Tennessee. Shame on you.

I have never been more ashamed to be a taxpayer and resident of Tennessee. And that is saying A LOT!!! (remember the 'no gays allowed' signs after marriage equality passed the Supreme Court or the 'no Muslim zones' at gun stores, or the many pastors and 'Christians' who protested a Muslim house of worship being built in Murfreesboro or the 'Patriots' who lined President Obama's highway route from the Nashville airport with confederate flags and openly threatened to assassinate him?) Shame on you, supporters of this disgusting bill of bigotry. Shame on you conservatives who have spent the better part of my life trying to turn the United States of America into a radical religious state governed by Christian Sha'ria Law. Shame on ANYONE living in TN who considers themselves a Christian or an American and can look at themselves in the mirror and support this bill. While at the same time they talk all day about the dangers of Muslims living among us. Shame on all of you. This is a dark day for Tennessee and a dark time for America.

BRUSSELS 3/22/16

BRUSSELS TERROR ATTACKS SHUT DOWN CITY

First, let me say that my heart is overflowing with grief today for my friends in Europe, in France, and of course in Belgium for the unbelievable stress they have been under and for the tragedies that they have been forced to endure. Make no mistake, the "terrorists" that carry out these "missions" are complete cowards. There is no bravery to claim or pride to be taken from blowing up innocent civilians in a subway or an airport, none to be found while attacking innocent concertgoers at a live music venue on a street that I myself have performed on. There is nothing brave about blowing up a bus full of Jews, Arabs and Christians in Jerusalem, or at a market there. And while it might have been gutsy and ballsy, there was nothing particularly brave about crashing airplanes full of people into my skyline, shattering the heart of my city.

Dear world, I remember when we first met. I thought we knew each other pretty well. You were a safe and predictable place that I didn't quite fit into, so I 'marched to the beat of my own drummer' they'd say. Those early years of relative bliss were pretty great. And although I had a relatively traumatic childhood, I always believed it to be my own personal struggle. My own trauma that I was to bear; One that would fade away and that I could overcome by adulthood. 

The early years of my survival were marked by the strong influence of Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and the laid back and stoned 1970's. I found the stage at this time through theater and music. It became my refuge and thought I knew what the world was. Frankly and without exaggeration, the arts saved my life. 

The 1980's were filled with Reagen, with Gorbachev, that damn wall coming down (which was announced to me by Ian Anderson at a Jethro Tull concert on Long Island). That was long before cellphones, smartphones, 24 hour news from ever angle. There was AIDS, space shuttle disasters, Pink Floyd & Billy Joel concerts, my first booze, my first joint, my bar mitzvah, my first girlfriend, my parents' divorce, a war zone at home, and at 12, an impressionable, troubled young kid running away and staying with older and inappropriate people in NYC.

The 1990s brought cars, college, more drugs, Nirvana, grunge, the start of my musical artist career, several albums and tours, George Bush, Bill Clinton, the Oklahoma City Bombing, Waco, friends going off to fight in Iraq, and something that hit very close to home. In 1993, there was a bombing at the World Trade Center. This was pretty shocking to me as I worked in those towers often. I was 20 years old trying to survive as an actor and musician in the brutal NYC market. I was doing singing telegrams that day in Manhattan. There were other similar days I recall... For instance, I was driving in a gorilla costume when the news of Kurt Cobain's death broke over the radio. I pulled over. I was gutted. 

But the Twin Towers. I remember the feeling before and after that day. While that event was trumped by later atrocities and unspeakable horror on that site, it is easy to forget on THAT day in 1993, the terror was immediate and profound. It shook us to the core, as New Yorkers and as Americans. I worked there many times after that bombing up to the point when I left in the late summer of 2001. I was back there in September 2001 mixing my 5th album. We all know what happened then. 

In the 2000's some great things happened and some sobering realities set in. The world I knew was dead. It had changed forever and we all knew it. But after the largest and most fantastic terrorist attack on US soil, followed closely by my almost dying the next year, my life drastically changed course. I couldn't sing or perform after my illness, so I slowly transitioned into producing and touring with other artists. On my presumptive deathbed, I had a few regrets that I vowed to remedy in the unlikely event that I survived. 1. I had never owned a house. 2. I never finished college. 3. I never got married nor had kids. Well I bought my first house in 2004, graduated Harvard in 2006, and well... 2 outta 3 ain't bad. 

In rediscovering my artistic life since then, so many amazing and unpredictable things have happened to and for me. Tours, albums, great loves, tragic losses, the company of my beloved dogs. But nearest and dearest to my heart are my many trips around the globe. I had always been terrified of flying and the events of 9/11/2001 didn't help matters. But after almost dying, you say 'fuck it' about a lot of things. And since then, as most of you know, I have become quite the world traveler. I go to the ends of the earth for art, exploration, creation of music, etc. One favorite destination has been Europe and within it, Brussels. 

Terrorism is pure evil carried out by the brainwashed minds of simple, uneducated, and disenfranchised people. While they celebrate tonight, we as citizens of the earth simply deepen our resolve to root them out. Killing and causing terror is their only ideology. They are programmed to think there is a higher purpose to their mission, but there is not. They are pure evil. Their main goal is destroying free societies like the United States of America, and turning us against each other. Through terror and fear, they enable the rise of tyrants like Donald Trump. These terrorists thrive on hate, and they want us to hate as well. A world full of chaos, violence, war, and hatred is the essence of their endgame. However, the world I grew up in and specifically the country I call home, was much better than that, I am much smarter. So are you.

There are ways to deal with terrorism, and I sincerely believe the Belgian authorities did their absolute best to protect the citizens of the country against these unpredictable brainwashed murderers. But this was not their first attack, and it will not be there last. Not by far. A generation of evil homicidal psychopaths with one purpose has formed over several decades. It was raised out of the ashes of war and inequity and knows only death as a means to communicate. The answer to this scourge is most certainly not more war against sovereign nations. I am no fan of killing, but most victims of terrorism would say that same thing if they were still living.

This evil must be rooted out, terrorists must be culled from society, and must be destroyed. This is not an American problem; this is a responsibility that rests heavily on the shoulders of all reasonable members of the human race. Flattening countries will not get us there. Attacking Muslims will not get us there. Squashing a radical ideology when it pops up is a decent start. However, that ideology is not ‘Islam’. Those who believe Islam is the problem are not 'intentionally' bigots but through fear, conservative propaganda, and programming, that is the only concept their minds are able to grasp. They are so terribly wrong and have a very short memory. 

The citizens of our country that are 'gun rights advocates', that are proponents of 'open carry', those who support hate groups like the NRA, the angry mobs at Trump rallies, the 'pro-life' protesters, the misguided souls who bring their rifles everywhere they go to 'exercise their second amendment rights'; they have been shown time and time again to be one trigger pull away from the insanity and brainwashed homicidal rage that the killers in Belgium and France were raised to believe in. It is no better and no worse. Hatred and fear is just that; hatred and fear. When you are angry and armed, you are just a ticking time bomb. However this moment is a time for a concerted effort between the intelligence agencies of the entire world. This is not at all a time for vigilantes. 

In the end, nothing changes until everything changes. The children of the world need love and education that doesn’t include justified murder in the curriculum. The poor living in all nations need help and equality. People out there have reasons to hate, reasons to resent and yes, some have been programmed with a divine justification for carrying out killings. However, our world has more than enough resources for everyone to grow up with food, healthcare, education, and without resentment and hate. Peace is not achieved through war. Nothing is. War brings more war. Revenge is futile, violence brings more violence, and killing brings more killing. Death is death. And today, I mourn along with the rest of the world, but especially with my dear friends in Europe, Belgium and beyond.

I have been a part of this planet since 1973. We have seen all sorts of great moments for humanity, and all sorts of evil men rise up to interrupt it. We must overcome the urge to kill and instead embrace ‘the impossible’. A new age in which we strive to understand each other's needs, and cooperate with each other. This in no way excuses murder, terrorism, the evil that has occurred today, nor that which will undoubtedly occur tomorrow following today's awful events. 

These are the thoughts I have upon waking up to this horrible news. While it is an election year in the United States, that was not the point of this posting. Although, I can see that our country is deeply in need of a commander-in-chief who will not listen to violent impulses and act with the knee-jerk brilliance of a schoolyard bully. That simply perpetuates the situation we have been dealing with for decades now. 

Brussels, as you sleep tonight, and I know it will be hard, please know my heart is with all of you. Every time a tragedy occurs in a place where I have spent time and have close friends, I take it very personally. I consider and feel these events deeply. I hope you can gather with friends this evening, share a bottle of wine and a meal, play some songs together on a guitar. Smoke a joint if that helps calm your nerves. You, ALL of you, are better and stronger than the cowards who did this to you and all of us know that. I hate to be so far away from friends when they're going through tragedies like this, whether they be in Israel, Europe, or in the United States. I will return to you as soon as humanly possible, but until then, my eyes remain open as do my mind and heart. 

I am absolutely 100% with you in spirit. With love, with tears, and deeply sharing your pain.

Your friend,

Russell Wolff

So, about Adolph...

So, about Adolph... DONALD J TRUMP ADDS NAZI SALUTE TO HIS RALLIES

Friends, family, neighbors, fellow citizens, enemies even... I can't sleep tonight and I haven't slept much since Super Tuesday. I don't need to say 'I told you so' or make any sort of angry comments to the people who told me I was being a neurotic/paranoid Jew when I compared Trump to Hitler. But I stand by my earlier assessment and am now seeing that it is much worse than we realized.

It doesn't matter if he means what he says or not. It doesn't matter if this is some brilliant plot to shake things up in the GOP. It doesn't matter if this is a joke to him or a publicity stunt to satisfy his humungous ego or get better ratings on a reality show next year. We are WAY past that now. And if we don't act, it will be too late to stop what is happening before our eyes.

So now, and I mean RIGHT now (tomorrow morning is fine) every decent American citizen who loves this country and calls it home needs to think about what is happening here and become an activist. A loud one. This madness MUST be stopped.

I don't care if you are a Christian, a Jew, an atheist, a republican, a democrat, a Muslim, black, white, Arab, Indian, Asian, a whatever...

IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, YOU MUST BECOME AN ACTIVIST.

This is real life. This is not a test. This should be scaring the shit out of you. And we all must do any and everything in our power to stop it. I am telling you this is not optional. We cannot afford to be complacent. We cannot afford to say, "nah, this stuff will never happen." He has already made good on his words. Trump says he will order the military to torture people, and he says they will do as he commands. When he incites violence against certain races of people at his rallies, his supporters listen and commit violent acts against them.

But, I am not simply talking about Trump. The guy is an egomaniacal  fascist asshole and a phony. But 25% of your fellow American citizens agree with his racist and violent rhetoric and plans. Please take a moment to think about how large that number is, and about how few racists you previously thought were in our country. You MUST reach out as best you can to his supporters. You must vote for someone else and not only encourage Trump supporters to cloche from  to as well, but explain to them why it is so important. Our country and all it was founded upon is at stake.

If you care at all about the future of our country and of your children and of future generations, you have a moral obligation to act. Not to hope. Not to pray. But to act. Loudly. Swiftly. This is no longer a joke. This is not a test. This is real life with real consequences playing out in real time. This hellfire of bigotry, violence and hatred must be stopped. Everything is at stake. Everything you know, everyone you love. So I implore you to get involved. I beg you not to fall under a spell of ambivalence and malaise. This is not the time for that. This cancer will continue to grow. It has spread to 25% of our population today and is showing no sign of going away. Don't let it get any worse. Be part of the cure.

Super Tuesday

Friends, Family, those who like me, and those who don't: tomorrow is Super Tuesday. And if your state is one of the states that votes in the primary, I urge you to go out to the polls and cast your vote. I would argue that there has never been more at stake in our lifetimes. The future of our country and possibly the world depends on it.

On the Democrat side, you have two extremely qualified, intelligent, and compassionate candidates, both of whom have devoted their lives to public service. They stand for better access to education, healthcare for all, fairness and equality to all people, and equal rights and pay for them as well. Both of these individuals seek to solve the lingering problems our society still faces in 2016, or at the very least make a major dent in them. Racial injustices, massive income inequality, unacceptably low educational and criminal justice outcomes for our young people, especially those of color. They have worked tirelessly to bring a voice to those who have none.

Over on the Republican side, things look quite a bit different as even my Republican friends readily admit. And it is not subtle. Aptly labeled a 'con man' by Marco Rubio, you have the bombastic frontrunner #Trump. He has risen to immense power these last six months by spewing racist and fascist rhetoric. Donald Trump has already done immeasurable damage to the United States both domestically and abroad. Far worse than his existence of course is the reality that millions of Americans are cheering loudly for him and acting on his words right in front of our eyes and on live cameras. This shocking rise is no better or worse than watching Hitler's rise to power. I do not use that comparison lightly, but if you look at the facts, it is a fair and terrifying one. At his core, he is in egomaniacal entertainer, and most likely doesn't mean all the things he says to get those votes… But the damage is already done both here and abroad. He must be stopped. I send that message out to my Republican friends as well as my Democrat friends.

After that guy, you have two religious fanatics, Cruz and Rubio, seeking to turn back time and reverse all equal rights victories over the last 100 years for disenfranchised people in America.  Also, while scaring the crap out of conservatives in this country, telling them over and over again that 'the Muslims' are here to institute Sha'ria Law, they themselves have mounted a not-so-secret campaign to institute their own distorted Christian brand of Sha'ria Law.

But here's the thing. This is America. We cannot let that happen here and I urge you to stand up and say enough is enough. No more fascist rhetoric against one group or religion of people. No more threats to take away basic human rights from one group of people whom your lives might not resemble. America is better than that, though many here have forgotten that.

Please,I beg you to look inside your hearts and forget words like Muslim, Gay, Enemy, Liberal, Conservative, etc and instead imagine these terribly damaging things were being said publicly about you and your family. Vote your conscience then. Imagine these people were threatening to deport you and your family. Vote your conscience then. Imagine your sister, mother, or daughter has been violently assaulted and became pregnant. Imagine the horrifying laws the right is trying to enact to control every decision that involves their body and mind. Vote your conscience then. Imagine you are an innocent family living in a country that the US government has labeled an enemy. Imagine walking through your every day life, just trying to build a better life for your children, and yet always being aware that at any moment a drone strike can destroy your lives forever. Think carefully about the temperament and mental balance of the person you want controlling those drones and the command of our military. Vote your conscience then.

I travel all over the world and the two things I am most asked about are our inexcusable gun violence epidemic and the hateful rhetoric that comes from the conservative politicians and is acted upon frequently by millions of citizens who agree with it. A politician giving a speech in Nashville yesterday said 'all around the world, no matter what they say about us, they all want to be us!' While the phrase was rewarded with rousing applause and cheers, I can report back with confidence and authority that among developed industrialized nations, this is simply not the case.

So I urge you all to think very carefully about what you want the next mouthpiece speaking for our nation to sound like. Are we a country of hatred, bigotry, ignorance and exclusion? Or are we instead a country of freedom, opportunities, equality, compassion, tolerance, progress and inclusion. Are we prepared to lead the world or instead are we poised to destroy it?

Everything is at stake. Don't give in to fear and rhetoric. Please consider these issues as if your own lives depended on it, because they do. Find your conscience. Listen to it. Be brutally honest with yourself. And vote your conscience.

Dear New Hampshire

To my friends eligible to vote in #NewHampshire today as well as my friends across the #USA, I want to explain why I still support Bernie Sanders for president and have for a long time. #BernieSanders is the only candidate running for #POTUS with plans that will benefit all of us as a nation. Conservatives, liberals, rich, poor, black, white, women, men, everyone. All of #America stands to gain from a Sanders presidency. And our standing in the world will rise considerably.

Here is my layman's analysis of your choices today:

Hillary Clinton: status quo, friend of Wall Street, nothing of change though, not where it counts. She is a terribly divisive and unlikeable character (not really her fault) and no one on the other side wants to work with her. Nothing will get done. I am a feminist. I would love to see a woman lead our nation. If Hillary gets the nomination, I will most likely support her. She is a foreign policy wizard and respected all over the globe.

Bernie Sanders: honest (if a bit whiny), lifelong public servant (mayor, senate, candidate), works well with both parties, has never once waivered from core beliefs and those beliefs have universally been shown to help nations and in the analysis below would being ours to a place we have only dreamt of. His domestic policy is quite literally second to none.

Donald Trump: besides being a complete egomaniacal asshole devoid of substance, he has already done America measurable damage around the world and at home. Trust me, I travel often to other countries and field questions about that guy. He cares nothing about you or your family, ONLY of money, greed, and his own self-image. He is the very definition of a terrible human being.

Ted Cruz: apparently a smart and well educated man, but exemplifies everything that is wrong with the conservative movement. It has nothing whatsoever to do with the ideals of America. Conservatives claim to be Christian... So help the poor as Jesus would or as Bernie Sanders will. House the homeless, feed the poor, and take care of our health. Conservatives also claim to want small government. This is a compete lie. They want HUGE government when it comes to discriminating against certain types of Americans or attacking foreign nations. They speak of Sha'ria law coming to America. Yet it is already here in the form of their Christian conservative movement. It doesn't belong here. No more than Al Qaeda or Isis does.

Marco Rubio: I almost cringe to include him here. But I feel it is important. He is a very dangerous figure. He speaks very well and with passion. He is extremely handsome (compared to the other candidates). His youthful exuberance hides the fact that although he sounds intelligent, he isn't. He is a xenophobic idealogue which should be cured by looking in the mirror. But it isn't. He would be absolute misery for our country.

So there you have it. My take on things. I never know if people think I am brilliant, insane, a complete moron, or some combination of the three. But I lived with our military in the desert for a while. I travel all over the world. I would like to think I bring an educated perspective to these matters.

If you, the people of America can get past all the liberal democrats telling you: hey, Bernie did a good job but it's time to get serious and support Hillary; and if you truly look at the man's record and read his policy papers for a Sanders presidency, I am confident you will come to the same conclusion I have. If you are willing to be honest with yourselves, both republicans and democrats should be supporting Bernie Sanders for President of these United States.

Sincerely,
US citizen Russell Wolff

PS He's a funny guy.


http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/08/news/economy/sanders-income-jobs/

Dear United States of America

Dear United States of America,

Congratulations! You are just a few short steps away from becoming Nazi Germany. Hitler didn't start with the camps. The Nazis started with propaganda, division, an 'us vs them' campaign, laws and restrictions against one single race of people followed by suspicion and finger pointing by those in power, discrimination, assaults, rallies with a mob mentality... Then came the camps. America, you are skating on very thin ice and you're not fooling anyone. The world has indeed seen this before.

I support the Muslim woman in the video linked below with every ounce of my Jewish 'been there' soul and history. Every American, every human being, and certainly everyone who has the balls to refer to themselves as a 'Christian' has a moral imperative to stand up against this inexcusable behavior and rhetoric. It is a national embarrassment when scores of Americans cheer on discrimination against one group of people. It is a national embarrassment when the leaders of the NRA and GOP lead and maintain their power through fear. It is a national embarrassment when Donald Trump, the undisputed leader of the Republican candidates to become President of the United States, incites large crowds of people foaming at the mouth to follow a policy of hatred and bigotry. Anyone who is not speaking out about this is no better than those who are out there supporting it publicly. You should be ashamed of yourselves; All of you. I know I am and I know the world is as well.

I am not as worried about Donald Trump as I am about you, the millions of American citizens who support this hateful rhetoric against fellow Americans that might look or act a little different than you and your family. You don't have to listen to the woman being interviewed. Just watch how she is treated as she is escorted out of the rally. Look at the guy blocking her way up the stairs. That is not an isolated incident. That behavior (and much worse) has become the norm among the right-wing in America. Go ahead, feel free to leave a comment about how inclusive and welcoming the NRA and GOP are. Or better yet, how racist or elitist 'liberals' are. But truth is truth. Actions speak louder than any words. Conservatives unfiltered are angry, fearful, white, and don't like anyone who doesn't look like them or believe what they do.

While at Harvard (you know, I am an 'elitist' after all, which is the conservative term/insult for having an education or intellect) I was extremely fortunate to take classes from some amazing human beings. One such human was a 30 year veteran of the CIA before he started to teach at Harvard. While he taught a few fascinating classes, my favorite was 'The Madness of Crowds'. Throughout recorded history, there is a pattern that repeats itself endlessly. When you get large groups of human beings together in crowds, the worst evils inside them come out. And they are celebrated. Ignorance. Hatred. Racism. Bigotry. Mass murder. Basically, nothing positive. There is no room in these crowds for logic, reason, compassion, or facts. Only rage.

Someone asked me today why I describe myself as a 'social justice warrior' and what that means. I had never written it out before, nor had I been asked about it. It stems from being born in New York City, the greatest city in the world. A place where the divisions are mostly two-fold: They are what we call a 'stand up guy' or good person vs what we call 'shady/sketchy' or basically a bad person. So that's it on the streets I grew up on... Good vs Bad. Not white, black, jewish, christian, catholic, muslim, atheist, chinese, korean, japanese, arabic, nepalese, etc. We were all New Yorkers. And we were all either Good or Bad.

From there, it moves on to it's obvious adult iteration: owning the term liberal and all it stands for. Liberal ideals are the ones the nation was founded on. Being liberal is the ability to have empathy for those who do not share your views, your privilege, or your circumstances. Being liberal means not automatically applying your personal beliefs to other's lives. Being liberal is the belief that all of us really are equal on this planet. Being liberal means that we have a moral responsibility to help each other up, not cut each other down. And being a 'social justice warrior' means standing up for and giving a voice to those who don't have one. They deserve a seat at the table as much as anyone else here. We are all on the same team. And, yes, we are all refugees.

Conservatives claim to want 'small government' and claim to fear 'Sha'ria law' taking over in America. However, the truth played out in their actions is very different. They want a gigantic government that supports their xenophobic, anti-knowledge, anti-everyone-not-white-and-christian agenda. Yes, I often hear conservatives refer to the 'liberal agenda' and they are right there is one, as written out above, or by the founding fathers. And it is pretty noble. However, the great irony the people who foolishly vote Republican against their own self interests fail to see is that conservatives have been fighting vigorously for a 'Christian-branded Sha'ria Law' in America for decades.

There are many people in the United States and around the world who look at Donald Trump and call him an idiot and a fool. He isn't. He is highly intelligent, as I assume Hitler was. Donald Trump knows exactly what to say, when to say it, how loudly, and in what setting. He is brilliant at what he does: manipulate millions of people by tapping into their ignorance and fear. Make no mistake, he WILL be the Republican candidate for President of the United States.

So, America, home that I have had for the last 42 years, how are you going to play this one? Do you really want to go with hatred and division? Do you really want to go with restricting the rights of one group of people? Do you really want to support intimidation and condone attacks against these people? Did you forget the months after 9/11 when scores of Sikhs were singled out by law enforcement and attacked repeatedly by ignorant white citizens? (Fun fact: Sikhs are the people you call 'towel heads' who are not Muslim).

Black lives matter. Muslim lives matter. THAT is America. Not the rhetoric, not the hatred, not the xenophobia, not the 'justifiable' intimidation and violence carried out against those different than you, not standing outside Muslim houses of worship, foaming at the mouth, clutching a bible in one hand and a rifle in the other striking fear and terror into the hearts and minds of innocent Americans, many women and children. Imagine if things were reversed... Imagine if you will, large angry groups of armed Muslims waited for you outside of your church on Sunday, marching and screaming about taking back the country and kicking you out of it. I think you know how that would end. Native Americans talked last week about what would happen if it were them, and not the armed white terrorists, who took over that federal building in Oregon. You know as well. Of course you do.

We have a choice, America. And this choice is the most important one we have had to make in a long time. This is real life, not a drill. Because right now, we are not only a huge embarrassment and disappointment to the entire world that we were once a great example for, but we are also inching dangerously close to becoming Nazis. This is an 'us vs them' moment a 'hate vs love' moment, but it is also a moment for reflection and learning. If you have friends who hold some of these hateful beliefs, you have a better chance of reaching them than I ever will. I implore you to watch the video below, to be honest with yourself about the fact that this is happening every day, and to stand up loudly against it. And wherever possible, please attempt to reach out to and educate those who believe this sort of thing is ok in America.

I don't have to imagine what happens if people don't stop this madness. It only gets worse from here. I could point to people in my own family that would be happy to tell you all about it, but I never learned their names. They perished in Poland. One of many genocides that human beings have gone along with when placed into large groups. Don't let us become the Nazis. Let us become Americans instead. We are much better off that way. All of us.

With love and respect,
Citizen Russell Wolff


MUSLIM THROWN OUT OF TRUMP RALLY... AGAIN.

Gratitude and a serious talk.

Gratitude and mirrors.

This morning, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to those brave members of the #Nashville #Jewish community who came out last night to support the only #Hanukkah show of its kind ever staged in Nashville, and quite possibly the south. Thank you to Belcourt Taps for being generous enough to host it. And thank you to my friends who performed: Eric Schwartz, Steve Goodie, Sasha Aaron, Gabe Price, and Steve's friend whose name escapes me at the moment. Which is a perfect segue to today's editorial blog posting…

Dear #America, have you lost your f^cking mind? Let's forget about the need for sensible gun control for a moment, forget about all the senseless killing because of your lack of critical thought, analysis, and adherence to logic and reason, and we can even forget your collective complicity in the gun deaths of 33,000 Americans every year. We're going to let that slide for moment. Because what you are enabling is far worse and will lead to the slaughter of millions.

Let me ask you a question, America: Which group of people would you like to exterminate from the planet today? Let me ask this again: Which group of people would you like to exterminate from the planet this morning? Take a moment, let it sink in, and please think deeply about it. I promise to come back to that question at the end.

Donald Trump. Mr. #Trump has been successful at one venture and one venture alone in his lifetime: entertainment. His foray into the world of entertainment was shocking as it was wildly successful. The size of the ego one must have to propel a failed and corrupt business man to the highest ranks of society could not possibly be contained by the halls of #NBC/Universal. So, they fired him. But that wasn’t enough power for him anyway, and firing him only made him stronger. He finally had the platform and attention he had been searching for all these years. Everything in his life before that show was a complete lie, smoke and mirrors, flat out corruption. The stuff of mafia legend perhaps, but nothing rising to the level of #genocide. That's right, genocide. And that my friends, is what we need to be talking about today on Hanukkah, the festival of lights. Not of darkness.

There was once a man with a giant ego who felt he didn't receive enough attention in the art world. He had a complete lust for power and control. He, like Mr. Trump would give loud rousing speeches to frustrated disenfranchised people professing the problems in his country and dangerously pinning it on one particular people he hated. My people. The Jewish people. This is the classic tale of the wolf wearing the sheep's clothing. But now the veil has been fully lifted. Donald Trump at this stage is no better to the #Muslim people then Adolph Hitler was at this stage to my people. 

Draw any comparisons you would like to, but they all hold up. A bitter and hateful failure is given a megaphone and a platform and is able to change the course of the world and exterminate race of people. This is not 1930, This is 2015. I hear many Trump aplogogists claiming ‘he doesn’t really mean that’ and ‘he will never become the President of the United States.’ But the problem is right now. The damage he is doing to the United States of America, to Muslims, and to the entire world is massive and it must be stopped.

While the world as a whole condemns his hateful vitriolic words about Muslims, even members of his own radical party are starting to condemn them as well. It is hate speech, bigotry and racism. However, the more rageful and hateful he is, the more powerful he grows. And  you are enabling him. That’s right, America, a huge part of the problem is you. Yes my country, America. You are the problem, and you can fix the problem.

The people that support Donald Trump are on the whole very fearful and susceptible to hateful speech. They are not happy with their lives because the party they support and consistently vote for over the last three decades claims to represent their values, but doesn't care about them or their needs. And they fail to be able to see that. Those people would be voting democratic if they could wrap their heads around the truth. They are being played like a philharmonic orchestra by a small handful of masterful conductors. 

Then along comes #Hitler (Donald Trump). With a dynamic voice, a rousing performance, and ridiculous combed over hair. All that's missing is a small mustache. He even has the Sieg Heil salute down perfectly. Just check Getty images from yesterday.

As most of you know, I am far from a religious person. I'm a man of deep morals and convictions, of right over wrong, but not a man of faith. I know many Muslim people. They are my friends. They are peaceful. They condemn every terrorist act that happens on this planet ‘Jihadist’ or ‘Christian’ as it is in their religion to do so. As any sane person would. There is so much hate against Muslims now on the internet, I can’t even give you the quote anymore from a NON-hate source, but here is the gist: to kill one person is to kill the world, and to save one person is to save the world). There is nothing especially Muslim about that, or Christian, or Jewish, or Hindu, or Atheist. That is just being a good human. Golden rule stuff. The way most people on this planet try to live. 

I know many Christians. They are my friends. They are peaceful. They condemn terror. I know good Christians of great intent who support the #NRA (even though they are by all measures a violent and racist hate group). And even among those people are NRA supporters that truly believe the outright and painfully obvious lie that the second amendment provides them unfettered access and rights to his many guns and bullets as they desire. Historians and well-educated people know full well that this was NEVER the meaning of the Second Amendment. However, I know many of those people, with many guns, who are peaceful people. In their minds (despite all proof otherwise) they are simply protecting their families. They do not wish for the extermination of a race. I know many many many levelheaded Jews that despite enduring repeated terrorist attacks over decades and non-stop oppression for 5776 years, know and love many Muslim families, and know that they are peaceful. They wish them no ill will. To do so would perpetuate this sickness known as terrorism. If anything, smart Jews pity many of these Muslims, because they are victims of the worst horrific crimes of these terrorist organizations.

These terrorist organizations are not made up of Muslims, regardless of where they steal their disgusting warped ideology from. There is no difference whatsoever in a "radical jihadist, who quotes random verses from the Qu’ran to justify hatred and murder then a white male “Christian” Jihadist in the United States who quotes Bible verses to justify his; nor in a Jewish terrorist who commits atrocities in the West Bank or Gaza. All of them might use some sort of religious justification to commit their crimes. But lift the veil and they are all the same: Vile, disgusting, soulless murderers and terrorists. Not Christians, not Jews, and not Muslims. (And not Atheists either, thank you very much)

So I want to circle back to my original question to you now. America, which group of people would you like to exterminate from the planet today? Which group? Muslims? Jews? Christians? Someone else? Because if you support a large group of screaming people, foaming at the mouth like the Nazis did… and if you show up to wildly cheer for a leader no different in rhetoric whatsoever than Adolf Hitler, I promise you will not like the results. I know first hand. My family knows first hand. My people know first hand. And I promise you too will know first hand. For if you set out to rid our country or our world of an entire race of people, you end up exterminating America and destroying the world. And trust me, like those Syrian refugees you want to turn away, no one else wants us.