From the WSJ:

After three years of heated debate, the Park Slope Food Coop is at last ready for a vote.

That is, a vote on if, in fact, there should be a vote at all.

Next month, the 15,500-plus member cooperative will decide whether to hold a referendum on what may be the most controversial issue in its nearly 40-year history: a boycott of products made in Israel. [...]

An artist and filmmaker who goes by the name Hima B began the push for the co-op to join the global Israeli boycott movement known as BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions). She and others in support of BDS believe economic pressure will lead to an end to what they view as an apartheid system against Palestinians.

Lobbying against a referendum is a group that has coined itself "More Hummus Please." To them, the BDS movement is misguided, discriminatory and smacks of anti-Semitism.

"I oppose BDS in general but I particularly oppose it for the food co-op because they are trying to impose a political point of view on an entire population that didn't get together for the sake of supporting political causes, but got together to save on food," said "More Hummus Please" founder Barbara Mazor, a 23-year member of the co-op and Orthodox Jew.

Ms. Mazor thinks even having a referendum on the issue would legitimize a position that itself is discriminatory.

I'm not personally a member of the co-op, so my opinions on the matter will probably hold little sway on the debate. I would posit, however, that an effort that smacks all too closely of Deutsche, kauft nicht beim Juden really has no place in Gotham. It's all very well and good to be critical of the Israeli government's at times deeply misguided and unfair policies towards that country's Arab minority, not to mention the Arab population of the occupied Cisjordanian territories; that's what freedom of speech is all about, which we have here and most places in this world do not.

But if we entertain, for the sake of argument, the idea of the co-op de-shelving Israeli products - presumably including those from Israel proper - consumer speech, which is what purchasing decisions at the end of the day amount to, will be curtailed. If Ms. Mazor wants to buy, say, Sabra hummus (actually made in Queens, but no matter) at the co-op where she invests her time and her dollars, that should be her choice. Equally, Ms. Hima B has the right to choose not to buy Israeli products, if that is what she wishes. Anything else strikes this blogger at least as deeply illiberal.

Illiberality aside, it's certainly not the case that the boycott advocates are themselves unfamiliar with having their choices and actions curtailed. I'm referring specifically to the decision by the New York City Gay and Lesbian Community Center to decline to host a 2011 event for something called, a trifle disingenuously as far as I'm concerned, 'Israeli Apartheid Week'. The Center argued, to simplify somewhat, that this event did not cohere with its stated mission,

"The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center provides a home for the birth, nurture and celebration of our organizations, institutions and culture; cares for our individuals and groups in need; educates the public and our community; and empowers our individuals and groups to achieve their fullest potential."

The event organizers (affiliated with the same "BDS" movement arguing for the Park Slope Israel boycott), needless to say, were none too pleased at what they regarded as an infringement of, wait for it, their freedom of speech.

Precisely what they would very much like to take away from Ms. Mazor and the members of the Park Slope co-op. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Okay parenting is tough and my son is a tough kid to raise. But there are moments when you just realize you're doing it right and tonight was one of them.

Jacob used to like a show called "Peep and the Big Wide World," which featured "Quack," a pompous blue duck (who looked more like an eggplant), "Cheep," a rather bitchy (if I may use that word talking about a kid's show) red robin, and Peep, a small yellow chick. The whole thing is narrated by Joan Cusack, which of course makes me continually think of Addams Family Values.

Hell here's a sample, which includes their friend "Beaver Boy," which I admit always makes me laugh a bit:

Today is the first day of my son's "February Vacation." Yeah, they don't just get President's Day off, they get a whole week. Back in my day...well, that's another story. I did have to drag him into my work (all too often what I have to do with him when he has off) but I made sure we spent most of the day together. Chinese Food (at one of my favorites outside of Chinatown, Great Szechuan in Murray Hill area of Manhattan), a long walk in Prospect Park (including a stop at the Audubon Center), tried a new pizza place (South Brooklyn Pizza in Park Slope, GREAT pizza but $4 a slice!!! I usually go for $1 pizza at midnight coming home late from work), then relaxing on the couch watching Curious George (used to be one of his favorites, though not so much anymore).

The Curious George episode had something about chickens laying eggs. I made a reference to ducks and my son asked if ducks laid eggs. I said yes, the females do. He then referred to the show "Peep," saying, "Quack is a male...Chirp is a female...and I don't know about Peep."

I agreed that they don't make Peep's gender clear, unlike Quack and Chirp.

Jacob thought about it then said, "Maybe Peep is transgender."

I nearly burst out laughing, but suppressed it, simply saying, "maybe." Boy was I proud. To him it would be totally natural for Peep to be transgendered.

Of course this is mostly thanks to his mother, who is a Karate instructor at the Center for Anti-Violence Education, a dojo that is open only to women and transgendered (wrote about it a couple of times on Daily Kos), and every Thursday (a day I work late...and often have that $1 pizza for a midnight dinner) he stays in the childcare room at the dojo. So he has met transgendered folks and interacted with them in an open and comfortable setting.

Gotta say, tonight I feel pretty good as a parent! We really can teach our kids good things.

I'll finish off once again (for those who missed it!) with my son doing the elements song:

(after all...we are trying to get that video to go viral!)

This is belated...Feb. 12 was my birthday...AND it was Lincoln's Birthday...AND it was Darwin's birthday. Usually I have diaries covering Lincoln and Darwin on that day. I missed it this year. Between submitting a scientific paper around the same time and celebrating my step-daughter's birthday (one day later!) and Valentine's day, my usual diaries for Lincoln and Darwin lapsed.

Bottom line is Lincoln and Darwin (born on the very same day) were the most kick ass and influential folks of the 19th Century.

Right Wingers try to denigrate the both of them but they remain two of the most important people in history and for good reason.

Here I discuss Lincoln and the Civil War. I was born in Arkansas (borderline South) and raised in Southern California (siding with the Confederacy against the North, supported by Northern California). But I cannot understand ANY sympathy ANYONE could have for the slave holding Confederacy right now in the 21st century. The Confederacy was awful, even if the motivation of many of its combatants was noble. Here I present my view on the Civil War and on Lincoln in a historical context.  read more »

It’s not nice to call people names. Period. And yet sometimes you could; and even maybe sometimes you should: especially when their blandness and sterility negatively affect the lives of millions they are supposed to be representing in the corridors of power. Let’s take a look at the State Legislature’s Black and Hispanic Caucus.

In a recent column I told you all that the first black person elected to the state legislature was in 1917.That was arguably one hundred and forty years after the body was created. I also told you that some 20 years later the first Puerto Rican (Hispanic) was elected. Today there are 150 seats in the Assembly, and 62 in the Senate (possibly going up to 63 in the next redistricting phase). Over seventy-five per cent of the state representatives in New York are white (Caucasian). Most of the whites are males. Most of the white males are in denial relative to issues around empowerment, racism, inclusion and power-sharing.  read more »