MORALITY POLICE  

Some of you may remember I told about the yeshiva boys who attacked us on Saturdays. Yes, we played games in the streets, punch ball, Johnny-on-the stoop, box ball, marbles and sometimes a version of football called “association,” bur who knew why. So, the yeshiva boys would pass our street corner and throw rocks at us. They were too wise not to invade our street because our section of Hewes Street was our home and they knew what they would get. This after all was Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

We kids thought we were lords of the universe, but, alas, Williamsburg has become a haven for the Haredi, the ultra orthodox, the sort of folk who wear old Latvian clothing . . . and their behavior has not changed; they have become the moral police. Let me preface with “police” carries insufficient meaning. Henceforth we’ll call them the moral thugs.

Imagine you are a shopkeeper with a family. You work hard and things are moving smoothly when a stranger approaches.

“Mr. Rabinowitz, we need to talk.”

“So, what about?”

“Your daughter, you need to do something about her.”

“My daughter,” said with consternation, “who are you, what's this about?”

“Who I am is not important; she needs to button the top of her blouse. She looks like a, you know what I mean.”

Rabinowitz scowls and starts a menacing look.

“Mr. Rabinowitz, you understand, there are vandals everywhere. We don't want your shop windows shattered, or who knows what else?”

Rabinowitz gets the idea and speaks with his wife and daughter and the top button is put into use.

No, the thug is not there to extort money; he is upholding the community's standards from which no deviation is acceptable.

In Israel, the same occurs except the moral thugs accost women if not dressed properly. They are insulted, spat upon and sometimes physically attacked. Even preteen children are not safe from their assaults. So, now we know about Jewish religionists, self -righteous and nasty. Still, they are not alone. Worse, are the Taliban and El Qaeda? When they take over an area, no woman is safe from beatings that sometimes draw blood and regardless of age.

Even when there are no beatings, women are required to cover up according to the local custom, often, except for their eyes; their whole body is swathed in black cloth.

We are much nicer in this country; such things don't typically happen but don't forget that the FCC has the power to shut down anything deemed immoral. On TV, police may beat their suspects for information without invoking charges of immorality, but hints of sexual misconduct draw a quick response. Imagine what would happen if The Police Commissioner in a popular show had a sexual friend on the side.

There is nothing wrong with intensely religious beliefs. Such people know the capital t Truth and live according to its precepts. They claim their lives are better and every now and then, I come across some research that suggests they are right. OK, they live the way they want and raise their children accordingly. But, some have a sense of outrage that others do not follow their customs and beliefs. Hence, they seek out malefactors and do bad things to them.

The kids who threw rocks at us had that sense of outrage. The ultra orthodox have that sense of outrage. The Taliban and their ilk have it. Islamists believe that the whole world must become Islamic and what happens to those who don't? Religious days must not be violated and women are eager to engage in improper sex. Because men have no capacity to resist women, the women must be controlled.

In Colorado, we are caught up in the argument over Civil Unions with the religious antis claiming that such would violate their religious freedom. They argue it is immoral would be destructive to our traditional notion of marriage. So, they are religious and outraged and thus wish to limit the civil rights of a certain class of our citizens. Please note that they never explain how their religious freedom is jeopardized nor do they explain how the institution of marriage would be impaired. Hell, it's no more than religious outrage.

But, I don't get why our legislature is not aiming for marriage.

Many citizens are alas, quite brain dumb

When they keep others from living in freedom

Just like the boll weevil

Civil marriage is quite evil

But to explain why is too tough a conundrum