As a Jewish woman married to a Brown man, this really hits home. This whole week has been a bit of a nightmare for me. This is personal. It’s impossible to NOT see this as the start of a new period of nationalism and murder. Remember, folks, the actual name of Nazi was the National Socialist German Workers’ Party. Nazi is only how it came to be known, but Nationalist was always front and center. Guess who says he’s a “nationalist?” You got it on the first try!
Anti-Semitism isn’t just the stuff of white nationalist Neanderthals. Some of your best friends have anti-Semitic reflexes.
Oh, your friends would never admit to this. They’re too intelligent, too socially conscious. They wouldn’t be caught dead showing bigoted or anti-Semitic attitudes and they’d take great offense to the suggestion that they are unconsciously anti-Semitic. But some things a person can’t control and one of them is the reflex of anti-Semitism learned when they were children.
Who killed Jesus?
It starts there. Every kid in Sunday School learns that ‘the Jews killed Jesus.’ Later, when they grow up, they sometimes sort out who did what with Jesus; grown-up minds can deal with complexity if so inclined. If not so inclined, the original notion that the Jews were to blame for the agony of Christ’s suffering on the cross gets embedded in people’s psyches. Hence, the reflex business. And the Inquisition.
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SERENDIPITY - SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 
And in Germany, they teach about the holocaust so that history doesn’t repeat. But sadly it is always a pendulum effect.
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The Houston group… Center for the Healing of Racism …. is fabulous. I miss being able to go to the “movies”. One was how antisemitism and Christianity. Educational and sad. They are on Facebook.
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This stuff is making me sick, not to mention, scaring the bejesus out of me worrying about my friends and family.
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Like you and all of your commenters, it stuns me to see so much hate and fear, and that its happening again for the umpteenth time–crazy cycles of non-learning. Yeah, I’m a wasp, but I’m gay, and a woman, and therefore suspect by someone. And I guess that’s the point, making each of us suspicious of the other rather than interested and supportive of each other.
enormous sigh. And the challenge is to both pay attention and stay sane. makes the red queen’s admonition of believing 3 impossible things before breakfast seem easy.
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One of the reasons we never moved out of Mass. was because the NY writer Jew married to the Black TV reporter? There were whole segments of the country we were afraid to visit. We went to New Orleans on my 50th birthday and we called the hotel and asked them straight up if they had a problem with a mixed race couple and would it be a safe place for us? They said New Orleans was fine, but best we never go out of the city except in a tour.
My son is gay.
We are an “everything” kind of family. But we stay in the bluest state because even BEFORE Trump, there was more than enough hatred roaming around. Now, I’m incredibly glad we stayed here.
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Most people learn hate from their parents I guess. My Dad wasn’t a ranting bigot, but he had some racist views that he let slip at times. Didn’t like Blacks, Gays, … not sure about Jewish people. My Mum demonstrated to Racism whatsoever. She was pretty well what a ‘Good Christian’ outta be. So I was influenced somewhat – but no mightily. Then when I left home I had to reconcile this stuff that was embedded in me. Some people never reconcile such things however, and never even try. They can’t even admit it’s a fault – a flaw. They are poisoned for the duration and pass it along. Then, horrifically, some act it out. I have my doubts that such stuff will ever end.
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It has never ended in all these years. I was sure by the time I reached this age that everything would be much better. Imagine my shock and dismay to discover how entirely wrong I have been.
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I’ve watched and witnessed the words coming out of his mouth and they are an absolute replica of what Hitler had to say. If you don’t think it can happen again, your delusional. It’s terrifying in the extreme when you see the possibility looming in front of us and those too ignorant to see the writing on the wall.
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Sadly, there are those who approve of Hitler and think this is a good thing.
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I know. I just didn’t think they really wanted to LIVE under him.
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The irony is that part of the claim by which his ass was elected was the claim that Clinton was a Nazi because democrats are socialists and the Nazi party was the National Socialist Party. I’m sure lots of the people who got riled up over that had never heard that before and didn’t know the difference between Fascism and Socialism (apples and oranges) or Socialism and Totalitarianism (still don’t, most Americans, and it really fucking pisses me off). I’ve lived under totalitarianism and while it simplifies life by eliminating choices, it’s not a requirement of socialism. I think people just don’t want to learn. Oh wait, that’s why I retired.
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We have become a nation of non-learners. Stupid people. It has been creeping up on us for a long time, but it seems to have become an epidemic. I’m still baffled that ANYONE living here would want a fascist government … even if they don’t entirely understand what it is. If freedom is of such great value, why are so many people so eager to toss it away? Aside from being horrified, I’m completely baffled.
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The irony is they want to toss it away because they think someone is trying to steal it from them.
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Yeah. They are trying to scare us to death. I only get scared when they threaten Social Security and Medicare. THAT scares me.
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Just beyond me. The stupidity
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Me too.
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I know. Every Jewish kid knows. It was beaten into our heads when we were kids. We just never imagined ANY American would want to live that way.
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It boggles my mind completely
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You should know how horrifying this is to a simple White Anglo Saxon protester like myself.
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I believe you. It is hard for me to understand how ANY American of ANY race would want to live under fascism.
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I don’t understand it, either. It makes me want to get out of this country forever. I’ve never hated anything more than I hate that fucker in the White House, not even the Evil X who bore an uncanny resemblance to him. I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t hate him.
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I am pretty sure most of us that communicate online feel the same way. Garry and I started to listen to “Fear” this afternoon and I don’t know if we’ll continue. It’s terribly depressing. I don’t think it was meant that way, but it’s one horrible, awful, disgusting decision after another.
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I won’t go near that book. I’ve managed to hold my shit together to some extent, but the pipe bombs and the synagogue shooting have made that impossible. I am afraid this won’t end without violence on both sides. Thank GOD I have that giant canister of bear spray… :p
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I don’t want to read the rest. It really is horribly depressing. I just reminded Garry that we could move back to Israel, but he politely turned me down, even though they wouldn’t even make him become Jewish. Still, I’m glad I have the dual citizenship. Just in case.
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