Nik Nak’s Daily Teaser — 28-10-2018: Lady Liberty

28th October, 2018.

Just recently … ?

We all saw the news of letter bombs sent to various public figures in the US: usually Democrats who’ve been vocally opposed to Donald Trump.

Yesterday?

A day after the letter bomber was formally charged?

Something that reminded me of letter bombs sent during the Troubles.

Yesterday … got worse … 

When a man in Pittsburgh went to a small synagogue in the city: killing eleven people whilst shouting ‘All Jews must die.’

I’m tempted to tell you “The mind boggles.”

That wouldn’t do justice to my reaction … 

I’m truly shocked.

I know, perfectly well, there are people out there who don’t like others: purely on the basis of race, religion, what have you.

Views I don’t agree with, I should add.

If you do?   I’m not going to agree with you: you’re entitled to have them, but I don’t like them, I don’t want them, and I’m not to agree with them.

I’m ALSO thinking something else.

You’re perfectly entitled to be as racist, as anti-semitic, as homophobic, as Islamophobic, as you want.

But, if you think — as this man seems to — that murdering people because they’re Jewish, Black, different, is a good thing, ridding your country of people who are fundamentally wrong … ?

That’s where my tolerance stops.

Killing is out and out wrong.

And, as far as I’m concerned, killing people is wrong.

Killing people because they’re different to you?

Is even worse* … 

~≈§≈~

That’s the other thing that strikes me … 

My first thought when I saw news of this crime hit the news?

Was that someone would bring guns into the argument.

I don’t know if the USA’s allowing common gun ownership necessarily has anything to do with this crime.

Although make guns a lot harder to buy could’ve helped.

I know perfectly well from living in the UK, that this sort of hate crime is common, here: there’s been plenty of hate crime — attacks on synagogues, mosques, gay bars — over the years.

The big difference?   Because of UK gun control laws, there’s no shooting injuries involved in these incidents.

So possibly, America could do with thinking about tighter gun control may help.

But am very aware it will take time.

I’m also thinking this …

That President Trump’s opinion — that’s it’s a terrible thing — is good.

But that his other opinion — that an armed guard in the synagogue — would’ve helped?

I’m not convinced.

Guns in a holy place are an idea I find particularly blasphemous.

~≈§≈~

Let’s move on, shall we?

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Olga† and Debbi‡ putting in their answers: with Olga scoring five out of five, and Debbi on four.

Let’s see how everyone does with today’s questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the How To, License and video … 

Q1) The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on 28th October.   In which year?

Q2) The statue was dedicated by which US president?

Q3) She’s on an island in a harbour in which US city?

Q4) What’s that Island called?

Q5) Finally … The Statue was given to the USA … by which country?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers … 

Q1) 27th October is the feast day of Saint Frumentius of Ethiopia.   According to which church: the Ethiopian Orthodox, Roman Catholic or Coptic Orthodox Church?

A1) The Roman Catholic Church.   The various Orthodox Churches mark it on various days in December.

Q2) 27th October is also the Feast day of Saint Abraham the Poor.   Abraham was a Hermit in which North African country?

A2) Egypt.

Q3) It’s also the (Roman Catholic) Feast Day of Saint Kaleb of Axum.   What’s WAS Axum is now sprite between Ethiopia … and where?

A3) Eritrea.

Q4) 27th October, 1950, saw the search for missing scientist, Bruno Pontecorvo, escalated.   When who was brought in: GCHQ, MI6 or MI5?

A4) MI5.

Q5) Finally … ?   27th October, 2013, saw the death of the former front man of the Velvet Underground.   Who was that frontman?

A5) Lou Reed.

Here’s a thought …

“The view… from my apartment… was the World Trade Center… And now it’s gone. And they attacked it. This symbol of… of American ingenuity and strength… and labor and imagination and commerce and it’s gone. But you know what the view is now? The Statue of Liberty. The view from the south of Manhattan is the Statue of Liberty. You can’t beat that.”

Jon Stewart.

And a song …

Today’s questions will be answered in tomorrow’s Teaser.

Have a good day.

*        Here in Christian influenced Western Europe, I’m thinking about The Ten Commandments: something we’ve inherited from Judaism.   The Seventh, grabs my attention.   Thou shalt not kill.

†        There’s possibly less, today, Olga!   Oy … It’s raining in your part of Spain … ?   DAMN!   That’s the earworm of the day started … 

‡        At any rate, Debbi … ?   We get to see episode 4, tonight … ish … !   (What on EARTH is happening, over there, Debbi?   The US is start to look like 80s Beirut … !)