I live in Palm Beach County Florida and I did not vote in the 2000 Presidential election. In hindsight I certainly regret that choice. However, my decision was not motivated by laziness or disinterest. One reason, was my visceral reaction to Joseph Lieberman's neoconservative embrace of the United States as a "Judeo-Christian Nation."
I felt the same reaction when the Anti Defamation League (ADL), led by Abe Foxman, came out against the Park 51 center. It appeared again last night when a member of a group called "Jews for Sarah," appearing on "Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell", used quotes from the ADL (see f.n) and Alan Dershowitz to support his argument that "blood libel" was an absolutely appropriate thing for Sarah Palin to say, and, that the majority of Jewish people had no problem with it.
I am extremely proud of my Jewish heritage. Throughout thousands of years of horrible struggle, my ancestors remained a learned people, who held tight to a very strong sense of morality and justice.
When the Jews came to America, they made a positive impact. Even though they faced discrimination, they respected and loved everything for which this Country stood. This very much included the freedom of Religion. The history of America is the story of the Jews. Jews fought in the revolutionary war, and the Jewish contribution to the civil rights movement was integral.
When most Jews hear "never again," they think never again for anybody. This is why many Jews are profoundly affected when any group is being persecuted. It is why many Jews are horrified when Islam itself is blamed for 911. It is also why some Jews support building the Park 51 center. Most Jews realize that while we do have an overwhelming history of victimization, at this time, in this Country, we are not the ones at risk.
There is another group who hears "never again" differently. To them the history of the Jews is mostly about the victimization. They believe that the reason the Jews are the ultimate victims is because they are God's chosen people. Since Jews are the ultimate victims they cannot even conceive of the possibility that Jews could ever be the perpetrators. A top priority for them is of course protecting Israel.
For some in this second group, things that are said freely in Israel, sometimes by a majority, are deemed anti-semetic when they are said in this country. At the same time, reprehensible things that are said in this Country can not be strongly condemned if the speaker is considered "good for Israel." To them, the Christian Right and Neo-conservatives are very "good for Israel."
As a child I was very religious. Like many Jews in this Country, Christmas was a confusing time for me. My religious belief was that the whole point of the First Commandant was that there must only be One God. I believed that having false idols was one of the worst things you could ever possibly do. I believed that Jesus, like other false Messiahs, came to this world as a test of this very first Commandment. I always respected my neighbor's beliefs. That was how I was raised. I loved the lights and all of the Christmas television shows. But, I would never have considered entering a church or approaching a creche. And there was no reason to ever have to do that. For me, holding tight to my Judaism and my worship of One God was critical.
With such deeply ingrained beliefs, it was beyond traumatic when as an elementary student in public school we were required to sing Christmas songs about Jesus. I loved singing "Frosty the Snowman" and "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus." My very favorite song was "Winter Wonderland," but the fact that we also sang about a Dreidel could not erase the horrible guilt I felt singing about Jesus. I felt like I was violating the very first Commandment.
When I grew up, I came to personally reject religion. Since I do understand how deeply ingrained religious beliefs are for so many, I will always fight for others' right to worship however they want - in their own homes and places of worship. I will fight for their right to freely express those beliefs, as long as they are not trying to force others to affirmatively accept them as well.
I will fight for the right of religious people to send their kids to privately funded schools and teach them whatever they wish regarding a god or gods. I believe that Churches should never be required to perform a marriage if it does not comport with their religion. And, I know, that in this Country, that will never happen. But I also believe that religious beliefs, even when shared by a majority, should not preclude any two consenting adults from marrying civilly.
I have come to realize that the Yule and Winter Solstice traditions that I embrace pre-date the birth of Christ. I have also come to see Christmas as an integral part of this Country's culture. However, our founding fathers made their intentions very clear. We are not a "Christian Nation," much less, a "Judeo-Christian" nation. We are a Nation of laws, made up of people with many religious beliefs, of which Christianity is certainly the most dominant.
During the Holiday Season I love wishing a "Merry Christmas" to those who I know celebrate Christmas, "Happy Hanukkah" to those who celebrate Hanukkah and, "Happy Holidays" or "Happy New Year" to the rest. When someone wishes me a "Merry Christmas" because they either assume that is what I celebrate or because they want to share their joy with me, I appreciate the lovely thought. But when someone wishes me "Merry Christmas" because they feel that saying anything else is somehow an attack on their own beliefs I am befuddled.
Since I do not believe that the Jews have suffered so much because it was "God's will," nor that the "Goyim" hate us for being "chosen," I look to the actual reasons why human beings can be so hateful. Why did the Jews suffer? How could this great Country have supported Slavery and Jim Crow?...
In the case of a thousand years of Jewish tragedy, a major cause was the "blood libel." One way to gain power is by scapegoating a group and convincing the masses that the scapegoated group is a threat and is also less than human. When the masses believe that the Jews have horns, that they spread disease, and that they kill Christian children because they need the blood to make Matzoh, it is not so hard to imagine how entire communities could have been wiped out.
How could our great Country have participated in slavery and Jim Crow? Were Southerners heartless? Why do so many Southerners actually believe that their families were "good to the blacks" even though they supported segregation? Was it because they were convinced that black people were different? Even less than human?
History shows us why smears of our African American president are so damaging. It is one thing to disagree with him, but in order to really gain power you need to make people hate him, and hate "Liberals" in general. So you suggest that he is not one of us, not even an American. He is a secret Muslim who wants to install Sharia law and put disabled Christian children and White grandmothers in front of Death Panels. He wants reparations for slavery!
When people abuse terms like "blood libel," and talk about "Fascists" and "Nazis," not only do they misuse those words, they weaken them. Once those words are appropriated they cannot really be used to illuminate a truly horrifying situation.
Mr. Foxman, if you cannot speak out when Sarah Palin says "Death Panels," or when Glen Beck says 10% of the (1.57 billion) Muslims in the world are terrorists, and that our President is a racist who hates the white culture. If you cannot speak up when FOX News blows a dog whistle hour after hour, when they talk about terrorist fist bumps and say our President went to a Madrasha. If you cannot protest when FOX News constantly talks about scary black men in general and suggests that ACORN fixed the election. If you cannot even speak out when FOX news suggests that Christianity itself is under attack. Then, Mr. Foxman please do not not call yourself the Anti-Defamation League.
Change your name to the League for the Advancement and Protection of Israel. Give the ADL name to a group that will stand up against Defamation, whoever the speaker. That way when the media wants to know whether a phrase like "blood libel" has been used appropriately, they will not turn to you.
(f.n.) The ADL released a statement wherein they "wished" Palin had not used the term "blood libel," which they described as "fraught with pain." Unfortunately they also described Palin as a victim, expressed no concern regarding future violent rhetoric, AND made the startling, wholly unsubstantiated claim that "the term 'blood-libel' has become part of the English parlance to refer to someone being falsely accused." Korn directly quoted the latter.