Sins of the United States

"If the whole community of Israel inadvertently and without even being aware of it does something that the Lord has forbidden and thus makes itself guilty, should it later on become known that the sin was committed, the community shall present a young bull as a sin offering. They shall bring it before the meeting tent, and here, before the Lord, the elders of the community shall lay their hands on the bullock's head." Lev. 4:13-15.

U.S. scientific researchers infected hundreds of Guatemalan mental patients with sexually transmitted diseases from 1946 to 1948 -- a practice that only came recently to light thanks to the work of an academic researcher. On Friday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius issued a formal apology to the Central American nation, and to Guatemalan residents of the United States.
"Although these events occurred more than 64 years ago, we are outraged that such reprehensible research could have occurred under the guise of public health," said Clinton and Sebelius in a joint statement. "We deeply regret that it happened, and we apologize to all the individuals who were affected by such abhorrent research practices."

I am sorry, a sorry just won't do it. The requirements of G-d are reparation and sacrifice. What was done to these Guatemalans was a crime against humanity and so reprehensible that it recalls the habits of Mongols to throw plague ridden corpses into cities to start the plague therein. How can any nation which dares to call itself civilized be responsible for such evil acts? How can the mere saying of I am sorry be sufficient.

This country through its leaders (elders) must choose a scapegoat. Some person who is most representative of what is best in this country must be punished for the whole country. The leaders must gather and declare their sin before the Guatemalan people and the whole world. They must ask for forgiveness for this horrible act. There must be a monetary payment. But more than this, G-d demands a sacrifice. This young man, this perfect American, must die for the sins of the nation. As we have rejected Judaeo-Christian ethics, we must consort with pagan ideals and kill a person, rather than a bull. We must weep. We must lament. We must agonize over our acts. We must wear sackcloth.

How can we judge others when we do crimes of this sort? Ideally, the person dying should be someone important, may be Beau Biden, or Malia Obama, or John McCain. But they must die for the sake of the nation. You say, we do not have human sacrifice; well, the Mayan people, the ancestors of the Guatemalans did, and we should turn this person over to Mayan justice so that their living heart might be ripped from their chest in payment of this crime.

Is it a wonder that people hate America when these crimes come forth? Any nation which for the sake of "science" will infect people with disease to study their reaction without their knowledge deserves to be hated. As a religious people, we must demand sacrifice by those in charge to right this wrong.

However, despite my ranting, I stand ready to make the offering necessary on the true HaKapporet, the Mercy Seat, if the President will come and ask forgiveness for the nation. I will act as High Priest in the Order of Melchizedek to save our nation, if the President will acknowledge our sin before G-d.

May G-d have mercy on our evil leaders.