I’ve officially grown annoyed by Republicans pointing to anti-Semitism on college campuses and proclaiming that liberals have their own big anti-Semitism problem. (And I’m almost equally annoyed at liberals not pointing out why this is a crock and instead many just say in response, “Yes, anti-Semitism crosses all political borders.”) Before going any further, for a starting point, just to put the marker in the ground: liberals -- and even liberals in college -- do not go around with signs and tiki torches and wear swastikas while crying out “Jews will not replace us!!” and then have their party leader state that “there are very fine people on both sides.” Nor do they have someone on their side like Nick Fuenetes, so prominent within the party that the Republican Party leader recently invited him to dinner at Mar-a-Lago, who just yesterday went on a livestream rant about killing all "perfidious Jews" and non-Christians in the U.S. Yes, really, here's the story. And to be fair, he didn't call for killing them all, but rather for their "absolute annihilation." (By the way, there are about 120 million such people, for those keeping track.) And, almost more to the point, not have his dinner host Trump or any Republican officials I'm aware of instantly denounce him with galled outrage. And second, yes, anti-Semitism and racism do cross political lines. There are definitely anti-Semites and racists everywhere. That said -- it doesn’t mean that such things are equal across the board. It’s like when there’s a bill in Congress and every member of one party is for it, and every member of the other party is against it…except for just one person, and so the first party cries out, “See, it’s a bipartisan bill!!” Well, theoretically, yes. But in reality, no, the bill isn’t bipartisan at all in the sense that most people think of bipartisanship, where both sides have come together in agreement, rather there is a perfectly clear and obvious dividing line of opposition. So, yes, there are absolutely anti-Semites and racists among liberals, just like among conservatives. And most every group. But -- going back to our first, foundational flag in the ground point -- liberals marching around with swastikas and tiki torches crying out, “Jews will not replace us!!” and calling for the "absolute annihilation" of Christians is not a thing. But with those foundational realities out the way, there are a two other very important, specific points to recognize in the reprehensible anti-Semitism activity we have been seeing on college campuses. One of those is that people can take totally different routes and end up at the same place. During the Civil Rights era, some people could say that they were against busing children to school because the rides were two hours long each way and a problematic burden for little kids -- and other people could say that they were against busing children to school because they believed that Blacks were an inferior race and didn’t want White and Black children mixing with one another because that would corrupt the Whites. Both views end up at “We’re against busing” -- but how they got there are worlds apart. One is based on logistics, the other on virulent racism. With college campuses today, similarly, some administrators can say they accept anti-Semitic and racist speech by students, because the whole point of free speech is to defend it, no matter how vile that speech is -- while others can say they accept anti-Semitic and racist speech because they fully agree with it. Again, both views end up at the same point, defending detestable, loathsome speech -- but how they got there is worlds apart. One comes from defending all free speech, the other is by reinforcing malevolence, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. (It must be added for clarity that when such abhorrent speech moves to action and violence, that is another matter entirely. As is the support of genocide, which moves everything across the line to “hate speech,” which is, in fact, actually illegal for the danger and harm it risks to others.) And the other disingenuous argument extreme-right Republicans and conservatives make when trying the suggest that liberals have the same anti-Semitic problem as conservatives is that it’s based on the erroneous assumption that all the anti-Semitic activity by college students we see on campuses is liberal -- because supposedly by GOP definition, all college students must be liberal since apparently only liberals go to college and no respectable young conservative would ever go to a university. Now, to be clear, I am absolutely sure there are liberals on college campuses taking part in anti-Semitic actions -- just as sure as I am that there are conservatives doing so, as well. In fact, I could make the argument that, given how White Supremacists and neo-Nazis are a part of today’s Republican base -- and a college campus is, in part, a microcosm of the outside world -- it follows therefore that is more likely that more conservative students on college campuses are the ones pushing anti-Semitic action. Now, mind you, I don’t know if that is even remotely true -- it might not be, most might be liberal. But…a) it’s not an unreasonable argument with the realities of today's GOP, and b) we don’t know one way or the other. So, to just assume they’re all or even mostly liberal -- merely because it’s a college campus (where the massive majority of students are not taking part in anti-Semitic activity) doesn’t mean it’s all or mostly liberal. Anti-Semitism on college campus is a horrible problem. Just as it’s a horrible problem in the outside world. Just as racism and white supremacy is a horrible problem wherever it occurs, whether on a college campus or anywhere in the world. And just as calling for genocide is ghastly, inhumane and unacceptable towards any group of people. And there are indeed liberal anti-Semites and racists, just like they exist among conservatives. And moderates. And radicals on all sides. But the world isn’t equal. And even if all the above reality wasn’t true and -- purely for the sake of argument -- let’s say the pockets of anti-Semitic activity on college compasses has been done entirely by liberal students, and (against all rational logic) zero conservative students are participating in the slightest…Republicans, even at that ludicrous argument, don’t get to say, “See! The problem is equal with the Democratic and Republican parties. It’s the same!!” Because it’s not even remotely close to the same. At worst -- and it would be profoundly awful, but it’s still “at worst” -- in this just "for the sake of argument" situation, Democrats would have a problem of anti-Semitism among groups of liberal college students, a problem that stems from the belief that they are protected by free speech, regardless of how vile the speech is. While at best, Republicans have a problem with white supremacists, neo-Nazis and anti-Semites as a core of their party’s base, and have a racist, anti-Semitic party leader who has enabled racism, xenophobia and hatred supported by almost all their elected officials. The anti-Semitism by liberal students on college campuses is horrific. And should be called out by liberals. And for the most part, it is. The anti-Semitism, racism, white supremacy, neo-Nazis and xenophobia is the base of the Republican Party enabled by its leader is overwhelmingly, other-worldly worse and far more pervasive. And not even remotely the same. And should be called out by conservatives. And for the most part, it isn’t.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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