IMPORTANT READS

4^TH OF JULY PERSPECTIVE-When I was a child, I learned to believe that Americans valued freedom and equality more than any other place on the planet.

SLAVERY POLITICS-Emancipation Day celebrations concluded this weekend, accompanied by significant talk among elected officials about finally recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday.

@THE GUSS REPORT-The United States and much of the free world is presently undergoing a transformational cleansing of racist brands and misdeeds by current celebrities, historic figures and Madison Avenue, for starters.  

VIEW FROM HERE-As I sympathize with those who want to knock down and deface statues representing former slave owners, I realize that modern corporations are involved in the slave trade today.

GUEST WORDS—Imagine if Adolf Hitler had staged one of his infamous 1930s fascist Nuremberg hate-fests … and the stands were less than full, his speech fell flat, his flawless phalanxes dissolved into chaos, the fighting flags failed to unfurl.  

WORLD WATCH-Notwithstanding what has been commonly discussed, if the Netanyahu government moves on its plan to annex nearly 30 percent of the West Bank, which will include the Jordan Valley and Israeli settlements, it would precipitate major adversarial repercussions for Israel.