During the High Holy Days we wish each other L’shana Tova. It is the Hebrew equivalent of Happy New Year, with the added wish that God should inscribe us in the book of life for the next 12 months. These are wishes that are uttered with sincerity, and yet often not given very much thought. Aside from being inscribed in the book of life, which is of utmost importance, we all have different ideas and priorities of what constitutes a gut-yor; a good year.

For me, a gut-yor would be one that brings good or improved health, a continuation of the love I have experienced throughout so many of the past years, and a sense of gratitude for all the privileges bestowed on me from day-to-day. Those sentiments, I am sure, echo many of your thoughts, but I have other priorities that form my vision of a gut-yor as well.

It will be no surprise to my Megillah family that I continue to be disgusted with the behaviour of my native country’s government. The cronyism, the lies, the corrupt priorities and the illegal invasion of another country have altered my perception of my nation’s character. What kind of people are we becoming if we can sit back and watch our brave service men and women and thousands of innocent civilians die in a war that is illegal and totally unnecessary? How can we tolerate leaders who prove themselves unable to lead at a time of immense crisis at home? When will we demand our government stop torturing prisoners in our name? All of this must be confronted to make the coming year gut.

My idea of a gut-yor would be to see the peace movement in the United States continue to grow as it has over the past 6 months. To witness the investigations and indictments of all the hacks who have been using the war as an opportunity for cronyism and the extravagant enrichment of their friends and business partners. To see Karl Rove and his bullies who found it to be politically expedient to reveal the name of a covert CIA operative as punishment and a warning to anyone else who dared go against the will of the Bush administration. In other words, for the American people to finally wake-up to the filthy politics that has been governing our country and let those currently in power know that we are on to them, and “it ain’t gonna happen no more!”

Some of my readers will disagree with my views, and I believe that is a good thing. Ultimately, what will really make this year gut, is for people of varying points-of-view to get together for honest and open discussions and to learn from each other and respect differing opinions. To me, one of the biggest crimes of the Bush presidency is its willingness to divide its own people, branding some as un-American and unpatriotic who should be silenced because they do not support the administration’s current policies. Keeping America safe for dissent while not being branded unpatriotic is the cornerstone of our Constitution and must be respected.

It is my sincere wish, that no matter what political beliefs we all have, God should inscribe us for another year, and to help us make the New Year a time for coming together and appreciating what our country always has been and must remain; the land of the free.