I am very uneasy.

The world. Our world.

I know you probably feel the same way recently.

I’m also very uneasy about the things people are saying, what they express, both publicly and privately.

In my business, I have always felt most comfortable being uncomfortable. Living in that discomfort to get to a better result. Embracing it.

In life, I suppose I have acted somewhat the same way, too.

However, the events of the last couple weeks have changed my view on so many things: what is really important and what is not, the response that one should have.

To speak up or not.
To stand up while others are sitting down.
To pledge never to be silent…

I have always stayed away from public commentary around certain things. I’ve chosen to be neutral unless someone asked my view. After all, why share if no one is asking?

But about this, I cannot stay silent. I just can’t. I won’t.

We all must condemn and fight for what is right and just.

Ask yourself, how you would have responded if one of your children or relatives or friends had been gunned down at that rave in Israel? What would you have done? How would you feel?

At the end of the day, we must all take a stand.

Killing innocent people, kidnapping elderly, children, and families, and killing innocent children is simply something that cannot be allowed, justified, or negotiated. Period.

That is not politics. That is not war. That is inhumanity at its darkest.

ALL of this must stop. It must stop for good.

When a people, group, country, or even company has no sense of right or wrong, then there is no hope. It becomes the end of civility.

Personally, I want to feel at peace. I’m not sure how that even looks. But I do want to feel at peace.  I think most people do.

As a non-religious Jewish person, I also recognize how important holding onto identity is, protecting that, fighting for that.  I will always hold that near and dear.

My dear friend sent his son off to Israel this week. He’s only 24 years of age, a CFP, already working and doing well in finance. His son felt a need to help, to be there with his other friends that are fighting for a better way of life.

He had to stand up for what is right, to defeat pure evil.

We stand with Israel. We stand for what is right. We stand for those that cannot protect themselves or fight for themselves.

After all, if not all of us, who? Before you know it, we could be next. Your family or mine could be next.

We must all fight for what is right and just, protect each other at all costs.

That is what is right.

That is what must be done.

-J.D.