Random Robbery or Hate Crime: 60 Year Old Brooklyn Orthodox Rabbi Joseph Raksin Gunned Down & Murdered While Walking to Bais Menachem Synagogue Saturday Morning in Northeast Miami-Dade, FL

Random robbery gone wrong or Hate Crime?

Joseph Raksin, a 60 year old rabbi from Brooklyn, NY who was visiting family, was gunned down and murdered as he was walking to a Northeast Miami-Dade synagogue at about 9 am Saturday for Temple services. The two young, black teen males fled the crime scene and are currently being sought by police. The shooting victim was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center, where he later died from his wounds. Police stated that Raksin was walking eastbound on Northeast 175th Street and Eighth Court when he was confronted by two young men and gunned down after an altercation in what was most likely a random robbery attempt.

A 60-year-old Orthodox rabbi from Brooklyn on his way to a Northeast Miami-Dade synagogue was gunned down Saturday morning during a likely random robbery attempt, according to Miami-Dade police and local Jewish community leaders.

The shooting victim, Joseph Raksin, was walking eastbound on Northeast 175th Street and Eighth Court at about 9 a.m. when he was confronted by two young men. Following an altercation, Raksin was shot by one of the men, police said.

The authorities were quick to call this a random act of violence as Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Elena Hernandez in a statement,“At this time there is no indication of this being a hate crime.” However, that is not what is being said from Yona Lunger, a local Jewish community activist and member of the Shmira Patrol, a neighborhood watch group. According to accounts, Lunger  spoke to one witness who told him, that contrary to what Miami-Dade police reported, Raksin had no altercation with the two young men. Raskin was shot immediately after the two approached him on Northeast 175th Street. Also, The shocking crime took place in broad daylight was just a few blocks away from Torah V’Emunah, an Orthodox synagogue where swastikas were spray painted last month. Coincidence?

Raksin was on his way to Bais Menachem, 1005 NE 172nd Ter., when he was shot, said Lunger, who spoke to one witness who told him that — contrary to what Miami-Dade police reported — Raksin had no altercation with the two young men. He said the witness, whom he did not identify, told him that Raksin was shot immediately after the two approached him on Northeast 175th Street.

Another local Jewish community leader, Brian Siegal, director of the American Jewish Committee’s Miami and Broward Regional Office, said he believes Raksin’s shooting may be connected to the recent act of vandalism at the nearby Torah V’Emunah, an Orthodox synagogue, 1000 NE 174th St.

UPDATE I: $50,000 Reward Offered for Capture of of Two Suspects in Murder of Rabbi  Joseph Raksin.

Two points to ponder with this story as to whether it was or was not a hate crime. First, other than the VIDEO from NBC News 6 above, no where is it referenced that the two murder suspects were two black teens. Also, just curious, would the police have been so quick to discount this as a hate crime if the murder victim was a religious leader with the name of Abdul or Mohammed? But of course that is the double standard we with in this politically correct world.

If President Barack Obama Has Already Checked Out of his Job … Can we Just Have Him Leave Early?

Does Barack Obama even care anymore?

The Daily Telegraph opines that President Barack Obama has already checked out of his job. Matt K Lewis, a senior contributor at The Daily Caller, writes that “The degree to which Barack Obama is now phoning it in – sleepwalking perfunctorily through his second term, amid golf rounds and dinner parties – is astonishing.” If it was not bad enough during Obama’s first term with his over-usage of greens and fairways as other more important issues were taking place, the One’s second term has been even worse. Rome is burning and Nero Obama is shamefully playing golf and going to fund raisers.If Obama does not care anymore and has checked out, as witnessed by his actions or lack of action … can he just do us all a favor and leave the White House early? I am sure many would not mind, including Democrats.

And based on his recent handling of situations much more serious than a possible post-presidential move to sunny California, it seems as if “No Drama Obama” is no longer even worried about keeping up appearances; he doesn’t care enough to fake it.

Consider this: In recent days, a) Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down, apparently by Russian separatists in Ukraine, b) In the Gaza strip, the numbers killed continued to mount as Israelis and Palestinians exchange rocket fire, c) a huge influx of children fleeing Central American poverty and gang warfare swamped America’s southern border, creating a humanitarian crisis. And, oh yeah, d) Christians living in Mosul were given the choice to either convert to Islam or flee the area they have inhabited for nearly two thousand years.

You know what else has happened during this time? a) Obama played many rounds of golf, b) he attended numerous fund-raisers, c) he dined on barbecue in Texas and burgers in Delaware, and d) he almost appeared on the comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night television show in Hollywood.

I say “almost” because the White House finally relented. “We ultimately elected not to have the president do that interview over the course of this trip,” the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, conceded. “And that is at least in part related to the challenges of doing a comedy show in the midst of some of these other more serious matters that the president’s dealing with in the international scene.”

Previously Judge Jeanine Pirro blasted Barack Obama for his apathy on crucial current events and told him, “It’s Time to Get Your ‘Big Boy Pants On’ & Stop Kidding Around.”

Also, Sean Hanity offered up a blistering  monologue telling Barack Obama, ‘It’s Time for a Wake-Up Call’ … “It Is Time for You to Get Engaged.”

Just Disgusting … Pope Francis Says 1 in 50 Roman Catholic Priests Are Pedophiles … Abuse of Children was Like “Leprosy” Infecting the Church

WHEN WILL THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PURGE ITSELF OF THIS SCOURGE?

Pope Francis was quoted in an Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, that 1 in 50 or 2% of Roman Catholic priests are pedophiles. The Pope said that the abuse of children was like “leprosy” infecting the Church. However, the Vatican was quick to backtrack on the comments and say that the Pope was misquoted. What, did the Pontiff quote a higher number? At some point the Vatican is going to have to come clean and rid itself of this terrible blight. If they think its an “infection” then they best find a cure pretty damn soon.

Pope Francis on Sunday was quoted by an Italian newspaper saying that about two percent — or 1 in 50 — of Roman Catholic priests are pedophiles, but the Vatican quickly released a statement saying the pontiff had been misquoted. Church officials also said that the journalist who did the story for La Repubblica had a history of having long conversations with public figures without taking notes or taping them, and then reconstructing them from memory.

“Many of my collaborators who fight with me (against pedophilia) reassure me with reliable statistics that say that the level of pedophilia in the Church is at about two percent,” Francis was quoted as saying.

The Pope likens pedophilia inside church to ‘leprosy’.

The Pope reportedly told Italian newspaper la Repubblica that abuse of children was like “leprosy” infecting the Church.

Francis said the “corruption of a child is the terrible and unclean thing imaginable” and vowed to “confront it with the seriousness it demands”.

He said that paedophilia was unfortunately common and widespread.

“The church is fighting for the eradication of the habit and for education that rehabilitates. But this leprosy is also present in our house,” he was reported to have said.

“Many of my colleagues who are working against it tell me that paedophilia inside the church is at the level of two per cent. Among the two per cent who are paedophiles are priests and even bishops and cardinals.”

Barack Hussein Obama Highest Approval Rating Among U.S. Muslims

Imagine that, Barack Hussein Obama gets highest approval rating among U.S. Muslims …

From the Politico comes a new Gallup poll that shows President Barack Obama’s approval rating is higher among Muslims than any other religious group. What is some what perplexing is the fact that American Jews give Obama high marks, although down from 2009, even as Obama has shown in the last 6 years that he is no friend of Israel. Although, not surprising at all that those with no religion also sing the praises of The One.

Barack Obama: “My Muslim Faith”

President Barack Obama’s approval rating is higher among Muslims than any other religious group, a new poll says.

According to a Gallup poll released Friday that tracked responses for the first six months of 2014, 72 percent of Muslims said they approve of the president, compared with just 20 percent who disapprove.

Mormons were the least approving religious group, with 18 percent of Mormons approving and 78 percent disapproving of the president. Mormons in the past have ranked as the most conservative major religious group in the U.S.

The survey underscores a religious divide when it comes to presidential approval — Obama is more popular among non-Christians and less popular among Christians.

Chart via Gallup

Gallup: U.S. Muslims Most Approving of Obama, Mormons Least – Relative rank order of religious groups stable throughout his presidency.

Seventy-two percent of U.S. Muslims approved of the job President Barack Obama was doing as president during the first six months of 2014, higher than any other U.S. religious group Gallup tracks. Mormons were least approving, at 18%. In general, majorities of those in non-Christian religions — including those who do not affiliate with any religion — approved of Obama, while less than a majority of those in the three major Christian religious groups did.

SCOTUS Decision Day on Hobby Lobby Challenging ObamaCare’s Contraception Mandate … Major Decision Just Hours Away (Update: Hobby Lobby Wins 5-4 Over Obamacare)

1st Amendment and Freedom of Religion at stake this morning at the SCOTUS …

It is decision day for The Supreme Court of the United States on the issue before them of Holly Lobby challenging the Obamacare contraception mandate. Holly Lobby, the for-profit businesses is challenging the requirement in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that employers cover contraception for women at no extra charge among a range of preventive benefits in employee health plans. As the National Journal reports, SCOTUS  won’t strike down Obamacare’s contraception mandate completely because that is not what the two companies, Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties, have asked of the Court. They haven’t asked the justices to ax the entire policy; however, a ruling for the law’s challengers could still render the policy toothless for millions of women.

VIDEO – FOX News – click on pic to watch video

FOX News:

The court meets for a final time Monday to release decisions in its two remaining cases before the justices take off for the summer.

The most contentious is that brought by Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby and a furniture maker in Pennsylvania. The for-profit businesses have challenged the requirement in the Affordable Care Act that employers cover contraception for women at no extra charge among a range of preventive benefits in employee health plans. It is the first major challenge to ObamaCare to come before the court since the justices upheld the law’s individual requirement to buy health insurance two years ago.

Supporters of Hobby Lobby cite a few factors potentially leaning in their favor, including the tone of oral arguments in March and a unanimous decision last week finding President Obama overreached in making recess appointments to a labor board.

“Absolutely, we win — we are very confident after oral argument in March that we will prevail in this case,” Hannah Smith, senior counsel for The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represents Hobby Lobby, told Fox News. She suggested this, too, is a case of government “overreach.”

CNN – Jonathan Turley, Professor of Law at George Washington University discusses the ramification of today’s SCOTUS decision.

CNN VIDEO

I predict 6-3 in favor of Hobby Lobby. Then again, this SCOTUS has disappointed me before.

UPDATE I: Hobby Lobby wins SCOTUS decision 5-4 over Obamacare.

Justice Samuel Alito wrote the major opinion and said, it was difficult to distinguish between closely held corporations and the people who own them. The religious liberty law was not intended to discriminate “against men and women who wish to run their businesses as for-profit corporations in the manner required by their religious beliefs.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled that owners of private companies can object on religious grounds to a provision of President Barack Obama’s healthcare law that requires employers to provide insurance covering birth control for women.

The decision, which applies only to a small number of family or other closely-held companies, means an estimated several thousand women whose health insurance comes via such companies may have to obtain certain forms of birth control coverage elsewhere.

In a 5-4 vote along ideological lines, the justices said the companies can seek an exemption from the so-called birth control mandate of the law known as Obamacare. The companies in the case said they did not object to all birth control but certain methods they said were tantamount to abortion, which they oppose for religious reasons.

In their last decision of the nine-month term, the justices ruled for the first time that for-profit companies can make claims under a 1993 federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act that was enacted to protect religious liberty.

Democrats go mental over the decision and threaten to respond to SCOTUS decision. But wait, isn’t it now law of the land? Isn’t that what Democrats, including Obama, say when the GOP tries to end Obamacare?