JD’s JD |
JD Vance is a bright guy, but he appears to be missing a key distinction.
People who met with JD Vance during his visit with his wife to Israel a few months ago were impressed with the man and his brains. The former Marine and Yale Law School graduate wowed the locals with his knowledge and views on the complicated issues of the modern Middle East. And one has to give the current vice president credit for going from a difficult situation in his youth to his enormous success of today.
Vance, like many heavy hitters in the conservative movement, spoke at the recent AmericaFest organized by TPUSA. Vance argued that one should not throw out conservatives because of differences of opinion. He clearly had Tucker Carlson in mind. Many claim that it was Carlson who convinced Donald Trump to select the former Marine to be his running mate. And as is well known, Carlson's son works in Vance's office. While loyalty is a great quality in a person, there needs to be a separation of two issues when it comes to friends.
A question that comes up in any religious system is how to deal with a sinner. Every religion has rules that include things that are forbidden. How do we treat those who willfully violate God-given commandments? There is a Chassidic approach that can be described as bringing close with the right hand while pushing away with the left. There should always be a baseline love of our fellow man, created in the image of God. On the other hand, one should not ignore the violation of God's will. So, one should express love but also try to get the party in question to get back into line. JD Vance might want to learn something from this line of thinking.
There are differences between people that are small and make for the variety of life:
I like the Cubs; I like the Red Sox.
I like blue; I like green.
I like a good steak; I like salad.
There are differences that are........