[justiceseeker93]

Leave it to the Jewish Left to seize the recent tragedy as an opportunity to trumpet their inane and/or irrelevant ideas. Some choice morsels from the posted piece:

It was her "sense of the Jewish value about how we treat the stranger" that that informed Giffords on the highly divisive issue of rights for undocumented aliens.

Really? Fist of all, this is not "the (individual) stranger" we are talking about in this context, rather it is a massive influx demanding "group rights." Beside the fact that nothing in our American Constitution and laws allows trespassing on our land, nothing in Judaism compels a Jew to to allow unrestricted entrance on his land nor to respect foreigners who enter his land illegally. This holds even more so when the illegal entrants commonly suck large amounts of money out of the taxpaying citizenry of the host, commonly commit crimes against the endogenous population, generally have no interest in assimilation to the host culture, and sometimes even advocate taking the very land they are invading.

Giffords's very Jewishness might have been a motive in the shooting. Jared Loughner is believed to have had links to ... an ...anti-Semitic organization.

Oh my, how the Left wishes that the gunman were a known anti-Semite and that the motivation for the shooting was so crystal clear. But those are not the facts. The evidence up to this point indicates that Loughner is a paranoid schizophrenic and was indiscriminate in his choice of victims. The M. O. was obviously not consistent with the typical American "hate crime."

...[Giffords'] grandfather, Akiba Hornstein, changed his name to Giffords after moving from New York to Arizona "in part because he did not want his Jewishness to be an issue in unfamiliar territory." Perhaps the grandfather's visceral survival instinct was right on target. The shooting definitely raises concerns about renewed anti-Semitism.

What nonsense! The grandfather was probably embarrassed about his Jewish origins, certainly not proud. Contrast Giffords' grandfather to another famous Jewish Arizona grandfather: Morris Goldwater, grandfather of Barry. He arrived in Arizona before statehood, and not only retained his original surname, but displayed it as the name of his retail outlets (Goldwater's), becoming very successful in the process.

Giffords:"In my family, if you want to get something done, you take it to the Jewish woman relatives."

Is this a quote that deserves praise? Sounds as if the male relatives - Jewish and non-Jewish - are a bunch of eunuchs. Sexism, anyone?

...more and more people like Giffords have made a conscious choice to identify as Jews, yet have no intention of undergoing a conversion.

What's up with that? Seems as if you are not born a Jew and wish to identify as a Jew and are serious about it, taking the time and effort to undergo a conversion (in whichever denomination of Judaism) would be perfectly appropriate. It certainly wouldn't harm the individual. Contrary to the author of this piece, becoming Jewish is not the same as playing leftist political games.

[Clintonfatigued]

I really doubt that religion had anything to do with it. There are rumors that the shooter’s mother is Jewish.

[Nachum]

A lot of Jews changed their “Jewish sounding” names to not stand out. Many Jews were/are fearful of insults, attacks, and discrimination so it is an attempt to ‘blend in’. Not uncommon at all.

As far as ‘identifying as Jews’, there are a lot of things going on here. First, the intermarriage of the father to a non-Jew, and second the desire to remain connected to one’s Jewish heritage. Also, not uncommon in the diaspora. The reform movement and the conservative movement make their business to teach intermarried couples that the children of non-Jewish women are Jewish, merely because they desire it to be so. If it was an issue, it would invalidate their conversions. Hocus pocus, your kid is a Jew. It is also very common in America.

In essence, Giffords represents many Jews in this country who are very much lost to their Jewish identity and yet still wish to be called a Jew. Demand to be called a Jew. I have been in long and frustrating discussions on FR about this. Non-traditional Jews have much invested in this point of view. It is a no-win argument. Every time.

[Eleutheria5]

I believe in treating strangers who come to the door and ask leave to enter with the utmost hospitality and kindness. And treating anyone who tries to sneak in the window with a dose of lead pills. These are not only Jewish values, but simple common sense.

It sickens me that leftists with some sort of Jewish ancestry keep on dragging it through the mud and muck of their political agenda. “Treating strangers hospitably” does not mean letting them vote for the home-bound and the dead, using questionable ID and a Democratic machine chartered bus.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Jared Loughner is believed to have had links to ... an ...anti-Semitic organization.

He's a member of the DNC?

[SJackson]

What's up with that? Seems as if you are not born a Jew and wish to identify as a Jew and are serious about it, taking the time and effort to undergo a conversion (in whichever denomination of Judaism) would be perfectly appropriate

Essentially that's what she did. The article doesn't state the patrilineal descent issue correctly, Reform recognizes it only when the individual has accepted and practices Judaism, participating in the Congregation and the Jewish community. They consider this the equivalent of a shorter time frame, more formal conversion, which she may well have had. The obvious difference between a Reform and Orthodox conversion is clearly a very different issue, but to her denomination, she's Jewish.

Wish I had a better link,

but Barry had to be aware of the problems inherent in his fathers faith, when the KKK was picketing his dad's store. That's the Prescott store in 1928, when Barry was 19.