Swastikas + Stars of David

I find myself fascinated (and frightened) by how the issue of anti-semitism is being spoken of by representatives and processed by the public and on Fb.

I’m not one to read Trump tweets; rather I see references to them in articles, such as “It is shameful that House Democrats won’t take a stronger stand against Anti-Semitism . . . Anti-Semitism has fueled atrocities throughout history and it’s inconceivable they will not act to condemn it!”

Washington life seems like an endless loop of the worst Thanksgiving dinner ever — a procession of fools continuously triggering each other with half-baked, loaded, simplistic claims.

To state the screamingly obvious: this from the man who refused to take a clear stand against those shouting “Jews will not replace us.” One thanks the prez for yet another moron-in-chief moment. Any opportunity to divide and conquer is exploited with seeming relish. And what’s with capitalizing Anti-Semitism? Use grammar check, you covfefe-ing idiot.

Washington life seems like an endless loop of the worst Thanksgiving dinner ever — a procession of fools continuously triggering each other with half-baked, loaded, simplistic claims.

I am not aware of all of the details of how this issue is playing out. So far it looks like Republicans using anti-semitism to terrorize and fragment the Democrats. And Democrats are tripping over themselves trying to honor diverse perspectives while crafting a unifying message. And the nightmare that plagues me is that this dynamic underlies how and why Trump is re-elected in 2020.

Many who support Congresswoman Omar appear to be focused on how she is being victimized while completely indifferent to the possibility that she may have misstepped in any way. While those who challenge Omar express their outrage in terms that seem disingenuous in the extreme given their own history of tolerating truly revolting rhetoric from their peers. Reps stand against hatred while oozing self-interest and grabbing for power.

The anti-semitism kerfuffle systematically invalidates and insults people on all sides. It points to paralysis that resides deep in the bones of so many crucial conversations that require nuance, respect and careful exploration.

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