First, the apology for tardiness. Went to sleep late, caught up in the latest jigsaw puzzle so.... Warning for those interested in these devilish things - they are addictive, massively so. In any case, now for the meat of today's blog, a much more serious, for real topic that has eluded many, or turned away from in an understandable denial of its ugliness and truth and the foreboding omen it portends for the future.
For decades, centuries even, America has had the inclination to hide its eternal antisemitism. Oh, we all knew it was there, but if one kept silent about it, similar to the way the word cancer was never spoken aloud, it would really not be there. Toddler behavior, closing one's eyes - and mind - thus making something disappear at will. Well, sorry, folks, this is not going away. In fact, it has grown rampantly over the past decade and more, to the point of violence. To the point where people have hidden their Jewish themed jewelry, taken to wearing baseball hats instead of the Kippah, the traditional head covering of observant Jews, and there is fear now at every Jewish institution and gathering. Lessons of security, of how to fight against an invasion, an armed terrorist and I wonder, who is kidding whom here.
How does one fight or prepare to defend oneself when jumped suddenly on the street, or a victim of a drive by shooting, anonymous in perpetrator, or the huge amount of garbage, dangerous, vile, that is rife throughout social media, with new sites appearing daily, sometimes hourly, boasting of their hatred and their plans. It is no longer hidden, as these vicious critters march openly, in uniforms, in public shouting of operations and plans, in their arrogance. It is defiant, open, ugly and quite frankly, frightening, so very much so at its growth and deep roots within the American community.
You will say but Jews have done well here, have found refuge here; yes, but it all comes at a cost. For too many years, Jews have taken to the idea that to hide one's identity, to change names to less "Jewish' ones, to ignore the historical truth of our survival against all odds, to deny the links in our historical 'chains', - that is the way to go, they feel. I understand that urge, that inclination to hunker down, but it does not work. History has taught us so, terribly so in its eternal ugly truth.
America is no different. It can happen here, and in fact, as the title states, is already happening. The insidious creep of policies of anti-rights for all who are different, the growing ugliness of the extreme white Christian nationalist movement; unfortunately, are doing quite well, damn them! The growing desire to silence all that one opposes, to deny reality, to deny existence, to deny peoplehood of those who walk a slightly different path through life is alive, thriving, glorying in their newfound acceptance and even respectability. State after state has been invaded by these dangerous termites, eating away at what makes America, America. Think not? Read on.
Yesterday I read one of the most dangerous news stories ever, at least for me and for all Americans, if only they will see the truth, take off their blinders and know what we all face, as Americans of all stripes and colors. Florida has an open fascist as its governor who delights in terminating all rights he does not like. Women? Feh. No right to control their own bodies, make their own decisions. Nope, for if they do, away they go. Murderers! Gay, lesbian, non-binary, transgender - well, you can join his trash heap and the people he has consigned to it. Doing quite well, thank you, he says, smug smile and all.
Here is the scary fact. Teachers have been placed in job shaky worlds. Say something wrong and off you go; this as the teacher shortage has grown by leaps and bounds. A student raises a question re oppression, re slavery, and whether it was right or wrong, morally speaking, and shhhhh, no talking about that. Stinks of 'woke' theory. No can do. Talk of the Constitution and the rights it gives to all - another no-no, unless phrased properly with nothing falling upon those who would deny those rights. In fact, they have, historically and right now, our present day. It has not gone away. Not at all.
Have teachers refused to follow these directives? Nope. They say, almost to a one, that they will have to compromise, walk gingerly through this new minefield, accommodate, they say. Echoes of history. How easy it is now to get this accommodation. How easy it was for teachers of Nazi Germany, of fascist Italy, to accommodate the constant flow of antisemitic rules. Fire the Jewish worker. Take away Jewish owned businesses and stores. Segregate the Jewish child at the back of the room, shame them. Force them into separate classes and then separate schools and then no school at all. And then no life at all. All allowable, made possible by the accommodating, getting used to, these new rules.
After all, it is the law. Right? We are, most of us, law abiding, probably teachers more so, as rules are important in the classroom and life itself. They teach kids to think, teach them truths, about the difference between legality and morality and the historical crisis and clash between the two. They thrill to see their 'kids' grow in understanding, in independent thought, in patriotism and love and hope for a country fair to all. But now? Verboten!! Now, they accommodate.
How easy it is to accommodate. How easy it is to go along. How easy it is to look away, to do as ordered. Ugly echoes resound through the air, of tragedies past, present, all the while sending unfortunate hints of the future.
Unless we refuse to accommodate.
Unless we understand the different burdens and difficult choices between legality and morality.
Unless we grow to understand the historical imperative, in its ugly truth, as well as in its beauty when done right.
Before our photographs and videos become the same haunting memento mori of those monumentally soul searing ones of the Jews of Europe and North Africa between 1933-1945 - and the sentiment and deeds remain. Healthy as all, right there in the same world and in our country, my America, though there are too many who would deny that.
Accommodation is not an option.
Never!
Never Again.
Not here.
Not in America.
But is that the truth?
Are you sure?
Are you really. definitely sure?
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