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October 29, 2009
Shooting in Los Angeles Synagogue
Adat Yeshurun, an Orthodox Sephardic synagogue in Los Angeles.
This story is still breaking, but I'd like to make two quick observations.
1. The entire notion of a hate crime strikes me as a depraved concept where crimes and criminals are categorized by an elite thought police. If the victims were, say, residents in a nursing facility for elderly black people, would that place the crime on a lesser scale? How about when black gangs and Latino gangs fatally clash because, y'know, they hate each other, does that qualify as a hate crime? Favored victim status is, in itself, a crime against democracy and justice.
2. Synagogues in America and Canada must take the issue of security seriously, right up there with prayer and Torah study. Unarmed rent-a-cops are close to useless. I believe that Jews who attend synagogue must be armed and trained. Synagogues should find out who of their membership is proficient in armed self-defense and institute a home guard. A few years ago, Muslim prisoners in a California prison hatched a plot to attack two local Orthodox synagogues. Luckily, an inmate turned snitch and the plot was broken up. But the plan was horrendous and hundreds would have died. Islamist cells—virulently anti-Semitic—in America and Canada, funded by Saudi Wahhabi petro dollars are highly motivated, and sooner or later they will turn their attention to a soft Jewish target. We must be ready to defend ourselves.
Los Angeles police have detained a man in the search for the suspect who shot and wounded two men at a synagogue in North Hollywood. The incident is being labeled a hate crime.
The shooting occurred at 6:19 a.m. Thursday at the Adat Yeshurun Valley Sephardic synagogue in the 12000 block of Sylvan Street.
According to a police statement, a man with a handgun entered the synagogue and shot two people in the leg in what is being labeled as a hate crime.
The victims, both Jewish, were transported to a local hospital in stable condition, officials said. It's believed the men, said to be in their 30s, were shot as they arrived at the temple for morning prayers.
The suspect was described only as a black man.
Police were later seen detaining a young man matching the suspect's description about one mile away from the crime scene.
The synagogue is located next to an elementary school. It was not immediately known whether the suspect search affected the school.
The attack occurred 10 miles away from a 1999 shooting at a Jewish community center where white supremacist Buford Furrow wounded three children, a teenager and an adult. He later killed a letter carrier.
Police arrest a suspect in the Adat Yeshurun shooting.
Via: KTLA-TV, Los Angeles
Posted by Robert J. Avrech at October 29, 2009 08:43 AM
Comments
Seraphic Secret is private property, that's right, it's an extension of our home, and as such, Karen and I have instituted two Seraphic Rules and we ask commentors to act respectfully.
1. No profanity.2. No Israel bashing. We debate, we discuss, we are respectful. You know what Israel bashing is. The world is full of it. Seraphic Secret is one of the few places in the world that will not tolerate this form of anti-Semitism. That's it. Break either of these rules and you will be banned.
I am thankful and angry all at the same time. Thankful the men were not killed, thankful it wasn't you, but at the same time angry that it occurred at all.
You are absolutely right, responsible citizens need to be armed and trained. I am seriously considering getting a pistol permit, although I would not be allowed to carry on campus (that is a topic for another rant, another time).
Posted by: DrCarol at October 29, 2009 10:27 AM
All morning long we have been able to hear the helicopters circling around the shul. You are absolutely right about shuls needing to take appropriate steps to improve security.
It is a very troubling thing, but better safe than sorry.
Posted by: Jack at October 29, 2009 12:02 PM
Gee, the security for the synagogue near us is a brawny, African American cop in SWAT type gear with a machine gun and sunglasses. Without the machine gun, his biceps alone might be enough. I'm glad.
Posted by: Alice at October 29, 2009 12:27 PM
That NY Post cover with the Rabbis pointing guns several weeks ago doesn't seem so funny right now, does it?
Look, it's not just Jews. A HUGE amount of shootings take place in Churches. Anywhere where thugs know there are no armed guards, they are likely to attack. Duh! I think the statement that we need more trained and armed lay people and guards is absolutely correct. We don't want amateur vigilantes, but trained Jews with guns have a pretty good track record in deterance!
Posted by: Jake at October 29, 2009 12:39 PM
One of the problems with "hate crimes," is that if the folks who claim to take them seriously really did, we'd get a different perspective of what sort bias is a major problem in our society.
Look at the total number of bias incidents for 2007, the last year for which the data is available.
http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/hc2007/table_04.htm
Note that there were roughly three times the number of anti-black hate crimes as anti-Jewish ones. But then keep in mind that there are 7 times as many blacks as Jews in the US and you realize that per capita Jews suffer a higher rate of hate crimes.
It's true that in the case of anti-Black violence most of the crimes are against persons as opposed to anti-Jewish crimes which are largely property crimes. But still, the numbers are rather shocking.
Posted by: soccer dad at October 29, 2009 12:53 PM
I wonder if fearless leader will either publicly acknowledge or condemn this act.....
In any case, I also wonder if getting a gun permit now would cause us to be 'flagged' by our lovely democratic government...
Moshiach, where are you buddy?
Posted by: Rachel at October 29, 2009 01:19 PM
After an incident here, our shul instituted a toranut policy and now there is always at least one armed person, near the entrance to the shul.
Posted by: RivkA at October 29, 2009 02:14 PM
Almost all schools and churches, even in states with cc, are gun free zones. So criminals know there are places where it is unlikely they will have to contend with return fire.
Rachel, I will be amazed if Barely comments on the shooting. What I want to know is who all those libs that blamed conservatives for every shooting since Barely was elected will pin this on. I guess evangelicals are still around to demonize.
Gee, does anyone think maybe those muslims carrying signs supporting Hitler may be trying to finish the job? But of course the media will tell us that Glen Beck is the real danger.
Posted by: Johnny at October 29, 2009 07:11 PM
A couple of years ago a nutjob shot and killed a couple of people at a missionary type Christian establishment in Denver, then drove down here to Colorado Springs to use his 5.56 semi-auto rifle on the Sunday morning congregation at a big cathedral type fundamentalist Christian church. The deacons heard about the shooting in Denver, and asked a young woman with a Concealed Weapons Permit and a pistol in her car to guard the doors. She did, when the kook ran up the steps with his rifle and lots and lots of loaded magazines, she cleared leather and took him out. I'm a little shaky on those details, but I definitely remember the reaction of the reporters and commentators of the local progressive press to the lady's actions. They --- were --- FURIOUS. So much hate speech about how Christians were hypocrites for not turning the other cheek... the frustration in their words was overpowering, the big church they hated so much could have been knee-deep in the blood of the rednecks they hated so much... damn damn damn such a lost opportunity. Yes, please my Jewish brothers, have someone with the knowledge guard the doors with a pistol.
Posted by: q&a at October 29, 2009 07:22 PM
Mr Avrech,
Yes itemizing crimes on a sliding scale of hate appears to be sociological thought control.
Aaron has some good ideas about guns and security. It should be noted that anyone caring a gun should be proficient in target practice. Cohen, Aaron and Douglas Century. Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of The World’s Most Elite Counter-terrorism Units. New York; Harper Collins, 2008.
It is well documented in the Portuguese language that Muslim warriors sold entire tribes of non-Muslims, and fellow Muslims to Portuguese slave traders who then shipped them to Brazil.
Japanese Aikido is a good martial art to learn about weapon disarmament.
Best
JamesJust
Posted by: James Just at October 29, 2009 08:57 PM