When hate proliferates through words – and Assassinations are soon to follow:”As the World Turns”
Here below is the Video: Just in case this chapter of our history eludes your memory.
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Now a word or two about hate and assassination in our country, in our communities, and in our world . . .
Assassination, especially as these attempts increase, are all indications, along with the many growing internal hatreds within American society. And for the record, they exist.
We should not delude ourselves, these threats of violence come not just from the right – but from an even broader culture of hate; growing senseless hatred which now emerges even from such liberal bastions of American society as the Arts, Academia, Media, and even from so-called progressive leaderships in otherwise institutional establishments – such as established political parties and even in the legislative branches of our government. Words of hate lead to actions . . .
Where can it lead — where does it all lead:
The durability of liberal democracies can be, and often is, radically changed by assassination – this is nothing new in American society – any honest student of American History can and will acknowledge that.
It is often “words” that will lead to the proliferation of hatred – and as I will remind students and even my teachers from time to time: what begins with words, rarely ends with words. And for the record, it is “words” that will often seek out and highlight the vulnerability of various communities within society (and for our purposes, read here: the Jews).
First words, then violence and life-threatening danger are all soon to follow.
The Jewish community has long ago learned that it is a very short distance from a state of chaotic discourse in society — to one of a totalitarian state — one in which the Jews are often the first of its victims. I might note here that totalitarianism and the tightening of control in society has at times been thought of as a desperate antidote to rising violence in general – and in particular, the chaos it can and does cause in the disintegration of society, any society.
The American Jewish community is all too aware of this . . . we have even seen this in Israel with the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin, – an Israeli Prime Minister – and the vastly different path the nation then took in the aftermath of his murder. We have even seen the same in our own ancient history with the assassination of Gedaliah, Governor of Judea, in the aftermath of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the Judean region.
If we have learned nothing else from a long history of American assassinations, (and the discourse of words and hatreds preceding) the strength of American democracy will require a keen eye in sussing out internal hatreds (especially causeless or baseless hatreds – the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av is around the corner).
This has all been noted, there is very little new news here: we are all witnessing an increasing and exponential growth of antisemitic violence directed against the Jewish people in America and around the world. And yes, anti-Zionism is but one of the many newer shades of Jewhate, if not its newest and purest form to take shape, of recent.
The price of our continued American freedom(s) is vigilance against Jewhate along with self-appointed vigilantism and its evil stepchild, assassination.
In a world of hate-filled words, such as we now experience – we ought to be ever more aware. One might even say, ‘to beware’ – especially as it was not so long ago that we experienced firsthand a pure evil having taken root in American society. It took a world war and a tremendous cost to human life to bring an end to that virus of hatred that managed to spread across (even) the United States and around the world.
I am sure no one . . . yes, not one of us would care to return to America of the 1930s. . . which for the record, was not so long ago, I can assure you, it was not so long ago at all.
‘No place in our country’:
US Jewish leaders condemn Trump assassination attempt:
“I am horrified by what happened at the Trump rally in Pennsylvania and relieved that former President Trump is safe. Political violence has no place in our country,” tweeted Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
Democratic Governor of Illinois J.B. Pritzker tweeted, “Violence is never the answer in our democracy. I am closely monitoring the situation and praying for former President Trump’s recovery. Thankful to the Secret Service for their quick response.”
Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, tweeted, “ZOA and its president Morton Klein wishes President Trump & the other victims of horrific shooting a speedy Refuah Shelaima & our condolences to the family of a victim murdered. We urge Biden to give requested increased protection to Trump and finally provide protection to RFK, Jr.
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, posted, “What a terrible day for our democracy. The former President of the United States was targeted and injured at a campaign rally. One person in the crowd was killed and another was seriously injured. And we are all shocked and traumatized by what happened. “We must come together to condemn political violence. We are all Americans. Whatever our politics. Thoughts and prayers for former President Trump . . .
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All of this is part of the ongoing and unfolding experience of the Jewish Peoples in Israel, in America, and around the world . . . . we must always and at all times be aware — and especially in these precarious times, we must beware.
Friends, the sky is not falling — and we are not Chicken Little, anymore.
