RIP Carl Reiner

Anyone can tell a joke. Anyone can attempt to be funny. But it takes a truly gifted comedian connect with the audience.

The late Carl Reiner was one of those gifted comedians. He passed away yesterday at the age of 98. Born to a Jewish family in New York City in 1922, Reiner was also a writer who worked on early 1950’s classics such as Your Show of Shows and Caesar’s Hour. His collaboration with Mel Brooks on the 2000 Year Old Man was and still is comedy gold. Creating, producing, writing, and starring in The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966), he introduced the audience to characters are still beloved decades after they left the air.

In the entertainment industry, he was a jack of all trades. Writer, director, actor, comedian, etc. He will be fondly remembered as both a human being and an entertainer whose work made millions laugh.

In the words of our mutual ancestors, may his memory be a blessing. Z”l

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Thoughts On the SCOTUS Abortion Ruling

For a millennia, men have controlled everything about women, our bodies included. It is only in the past century or so that we have fought to take back the control of our bodies that was ours in the first place.

Yesterday, SCOTUS ruled in favor of blocking an anti-abortion law in Louisiana. In a nutshell, the law said that doctors were prohibited from performing the procedure unless they had admitting privileges at a local hospital.

On the surface, the law does not sound all that bad. It sounds almost preventative, waiting for the day when something goes wrong and an ambulance would have to be called. But, looking at the fine print tells another story. It closes all but one of the remaining abortion clinics on a technicality, putting the lives of the female residents of Louisiana at risk.

What is interesting is that Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the liberal members of the court. In doing so, it is my perspective that he is looking to the future of this country. It is a future that true equality exists between the sexes and women are finally seen as fully-fledged human beings.

It is only a small step. But when small steps come together, they can lead to major change.