There’s always some nut jobs out there who need to hang onto the good intentions of others to make their case. Witness California GOP Chairman Ron Nehring’s blast Monday against anti-Semitic graphics being displayed on-line in support of an anti-tax TEA bag event in San Mateo last week
It seems to me that you don’t have to be a Republican to be offended by the crude, if effectively designed graphic:
“The image pictured a bucket of money being poured into a funnel with a Star of David on it, which in turn drips blood into a bottle where a person holding a Palestinian flag is seen drowning in blood. The text reads “Uncle Sam Reminds You: KEEP PAYING TAXES. The ongoing extermination of Palestinian Children Can’t be Done Without Your Help.” (Contra Costa Times, 4/20/09)
I congratulate Nehring on his searing response, but it’s not enough just for Nehring to slap back the bigots, they also should be roundly condemned by every anti-tax group in the state. To let the anti-Semites jump on the anti-tax bandwagon is not just a Republican worry, it also allows a disingenuous perception of possible concurrence by others in the movement.
This is what tends to happen in a severe economic collapse. With California unemployment officially at 11.2% and going ever southward, there are some scared and angry people out there looking for someone to blame. As a Jew, it reminds me of a time not so long ago when we were the designated culprits of other bad news. Anti-Semitism still lives in the shadows even here in California. Shinning a strong light on it is the best disinfectant.
Anti-tax anti-Semites can grow in numbers overnight in this kind of political environment. Everyone involved in the anti-tax movement deserves to be heard, but not everyone wants to hear them all. Letting the Jew-haters off with a lecture from just one political leader is tantamount to complicity by all of the others who don’t speak out. Let’s hear from you!
Remember: “Never again!”