By Laurie Baron
SAN DIEGO─ In my last column, I wrote about the ever-present threat of terrorism in Israel. The events in Orlando reminded me that Israel has no monopoly on such violence.
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The NRA must change its mantra. The only thing that can stop a bad guy with an AK-15 semi-automatic rifle is 14 SWAT-team members armed with submachine and hand guns.
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Gay lives matter too! Anyone going to a gay bar named Pulse deserves to leave the bar still having a pulse.
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Exploiting the Orlando shooting for political purposes, Donald Trump declared: “If Hillary Clinton, after this attack, still cannot say the two words ‘Radical Islam’ she should get out of this race for the Presidency.” I think that if Donald Trump cannot call for banning semi-automatic weapons and denounce homophobia in the Republican Party platform, he should get out of the race for the Presidency.”
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Je suis Orlando; Je suis Tel Aviv; Je suis Brussels; Je suis Paris; Je suis Syria; Je suis Iraq; Je suis Nigeria; Je suis every place where innocent civilians have been killed in the name of an ideology.
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Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted via lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com Comments intended for publication in the space below MUST be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the United States.)