Kurly's Kommentary
Kurly is dedicated to bringing "kommon sense" back to political dialogue.
Kurly's Kommentary
390 Broadway
#5
Monticello, NY 12701
United States
kurly
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Catskills Journeys: Guarded Memories of the Holocaust
Published In The Huffington Post on June 12, 2013
"For in the end, it is all about memory, its sources and its magnitude, and, of course, its consequences." - Elie Wiesel -Night
By Steven Kurlander
I grew up the child of a survivor of the Holocaust.
Nevertheless, I had never heard of "The Holocaust Cantata" until I had been recently been asked by my friend Lou, who is the president of the Sullivan County Community Chorus, to read two passages from the work. It was going to be sung as part of a tribute to "Jewish Culture" at the group's annual Spring Concert.
The Holocaust Cantata is a collection of songs and readings written by World War II concentration camp inmates and discovered by liberators of the death camps. It premiered at the Kennedy Center in 1998 and has been widely performed since as part of Holocaust remembrance events across the U.S.
Because of my particular upbringing and struggles as the son of a holocaust survivor, I'm not fond of many of the modern day observances, movies, or even history books on the subject.
Nevertheless, when I was asked by Lou to participate in the event, I agreed without thinking about it.
But I immediately had second thoughts about doing it…Continue Reading
Copyright © 2013, Steven Kurlander
Unabated NSA Snooping: Congress & the Courts need to enforce privacy rights
Published In The Florida Squeeze on June 7, 2013
And instead of just focusing in the Obama Administration, it's time to question whether there's enough constitutional safeguards are indeed in place to temper the unabated pursuit of information from American citizen's that's supposed to be private.
By Steven Kurlander
This morning, I made a phone call to a client and started the conversation by stating "This phone call may be monitored by the National Security Agency (NSA)."
I have Verizon cell service. Yesterday, it was reported in the British publication The Guardian that the NSA has been collecting the telephone records of millions of U.S. customers of Verizon under a top secret court order.
Who knows, the NSA may be monitoring my writing of the column, all under the context of national security considerations in the alleged War on Terror.
This is the problem: There's really no meaningful oversight these days by Congress or the courts to monitor or outlaw such surveillance...Continue Reading
Copyright © 2013, Steven Kurlander
The Skinny on Political Correctness: Time to stop discriminating against Fat Americans
Published In The Florida Squeeze on June 6, 2013
There’s no better poster child for how anti fatism pervades our media and society than Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, whose rising popularity and notoriety has been met along with spiteful, derogatory criticism that seems to always center on his weight.
By Steven Kurlander
America is a country where our freedom and liberty are characterized in theory by equality, tolerance and constitutional guarantees against discrimination because of one’s race, sex, religion, or origin.
Our country’s growing emphasis on political correctness propounded by those on the left and its general acceptance by most Americans stems from an acknowledgment of the democratic value to fight against the basic human traits of hatred, prejudice, and ignorance that cause discrimination and bigotry.
This societal censorship that forbids the use of such basic derogatory terms as nigger, fag, cunt, and other detestable words is not only a result of the raising of the level of decency we show to one another, but sadly to some extent is also a negative byproduct of a liberal fixation to police our feelings, our language, and even our thoughts that has become somewhat overreaching in our daily lives.
What’s really distressing is the hypocritical propensity of those on the left who impose upon us such political correctness with obsession, but nevertheless engage in the similar vile language and conduct against fat Americans....Continue Reading
Copyright © 2013, Steven Kurlander
Catskills Journeys: 38 years working at The Miss Monticello Diner
Published In The Summer Edition of The Green Door Magazine
In the tough times that have defined the Catskills, many small businesses have come and gone, but there are always one or two that survive, even thrive, and characterize the history and resiliency of the place and its people
By Steven Kurlander
It’s a given that in the early morning hours at the Miss Monticello Diner in the village known as “the Crossroads of the Catskills,” you’ll be served by a waitress named Connie (Breen) McKenley who is dishing out egg specials, grilled muffins and hot buns, pancakes and French toast.
Everyone in town knows Connie, who has been serving breakfast for decades. She has her regulars, her diner groupies, those who have sat in her section of the diner for years. In fact, in June, Connie will celebrate her 38th year working at the diner.
In this day and age, it’s very hard to find a dedicated employee who has worked for one company that long. What really makes Connie unique? She is a professional waitress, through and through.
“I’m from the old school in terms working and waitressing,” says Connie. “The minute I hit my area, I stay there for the shift and am very attentive to my customers. If someone’s fork drops, it gets picked up right away; if they are eating a messy dish, they have extra napkins without asking.”
According to Connie, waiting tables is more than just serving food, it also means being a bit of a therapist. Continue Reading
Picture by Nick Piatek, Green Door Magazine
Cruzin for a Brusin in DC: Gunslinger Ted Cruz Can Redefine the Senate and the 21st Conservative Movement Too
Published In The Florida Squeeze & Huffington Post on May 2, 2013
But here's the most important fact about Cruz: Unlike fellow freshman Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Rubio, Cruz has been so unwavering in his ideological beliefs to the point where he's succeeded in regenerating a dynamic enthusiasm in a discouraged GOP and Tea Party base.
By Steven Kurlander
There's a young, brash new sheriff in DC town, a very smart gunslinger.
He's come on a mission to reform dysfunction conservative politics in Washington and reposition a lackluster and devolving GOP back in the "right" direction.
While most freshmen Senators historically have been expected to lay low and work their way up the archaic hierarchical system that has defined the US Senate for centuries, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has done the opposite. He has already vociferously challenged Senate colleagues and leadership seeking middle ground on the immigration and gun control issues with what would have years ago been called a self destructive vengeance.
As a result, he's instantly become a major force both in GOP politics and in the Senate chamber too. This freshman senator from Texas who has begun to turn the Senate, and Washington, upside down all within his first four months in office...Continue Reading
Copyright © 2013, Steven Kurlander
Watch Fox's Bill O'Reilly in a recent "Talking Points" segment respond to Kurly's criticism that he was wrong attacking VP Biden's for his miniscule charitable contributions.
Listen to Kurly's Recent Interview on The Wall Street Journal's Daily Wrap Radio Show with Michael Castner
Kurly's Kommentary
390 Broadway
#5
Monticello, NY 12701
United States
kurly
