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June 19, 2013

Peter Grier and Harry Bruinius: In the end, NSA might not need to snoop so secretly after all

Howard LaFranchi: Taliban peace talks hold glimmer of hope, but also unanswerable questions

Warren Richey: Supreme Court: For right to remain silent, a suspect must speak
Meredith Cohn: Leeches are making a comeback as medical helpers

Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D.: How to pick the healthiest breakfast cereal

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: Spicy Double Chocolate Banana Muffins

June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting


Jewish World Review July 27, 2005 / 20 Tammuz, 5765

Needed in this war against civilized society

By Ed Koch


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | "The choice is not between order and liberty. It is between liberty with order and anarchy without either. There is a danger that, if the court does not temper its doctrinaire logic with a little practical wisdom, it will convert the constitutional Bill of Rights into a suicide pact."

That is what Justice Robert H. Jackson said in his dissent in a free speech case in 1949 when according to Internet encyclopedia Wikipedia, "the majority opinion, by Justice William O. Douglas, overturned the disorderly conduct conviction of a priest whose anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi rantings at a rally had incited a riot. The court held that Chicago's breach-of-the-peace ordinance violated the First Amendment."

Yet, in Congress last week, when the Patriot Act, dealing with a far greater danger to this country, was reauthorized by a vote of 257 to 171, 17 members of the House of Representatives from New York voted against it. They are: Ackerman, Bishop, Crowley, Engel, Hinchey, Israel, Lowey, Maloney, McCarthy, McNulty, Meeks, Nadler, Owens, Serrano, Towns, Velazquez and Weiner, all Democrats.

Last week in London, an innocent man, by admission of the London police, was shot to death by a police officer and, according to The New York Times, that has "revived and fueled an already tense debate over the arming of British police officers."

Most London police officers are unarmed. Most of the English underworld has apparently responded by not carrying guns themselves.

Terrorists don't play by the same rules. They have no respect for western laws or traditions. They carry explosives and are prepared to and have, in fact, blown themselves up in a number of incidents worldwide, killing on occasion when stopped by a security officer, themselves and the officer.

The London bombings on 7/7 are the first introduction of the use of suicide bombers in Europe. By stopping a terrorist, the officer may be preventing many more deaths of innocent civilians while risking his own life. Should reasonable and responsible people deny British police officers assigned to the task of preventing terrorism the permission they have been given to bear arms?

About ten percent of the London police force, about 2,000 officers, fall into this category. In the case of the shooting of the innocent man, a Brazilian, the London police have, according to The Times, "started a formal inquiry." What has been made public before the inquiry reported in The Times is the following: "The police had believed the man, who was shot at 10 a.m. Friday at the Stockwell subway station in south London, was a would-be suicide bomber because he had left an apartment under surveillance. They said the man behaved in a 'highly suspicious' manner — he was wearing a winter coat on a warm summer day, repeatedly ignored officers' instructions to stop and jumped over the subway turnstiles before running toward a waiting train and tripping and falling to its floor, the police said. Stunned witnesses said a police officer used a pistol to shoot the man five times, at point-blank range, in the head."

Why did what appears to be an execution take place and is now defended by the London Metropolitan police? Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, accused by some in Britain of being supportive of the aims of terrorists, elsewhere in the world, defined as seeking to achieve their political goals through tactics which include the deliberate killing of innocent civilians. Red Ken, which is how he is known in Britain, apparently sees such people on occasion as militants or freedom fighters, in effect excusing their tactics, if the terror is visited on Israeli civilians including children, women and men.

Livingstone, faced with continuing terror tactics against the city he leads, explained the new British police policy that now includes shoot-to-kill orders in some circumstances, is quoted in The Times as saying, "If you are dealing with someone who might be a suicide bomber, if they remain conscious they could trigger plastic explosives or whatever device is on them. And therefore overwhelmingly in these circumstances, it is going to be a shoot-to-kill policy." The Times further reports, "Police guidelines for dealing with suspected suicide bombers recommend shooting at the head rather than the body in case the suspect is carrying explosives."

That policy makes common sense to me.

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There will be an official inquiry in London. That report will undoubtedly be made public. Whether it bears out the facts as alleged by the London Police Department, only time will tell. When I was mayor and with Police Commissioner Ben Ward attended crime scenes throughout the city, I knew, having been told by Ward, that on many occasions the alleged facts initially reported by the police initially to the press would turn out to be inaccurate in some respects. Ward explained that the presence of the press and demands for information, and even my presence, could cause a premature, rushed public report that upon further analysis would show errors in the first released statement.

We know that happened in London after the 7/7 bombings. The Times, discussing this aspect of the case, reported, "However, in this enormously important inquiry, Scotland Yard has often rushed to release relevant developments. But the result has been the risk of divulging incomplete or even wrong information to a demanding public …the police have made a number of high-profile public statements that they were later forced to retract or modify."

We here in the U.S. and those on the ground should, under these circumstances, hold our own lethal fire, in this case, criticism of the police, until the official inquiry has been concluded. Public criticism of the police force without knowing all the facts can promote fear in the police force and a belief they are viewed as villains instead of protectors. We depend, in London, New York City and everywhere else, on our police forces to protect us, often at great personal risk to themselves. If they see a lack of public support and therefore lose confidence in themselves, and decide that doing as little as possible in their response is their best defense, we the public will suffer.

Let us remember Justice Jackson's words and their relevance to the war against terrorism. Democracies, when attacked as we have been by Islamic fanatics, must examine what they must do to prevail against the enemy. That cannot be limited simply to the size and quality of the personnel and the arms they bear. It also requires that we create appropriate laws needed to protect us, some of which will be far more intrusive than we would accept in peacetime; and provide law enforcement with constitutional and critically needed statutes that will permit them to apprehend and convict criminals engaged in terrorism who threaten not only individuals, but all of Western civilization. The Patriot Act, imperfect as it may be, now renewed by the House and awaiting Senate action, is urgently needed in this war against civilized society.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Edward I. Koch, the former mayor of New York, can be heard on Bloomberg Radio (WBBR 1130 AM) every Sunday from 9-10 am . Comment by clicking here.

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