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Saturday, December 14, 2019

A Bizarre Response

Earlier this week, President Trump issued an Executive Order that made clear that anti-Semitism would be considered as part of the covered items of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The order didn't provide a detailed explanation but it made clear that institutions that engage in anti-Semitism or allow it would no longer be eligible for federal grants.  What this means is that among other things, universities that decide to adopt support for the anti-Israel BDS movement would no longer get federal grants.  Similarly, universities that allow speakers to be shut down by anti-Israel/anti-Semitic groups would also lose funding.

This was a big step for the federal government in fighting anti-Semitism.  It happened to coincide with the terrible attack in Jersey City on a Kosher supermarket by the rabidly anti-Semitic Black Hebrew Israelites (which left 6 people dead).

What was most bizarre was the response from the left.  The NY Times opined that the order was actually anti-Semitic because it defined Jews as a nation.  That would, according to the Times, play into the hands of those right wingers who call Jews un-American.  On Twitter, the commentary was much more extreme.  Trump had designated Jews as a separate nation so that they could be sent to concentration camps, or at least, that was a common them among the Twitterati.  The ACLU announced itself alarmed that protection of Jews under the Civil Rights laws was made explicit by the executive order.  The ACLU worried about the free speech rights of those who wanted to criticize Jews.  Even some of the most left wing Jewish institutions got into the act of being "alarmed" by Trump's actions.

Of course, all of this was based upon just another left-wing lie.  The civil rights laws expressly ban discrimination based upon "national origin."  That doesn't make the people protected a separate nation.  For example, discrimination against Irish-Americans (which was prevalent in the 19th century) is banned by the law.  No one says that as a result people of Irish descent are no longer American.  National origin is a reference to where the person's ancestors came from.

And nothing in the executive order designates Jews as a separate nation.  Those words don't appear in the order, and indeed, nothing like that is mentioned in the order.  But the truth never stops these people on the left from complaining.  Trump issued an executive order, so it must be opposed.

In the UK two days ago, the Labour Party was smashed in the election.  The big issue there was Brexit.  A secondary issue, however, was the rank anti-Semitism of the Labour Party and its leader Jeremy Corbyn.  No one can say how many seats the Labourites lost due to their anti-Semitism.  We do know that it was quite a few, however.  The ordinary British people weren't prepared to accept a ruling party that was so clearly bigoted as Labour.

Americans hold many of the same views at the Brits.  Those who oppose Trump had better realize that the average American is not going to support them and oppose Trump on an issue where Trump is fighting against bigotry and hatred while the left/Dems are actually supporting that hatred and bigotry.  That's true even if Trump is directly involved.

The response of the left/Dem/media cabal was bizarre and self-defeating.

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