RIP Stephen Solarz
 

When I was in the Army I was told I couldn't wear a yarmulke (kippah) that religious Jewish males are wont to wear. But Congressman Steve Solarz, who has died recently, opened the door for me so I could--though peer pressure, truth be told, I never followed through. What a big wimp I was.

Of Helmets and Yarmulkes - Forward - Jewish Ideas Daily

Now it's amazing to consider places like West Point will in just a few years have clubs geared just to gay and lesbian cadets, now that Don't ask... has been abolished.

What a difference a few decades make! I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.

Re: RIP Stephen Solarz
 

Why not simply rejoice? Take pride in the fact that you were on the vanguard and that your actions and the actions of Steve Solarz and countless other brave people made it possible for others who are "different" to become acceptable.

Maybe some day the world will understand that we are all "different" in many ways, both obvious and non-obvious, and yet none of makes us wrong or less equal - it just makes us a variation of the same thing - human.

Re: RIP Stephen Solarz
 

My disgust with the Double Standard started when I was a teenager and the "little hats" as I called them back then was one of my first gripes some of the Catholics and Protestents on the streets used laugh and make fun of the jewish guys that would wear them then Ash Wednesday would roll around and the Catholics would walk around in public all day long with dirt plastered all over their foreheads, if someone laughed at them they would want to fight them.
I always thought the Little Hats looked a lot better than ashes all over your face.

I'm a "Dirty Protestent" as we were called back then, according to Father Finnigan there was no way I was ever going to heaven and neither was any Catholic girl that married me.
Jesus

Re: RIP Stephen Solarz
 

Good story and sometimes a hero's recognition time comes at a later date. society moves ever closer to equality for all ... amazing that it takes so long but at least we move forward and not backwards.