A disclaimer: The following Rabbi was written by me on November 28, 2003, for another newspaper. It forms a backdrop for my direct questions to Ms. Meagher.

The speaker for Rotary, Superintendent Patrick Clore, had just given a stimulating program, reciting programs for which the public schools were responsible today, well over 50 as I recall, in contrast to reading, writing and arithmetic, when he first began his career as a teacher. Then, he pointed out that the most important factor in how well a student does in school is the involvement and support of his or her family, closing by saying that the family unit has continued to disintegrate in American society.

As I arose to close the meeting, fresh in my mind was the decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Court that a civil union between same sex partners was legitimate and constitutional, and I connected the rise in gay rights to the breakdown of the American family. I was leading the parade of condemnation until “Mona Lisa,” an attorney member of our Club, protested forcefully the thesis of my argument, pointing out that there are multiple causes of the breakdown of the American family and that the traditional family was already in serious trouble before the advent of gay rights.

Surprised by this unexpected challenge, I knew she was right and staggering intellectually from this hard right hand to the jaw, I stammered something about, “Have you ever heard a hen crow?” And I hung on the ropes and prayed for the bell. In this case a diplomatic member rang the bell by shifting our discussion to a less volatile subject.

The respite allowed some oxygen to my brain—it takes longer than it used to—and I said something about a nation that does not know history is doomed to repeat it, and I cited Will Durant in his classic, Caesar and Christ, who documented that the Roman Empire became so corrupt, morally, in its latter stages that they deported homosexuals and arrested prostitutes and welcomed Christianity for its emphasis on family and morals, making it the state religion. Christianity survived but not the Roman Empire for its moral fabric had become so rotten, their discipline so eroded, their will so dissipated that it collapsed from within, just as Khrushchev had predicted for the United States. Although Khrushchev and communism are gone, his prediction is eerily ominous as our collective morals, discipline and will, appear to be teetering on the brink of an abyss.

What abyss? The following appeared recently on the editorial page of a major newspaper: “If Michael Jackson did, in fact, as it is alleged, have sex with a minor boy, what’s wrong with that? Why shouldn’t Jackson and the boy be allowed the orientation of their choice? Are you outraged by this? Do you think we have gone too far? Not far enough, some say. Yesterday’s unacceptable (divorce, premarital sex, abortion, homosexuality, group sex, domestic partnerships and soon, same sex marriages) are today’s acceptable. Groups exist that promote adult-child sex. Expect an alliance of academics, theologians and Hollywood to waterboard this into our cultural consciousness, until it becomes commonplace. In pursuit of freedom we have embraced license and now licentiousness.

Is it not understandable that Islam regards America as the Great Whore? One thing for sure, if Terrorists and Islam gain control of our nation, a lot of persons will have to change their ways or be deported to Antarctica or have our heads piled in a shallow grave!