s crass; he is not Presidential; He is a dictator; he is authoritarian.” All of these are empty statements and feelings. None of them are true! But the left-leaning media latches onto it and develops headlines based on it because that is what sells papers. But they do a terrible disservice to our country because of this. The left universally declares Trump a “threat to democracy”, another falsehood. But they cannot explain how he represents such a threat because no responsible reporter ever asks them the follow-up question to explain it or provide examples of it. They cavalierly make these statements without thought or concern about how they are received. The point is that by continuing this vitriol, it drives the schism that has been created deeper. It is a blueprint for disaster.
Modern Day Nine Lepers
So, here in our backyard, we have Jay Jones, Virginia Candidate for Attorney General, saying about his opponent, Todd Griffin…, ”imagine three people, Hitler, Pol Pot, and Griffin, and two bullets. Griffin gets two bullets every time”. He went on to say that he “imagined Girffin’s children dying in their mother’s arms”. Where does this disgusting language come from if not pure unadulterated hatred and stupidity? This man doesn’t deserve to be Attorney General or anywhere near a responsible position of leadership!
Then we have Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner for Mayor of New York City and an outright Communist, saying he wants to destroy the statue of Christopher Columbus in Columbus Circle in Manhattan and Columbus Square in Astoria, Queens. Such stupidity escapes me. New York is home to the nation’s largest Italian American population. Mamdani is espousing more division with these words; he is fanning the fire of hatred, offending many Italian Americans.
Then we have Senator Chuck Schumer, a career politician, saying that “the longer the government is shut down, the better it is for us”. Well, who is “us”? It sure isn’t the military who are not getting paid. It sure isn’t federal workers who aren’t getting paid. And it certainly is not our country that is losing billions in GDP. So, who is benefiting from the shutdown? It is a thoughtless remark, but Schumer doesn’t care because Congressmen and women and Senators continue to get paid.
As a final example, we have the raging youngster, Greta Thunberg, saying that Israel is to blame for the hunger the war has created in Gaza for children. She posted a photo on social media of “suffering Palestinian prisoners,” showing a picture of an emaciated Evytal David, an Israeli hostage that Hamas had starved and even filmed while digging his own grave! Her example turns Yellow Journalism bright blue! Sickening. But it makes it into the press. I wonder where the Editor of that publication was.
Peace Through Strength
Presidents Obama and Biden sought desperately to entice Iran back into the community of nations and did so by making enormous financial concessions (remember the cargo plane filled with billions of dollars flown to Iran in the dead of night), backpedaling on security, and placing handcuffs on our vulnerable allies, Israel and Saudi Arabia. Indeed, Obama left intact a significant threat to U.S interests in the region, ISIS. When Trump took office in his first term, he abandoned that approach and used American power to protect our allies and our interests. He authorized the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s terror efforts, delivering a clear statement that America would no longer be a punching bag for Iran or its terror proxies. In his second term, Trump began by trying to negotiate a settlement with Iran over its nuclear program. Still, the mullahs rejected his efforts and continued to threaten our troops and Israel. Trump then launched a massive strike against the Iranian nuclear facilities, destroying them completely and paving the way for the peace we see today. Had he not done this, we would not see what has happened today. If Iran developed weapons-grade uranium and the bomb it sought, it would undoubtedly have used it on Israel and would have tried to use it on America. The “Little Satan” and “Great Satan” were always in the crosshairs. If that had occurred, millions of people would have been killed, but that is no longer the case because President Trump decided to use “Peace through Strength.”
No More Divided House
It is time to put the division and hatred aside. President Trump and his staff deserve our admiration and praise. Democrats and Republicans alike need to get hold of their senses and do the right thing. Are we to assume that President Trump and his administration can bring Arabs and Israelis together, working towards peace and harmony in the Middle East, but here in America, Democrats and Republicans cannot work harmoniously together for the good of the nation? Are we to assume that party affiliation is more important than the nation as a whole? If that were so, a million ghosts dressed in olive, brown khaki, blue, and grey would rise up from their white Crosses and Stars of David, exclaiming Shame on You! You wasted our sacrifice!
Here is my message to Democrats and Republicans: Open the government and let’s focus on the future, reaping the benefits of a great economy where all can prosper.
Taking cheap shots is what they always have been….cheap shots. Wake up, Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer—your country beckons.
