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What an obnoxious question to ask in the first place.
It should not be asked except by people who are intellectually honest enough to permit me to ask:
"Is Alito good for WASPs?" There are few such people in today's hyper-PC environment.

While the author of the "Yes" column seems reasonable and sincere, he misses the point. The vast majority of people who think in terms of "is it good for the Jews" aren't interested in religious freedom. They're interested in forcing everyone else to make them feel comfortable -- no public celebration of Christmas, no support for private or parochial schools, no abstinence education, no Pat Robertson or any other social conservative preaching on TV, etc., etc., etc. So unfortunately, the column will have no impact on its intended audience.

The author would do better to urge people to think in terms of the overall good of society. America has been the promised land for Jews, and many of them need to think much more deeply than they have about what made it so,
and, therefore, what is in their long-term interest.

It’s axiomatic that Jews tend to view all news through the lens of “but is it good for the Jews?”

Is it any wonder then, that many Americans feel that their first loyalty is to other Jews, and by inference to Israel? I think our Jewish friends should be more aware of what side their bread is buttered on, and consider first what's good for America.

Fully agree. The question is not only obnoxious, but stupid as well. The answer to it is: good for some, not so good for others. Good for those who would be satisfied with a constructionist Justice; not good for those looking for a mouthpiece of theirs on the Supreme Court.

Not that explaining it to you might make any difference but maybe to others who never heard the expression.

"Is it good for the Jews?" is a cliche based on history.

For 2000 years in Europe and under Islam, the Jewish experience depended on a whim.

One King, or Pope or Government had a certain positive opinion of Jews, another King, Pope, Government was a danger to Jews.

Any news might trigger a new whim.

Therefore was any Jews good or bad for the Jews?

At the News, could they relax or should they run for their lives.

I've confronted a number of people who claimed that they were voting for this person or that person because they were Jewish, or Black... My question to them is quite simple... "How is voting for someone just because he's Jewish any different than voting against them just because he's Jewish?"

Mark

"The vast majority of people who think in terms of "is it good for the Jews" aren't interested in religious freedom. They're interested in forcing everyone else to make them feel comfortable -- no public celebration of Christmas, no support for private or parochial schools, no abstinence education, no Pat Robertson or any other social conservative preaching on TV, etc., etc., etc. So unfortunately, the column will have no impact on its intended audience."

Nearly all of the people who oppose those things are not Jewish. They are descendents of Christian families. What first instigated those problems in our USA and when?

About 1% of our US population is Jewish (CIA factbook, 1 November, 2005).