Items in this column include:
*Gun Show this weekend and next year seem a legal certainty
*Political dots and dashes
*Jewish community conundrum: safety vs. welcoming the stranger
*A speaking engagement at Congregation Beth Israel
*As we enter the Jewish New Year
Gun Show this weekend and next year seem a legal certainty
The Crossroads of the West gun show will be held at the San Diego County Fairgrounds this weekend thanks to some complicated legal maneuvering that precluded board members of the 22nd Agricultural District Fair Board from conducting hearings on the issue of whether gun shows should be conducted on state property.
Attorney Fred Schenk, a member of the agricultural district board and its former president, said he was put in charge of a committee late in 2018 to determine whether Bob Templeton, owner of Crossroads of the Westm was someone with whom the district should be doing business because of offenses in the past regarding the sale of firearms.
The committee was supposed to also look into the question of whether gun shows were appropriate activities on the fair grounds. He and his fellow committee member Lee Haydu announced on Jan. 8 of this year that they would hold transparent hearings at which gun owners, gun sale advocates, and gun opponents would be invited to a “big tent” to discuss the issue.
Two weeks after that announcement, the Crossroads of the West filed what eventually was a successful motion on First Amendment, Free Speech grounds for a preliminary injunction in federal court to prevent the Agricultural District from canceling gun shows.
In that the subject was now a matter of litigation, informal “big tent” meetings were no longer possible, according to Schenk, because the law requires that communication between two opposing parties in such situations be confined to the exchange of documents, initiating or answering interrogatories, and/ or depositions.
Meanwhile, state Assemblyman Todd Gloria, currently a candidate for mayor of San Diego, initiated Assembly Bill 893, which would ban the sale of firearms, weapons, and ammunition on state-owned property. The bill has been approved by both houses of the state Legislature and now awaits a decision by Gov. Gavin Newsom whether to sign it, veto it, or let it become law without his signature.
In the event that the bill becomes law, it would not take effect until 2021, which would mean that pending some other resolution of the federal court case, which is being heard by U.S. district Judge Cathy Ann Bencivengo, the gun show will be back again at the fairgrounds in 2020.
Asked if the Crossroads of the West is likely to challenge Gloria’s legislation on the same free speech grounds on which it sued the Agricultural District, Schenk said he did not know what the other side might do. But if they do sue, he noted, the defendant would be the State of California.
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Political dots and dashes
In a column in which his main source is fellow writer San Diego Reader columnist Matt Potter, Joe Deegan criticizes retiring U.S. Rep. Susan Davis (D-San Diego) for various trips she has taken abroad at the expense of such non-profit groups as the Aspen Institute and J-Street. You can judge for yourself whether the headline was snarky: “Can Susan Davis adjust to funding her own travel? Retiring congresswoman never met a free trip she didn’t like.” … The Louisiana, a mixed-use property on University Avenue, has become a flash point in the debate over short term rentals, according to San Diego Uptown News editor Kendra Sitton. In her newspaper’s Sept. 20 edition, she reported that San Diego City Councilwoman Barbara Bry, a mayoral candidate, believes STRs remove needed housing from the market at a time of housing shortage. Bry had held a news conference in front of the development, which sports a restaurant called The Louisiana Purchase at 2305 University Avenue, to protest that 15 units are available for short-term rentals rather than long-term use. … Bry has been endorsed for mayor, and Sarah Davis for 78th Assembly District by the Run Women Run organization.
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Jewish community conundrum: safety vs. welcoming the stranger
I received two pieces of email today which illustrate the conundrum that our Jewish community faces in light of the murderous shooting rampages at synagogues in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and at our own Chabad of Poway.
On the one hand, we want to be a welcoming community, as beautifully described by the Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas in explaining the customs of Sukkot and publicizing its 7th Annual Sukkot Harvest Festival that will occur between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20.
By building a sukkah, we are physically taking ourselves outside our homes and outside the comfort of our four walls and roof. We decorate the sukkah and invite friends, family, community members, and strangers alike to sit and eat with us. Since a sukkah is usually small, we are reminded to greet those around us with open arms, as we share the space, instead of fear and hesitation. Without physical walls to protect and shelter us, we are encouraged to courageously look around us, truly see our neighbors, and emphatically reach out. Throughout this time, we are challenged to stop ‘othering’ those around us and bridge the differences with compassion and gained understanding. Sukkat Shalom reminds us that we are all human beings and that in order to feel peaceful within oneself and one’s community, we need to welcome the stranger, treat them as equal and rejoice with them. All human beings need to be met where they are and unconditionally accepted in order to truly have a Sukkat Shalom—a peaceful home.
On the other hand, safety must always be a primary consideration. Thus Young Israel of San Diego announced today:
The High Holidays bring a time of heightened awareness, both spiritually and physically. Over the next few weeks, we, along with Jews the world over, will be spending a significant amount of time together in shul. Given recent events, synagogues around the world will be increasing security measures. Young Israel of San Diego has been providing increased armed protection for many months and will continue to do so throughout the upcoming Holidays.
Temple Emanu-El, which recently found two bullet holes in its exterior walls, sent this message to its members.
Specific to the High Holy Days you will see more security guards at the front entrance. You will also see more Security Committee members and our San Diego Police officer partners walking our facility’s perimeter during services.
As always, we will be screening everyone at the main entrance gate; and we ask for your patience and understanding. Please remember that all bags will be screened including purses, tallit bags, musical instrument cases, etc. Gentlemen will be asked to take off their coats and these will be patted down. Women may also be asked to remove their coats as well for further screening.
I remember what U.S. President Ronald Reagan said while negotiating arms reduction treaties with the Soviet Union: “Trust but verify.”
This slogan isn’t nearly as catchy but it conveys a similar idea: “Screen the visitor then extend a warm welcome!”
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A speaking engagement at Congregation Beth Israel
I’ve been called many things, but the Beth Israel Men’s Club has found something new to call me. In announcing that I will be the club’s buffet dinner speaker on Wednesday, Oct. 16, it described me as the “dean of the Jewish press.” That’s a polite way of saying that I’ve been around for a very long time. In fact I’ve been covering San Diego’s Jewish community since 1986, and have been a journalist since 1962. You know what that makes me? Old, I’m afraid. But still active.
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As we enter the Jewish New Year
My wife and co-publisher Nancy Harrison and I would like to wish all our readers a happy, healthy, peaceful, and prosperous New Year. I know we reflect the sentiments of all the writers and contributors to San Diego Jewish World when we say L’Shana Tova Tikateyvu.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com