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Jan 23, 2011
The Ex-Con Hero
It is unfortunate. Yosef Bondo was taken advantage of. he was a naive yeshiva bochur who trusted somebody who looked like nobody he ever suspected would lie or be involved in illegal and dangerous stuff like drug smuggling. He was caught, with his friends, he was tried, he sat in jail. It is unfortunate.
Now he is free. He has been pardoned and can now get on with his life.
Why does sitting in jail make a person into a celebrity? He was not martyred, he did not take the fall for someone else, he committed a crime, he paid his time, and now he should get on with his life.
Yet, now that he is out, communities are welcoming him and inviting him to visit as if he is some sort of a hero. The haredi media is following his every step as if he is a hero.
And I don't understand why this happens. I kind of get it when someone is perceived as having gone to jail protecting other people, so he is a selfless hero who went to jail to save someone else (if if this is only perceived rather than reality), but when he goes to jail for a crime he actually committed, what about that makes him deserving of being treated like a hero?
Now he is free. He has been pardoned and can now get on with his life.
Why does sitting in jail make a person into a celebrity? He was not martyred, he did not take the fall for someone else, he committed a crime, he paid his time, and now he should get on with his life.
Yet, now that he is out, communities are welcoming him and inviting him to visit as if he is some sort of a hero. The haredi media is following his every step as if he is a hero.
And I don't understand why this happens. I kind of get it when someone is perceived as having gone to jail protecting other people, so he is a selfless hero who went to jail to save someone else (if if this is only perceived rather than reality), but when he goes to jail for a crime he actually committed, what about that makes him deserving of being treated like a hero?
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"suspected would lie or be involved in illegal and dangerous stuff like drug smuggling"
ReplyDeleteno one will ever know for sure if he was aware he was smuggling drugs, but iirc they knew they were smuggling something. whether drugs or other contraband, it's illegal.
B"H
ReplyDeleteMaybe, psychologically, the people supporting him financially and with publicity of his situation need to justify their efforts by boosting his importance.
On the other hands, those who succeed in pidyon shvu'in are heroic and shouldn't have to do any of the above.
On the other hand, it could just be the excitement over having succeeded, and the joy of having a Jew come home.
As Abba said, I seem to recall that the boys knew they were smuggling. They just didn't know it was drugs. So, the guy knowingly broke the law, thought he was above the law, and then wanted to be pitied and saved by his like-minded friends.
ReplyDeleteThe hillul hashem continues...
More proof that Daas Torah is a sham. They can't even guide their people to support truly good causes!
ReplyDeleteMArk,
ReplyDeleteDa'as Torah, the term as used today, is definitely a sham.
"When one asks a halachic question, one is entitled to a halachic answer."
Rav Meir Kahane hy"d
You don't not have to listen to anyone not providing sources (paraphrase)
Rav Meir Fund, Flatbush
It's gotten WAY outta hand.