Akiva's Blog

The Editorial Board of USA Today, in "Will Trump's lows ever hit rock bottom?" (2017), assert that President Trump is not fit for the Office of President due to his deeply immoral and ethical behavior. They use fiery and provocative diction to highlight one recent case that demonstrates his immorality, use a scathing and forceful tone to assert that the president is uniquely unfit for the job, and list many other examples that display Trump's disregard for ethics and morality using a blunt and critical tone. The Editorial Board's purpose is to take a stand against the President, by convincing the public that his behavior is absolutely unacceptable and inexcusable for the leader of our country, and to thereby trigger protest instead of apathy. They speak to the common American who relates to their frustration with the President's behavior, and wants their own views to be confirmed with facts from their newspapers. In my opinion, when criticizing actions of a ...

Abraham Lincoln, in his second Inaugural Address (1865), asserts that the terribly long and bloody Civil War that was destroying the country was a punishment from G-d for the 250 years of slavery in America. He puts his speech in context, describes the unfolding of the Civil War as result of the issue of slavery, explains how each side prays for assistance in the war, and uses Biblical references to argue that slavery is the terrible offense that is causing God to punish them with such a bloody war. Lincoln’s purpose is to give hope and strength to the Union, and send the powerful message that they are on the right side of this, and hence must finish off what they began. He speaks directly to the members of the Union that are physically or emotionally pained by the war, and seek comfort during this difficult time of war. In my Judaic classes over the years, I have learned in great detail of the large role that G-d and religion played and continues to play in war. The Hebrew Bible ...