Ideological Bigotry has got to stop. Now. This instant. 6 million Jews died in the Holocaust, and many of their descendants resort to the same dehumanizing hate speech that led to those glorious summer camps of concentration.
What many Jewish liberals fail to understand is that dehumanizing anyone is bigotry. These “enlightened” and “tolerant” people would cringe if bad words were said about gays, blacks, women, or other “accepted” groups. Disaparaging remarks about conservatives are said without the slightest regard for those people, who, shockingly enough, medical science has discovered, are actual human beings with feelings and emotions.
Yes, I am one ticked off conservative. Trying to make the world a better place can be trying indeed. Suggesting I just “let things go” is like telling a black man to just ignore the remarks that the Klan make. They can continue with their lives, but silence is acquiescence. Ignoring bigotry is tolerating it.
A woman said to me yesterday that “the reason there are very few Jewish Republican women, because Jewish women are charitable, giving, loving, accepting, and believe in freedom of speech, equal rights, abortion rights, gay rights, etc. The GOP represents none of the things we hold dear. Sorry.”
Who is this “we,” Kimosabe? So only democrats are accepting, loving, and charitable? Are you kidding me? As for “accepting,” this woman does not seem to have much acceptance for republicans. The word “accepting,” is apparently like the word “unilaterally,” or “is” is. It means whatever the liberal wants it to mean, at any given moment.
As for the things “we” hold dear, I hold dear that we are fighting World War III against Islamofacists. I care more about that than any other issue. Republicans are, according to this woman, against equal rights and freedom of speech. If we were, President Bush would have the publisher of the NY Times thrown in jail (not a bad idea, but that is for another column).
So let me now teach Jewish liberals some manners (at this point they will go and find examples of conservative bad behavior since that is easier than taking an introspective look inside themselves and making actual human improvements). It is ok to ask someone “Why are you a republican?” or “Why did you vote for President Bush?” It is NOT ok to ask someone “How in good conscience can you be a republican or Vote for President Bush?” It is not ok to ask “How can you justify being a republican or voting for President Bush?”
This is where I want to rip their liberal throats out to simply stop them from speaking this nonsense. Where does anyone get off questioning what is in someone else’s heart? How in good conscience? Because my conscience is just as pure as yours. How can I justify? I do not have to justify.
Conservatives do not do this, especially not Jewish conservatives. We “disagree” with liberals, often fiercely and passionately. We do not despise them. We do not call them evil.
A Rabbi of mine, who I consider a dear friend, will sometimes introduce me as his “republican friend.” On more than one occasion at dinner parties he has said to people sitting next to me “This is Eric. He is a republican, but he is a good guy.” Those qualities are not mutually exclusive. Replace the word “republican” with the word “gay,” or “Mormon,” and the point becomes clear. Now this Rabbi is not in any way a bigot. He is a very good person. Yet those types of remarks are insensitive.
Some people I know will introduce me to someone by stating my political views. This is either to warn the other person, or start a conflict. This turns a potential friendship into potential acrimony.
So let me describe who I am clearly. First and foremost I am a human being, a creature of God. After that I am an American and a Jew. Way down the list I am a republican, of which I am proud, as with being American and Jewish. I am also a football fan, a lover of rock music, and a stock market lover.
The point is I am many things, and to define me by one element is shortsighted, and yes, dehumanizing. If a homosexual likes football, does that make him less valid to watch the NFL on my couch on a Sunday? Of course not.
What Jewish liberals need to do is admit they have biases. Admit that they are often insensitive, myopic, and sometimes, downright vicious. They have to promise to change.
The reason I continue to verbally club liberals over the head is because I cannot and will not sit back and allow 1930s German behavior to infect my religion. We have a museum of tolerance. It is does not describe exceptions. It does not say “tolerance of those who are politically liberal.”
So how can Jewish liberals change? SImple. Look in the mirror, think of how you view conservatives, and picture me knocking you upside the head saying “knock it off!” This would be the best way to deal with klansmen, terrorists, and hatemongers everywhere.
So dear Jewish liberals…I don’t want to get to the root causes of why you hate conservatives. I could care less. Just stop being hateful. Now. As for you liberals, especially Jewish liberals, who are honestly not ideological bigots…when you hear your friends being bigoted…tell them to stop.
Martin Luther King Jr. stated that when good people do nothing, evil is allowed to flourish. He was right then, and his words are right now. All forms of bigotry must stop. Ideological bigotry must be defeated. It is my hope that the descendants of Holocaust survivors will change their ways and become better people.
I am a human being, and I expect to be treated as one…especially by my own people. I will not give an inch on this. It defines me. It is the core of who I am. Hineni. Here I am…Jewish, conservative, proud…and here to stay.
eric