Sounding Alarms Through the Centuries

Story and vocal by Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel

 

ENCINITAS, California — Most of us have been glued to our television sets watching protesters marching on our streets and around the world. They are  responding to the murder of George Floyd.  In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “Riots are the language of the unheard.”

This is an overwhelming response of   hundreds of thousands of   people of all colors and races against the systematic racism in country, our   government, police brutality, disparity of income, lack of health care for   millions, and many other challenging issues.

At the beginning of 2020, our government heard alarms about the   impending  Covid- 19 virus, but denied and delayed taking proper action, consequently  causing multiple deaths. A legal maxim is, “Justice   delayed is justice denied.”

I started to write this article to show how people throughout our history have been sounding alarms to warn of injustice and threats to freedom

In 1775, Paul Revere rode his horse through city streets, shouting, “The British are coming!” And of course, the words of Patrick Henry “Give me liberty or give me death!” expressed the core of the American revolution.

The attack on Fort Sumter by Confederate force sounded an alarm to Abraham Lincoln that a Civil War with southern slave-holding states was    inevitable.

The protests and demonstrations in colleges and young people against the Vietnam war were dismissed by our generals, President and politicians.  The war continued and thousands of our youth and civilians were slaughtered.

During the 1960s, while living in Oakland, I was dead set against the Vietnam war and feared for my sons being drafted when they became 18.  I   vowed that I would encourage them to move to Canada if called.  By sheer   coincidence, and no previous design I was offered a pulpit in Toronto, and   in 1969 we moved there.

When my sons reached the age of 18, they each registered for the draft at the American Consulate in Toronto. If called, they had an option to apply for Canadian citizenship.  Fortunately, it did not happen, and they both attended fine colleges with very low tuition fees.  While in Canada we enjoyed   the excellent benefits   of the Universal Health Care that put   America to shame.

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In  164 BCE, Judah Maccabee sounded  an alarm in ancient Judea with trumpets (probably shofars, ram horns) to fight for freedom of worship and  to remove powerful Syrian forces.  Using guerrilla tactics, the Maccabees won against overwhelming odds. The holiday of Chanukah is celebrated by Jews around the world every year.

This history is preserved in the first of  two apocryphal books (post    biblical) called The Books of the Maccabees, and also the history book by   Flavius Josephus.

In 1 767, George Frederic Handel composed an oratorio with a libretto by James Morell that tells this story of the Maccabean victory with grand music One of its more famous pieces is “See the Conquering   Heroes.”

Many years ago, I sang another selection from the oratorio at an  interfaith Chanukah – Christmas concert in  a Catholic church  in San Diego’s north county.  It was an amazing evening, the likes of which should continue with our Christian neighbors.

Here is the  song “Sound an Alarm.”  Judah begins with some bravado telling the Syrians that their efforts will be in vain because God (Jehovah) is with him:  “My arms against this Gorgias will I go. The Idumean governor shall  know how vain, how ineffective his design while reigns his leader and  Jehovah (God) mine.”

Now Judah sings “Sound an Alarm” with trumpets (probably shofars) to   get everyone’s attention. The tempo increases to excite his followers and assure them they are brave and can win against the larger foe because “justice and courage is worth a thousand   men.”   (I love  this  phrase)

“Sound an Alarm! Your silver trumpets sound, and call the brave, and only brave around.  Who listed follow to the fields again? Justice and courage   are (worth) a thousand men.”

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Alarms have been sounded for centuries but not always listened to.  A  relevant example was the Iraq war.  After the 9/11 bombing of the Twin Towers, George W.  Bush and Dick Cheney justified attacking Iraq on the grounds that it had Weapons of Mass Destruction.  However, they both had been advised by U.S. Intelligence agencies that there was no clear evidence of this fact.

Nonetheless Bush and Cheney, trying to show the power of the United States in response to the 2011 disaster dismissed and buried this very important information. Without revealing doubts about the Iraqi weapons, they convinced Congress to declare war, and we are there still!

While I was writing this article a few nights ago, I caught an English movie  on television about this very subject and based on true events. I think it was serendipity!

The movie is Official Secret.  Here is the story: Prior to the Iraq war a young woman working in the English Intelligence Agency happened to   come across evidence that there was actually no support or evidence that Iraq had Weapons of Mass Destruction

Prior to employment in England’s’ Intelligence Department all employees had to sign a non-disclosure contract.  If they ever divulged any   information they would be tried for   treason. Fully aware of this, the   woman was determined to use this information to stop the war to save lives   and secretly sent the details to the press.

The reporter who received this secret letter investigated and shared it with the Editorial Committee. They hesitated to print it directly and criticize Tony Blair. The article printed was watered down and vague.

Once the   newspaper hit the stands, the Intelligence Department knew that the story was leaked from inside and started to interview everyone. Realizing she would eventually be identified, she confessed and was promptly arrested, sent to jail, and accused of treason.

She engaged very sharp attorneys to defend her while she was in prison.   After several months her trial finally reached the high court.

Somehow her attorneys discovered there were some hidden documents in Tony Blair’s office about the Iraq war that may have relevance for the trial and asked the judge to obtain these documents. The judge then instructed   the lawyer for the prosecution to produce the specific documents.

Caught by surprise by this turn in the trial, there was a moment of  complete silence until the lawyer for the prosecution slowly rose and   quietly said, “We are withdrawing this case of treason against  the accused.”

Rather than reveal the documents and expose the subterfuge of Blair’s  documents hidden from the public, the case was dropped. The woman was set free and only left with a pyrrhic victory.   The movie, Official Secret can be viewed on Amazon Prime.

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The world needs more alarm sounders, whistle blowers and free press to expose illegal and immoral acts of  injustice in our society.  I shall never forget the whistle blower who helped prosecute cigarette companies for their lies and deceptions about the safety of smoking tobacco.

Protesters are still walking the streets demanding loud and clear for changes in our government and society, changes in the role of police forces, changes  to improve health care for every single person, changes so every child will be provided equal education and job opportunity. And the list goes on.

The bottom line is : Will their voices be heard or will changes be just window dressing?  I hope all the brave protesters will march to the voting booths, or mail in their ballots next November.

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Sheldon Foster Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel of San Diego.  He may be contacted via sheldon.merel@sdjewishworld.com