My letter to the editor of the Jewish Standard that was not published this week.
Then and Now
Dear Editor,
I enjoyed reading Bernard Mintz’s article, “Reflections of a Second-generation child of Holocaust survivors” in your January 29, 2021 issue.
He mentions the “dehumanization and loneliness” his parents experienced during the holocaust. He speaks about how “Poles would stand outside Jewish-owned stores and tell passersby not to shop there.” Is not the cancel culture of today – cancelling anyone who supports or supported President Trump and the Conservative agenda similar to what was done to the Jewish-owned stores in Poland? Bed, Bath and Beyond abandoned the “My Pillow” company for their support of Donald Trump. Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are censoring ideas they don’t like – Conservative ideas. When Parler became a substitute to Facebook – by allowing free expression, they were de-platformed. When people call all Trump supporters “white supremacists”, “racists”, “insurrectionists” or “deplorables” – that is dehumanizing them.
Let us learn from history – it is known to repeat itself.
Rosalie Greenberg
Who will be there when they come for you?
So true, Rosealie!!
I commend Rosalie for standing up. It is grossly disturbing that the Jewish Standard would not publish such an important letter.
The “cancellation” of those who would dare voice a differing viewpoint, by those with such fragile, ill-informed and often ignorant ones, has the potential to be more dangerous now than it was during the 30’s and 40’s in Europe. The victims then did not believe for a moment that Hitler would succeed in his evil agenda.
The nature of “social” media, in addition to the quantum speed other forms of available media, weaponized by the ignorant, results in even the most innocuous of views, even those supported by historical fact, being condemned; those who dared voice their opinion left threatened, jobless, and marginalized.
Why can we seemingly never eliminate this evil conveniently dressed as righteousness? The Salem Witch Trials; Nazism; Stalin; Mao; Macarthyism; and now this current blot on humanity, Wokeism, are all borne out of a destructive mindset, but delivered with the zeal of a Puritan. Which apparently makes it ok – as it was when other entities sought to silence and eliminate the innocent, all while most turned a blind eye.
This is a humanitarian crisis.
“Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it”.
Thank you for your excellent letter, Rosalie. In your perceptive comparative analysis, you see beyond the cruelty, shaming and doxing currently destroying lives and careers courtesy of the Cancel Culture to a very dark future if history does repeat itself. Americans who value freedom must realize that we are separated from tyranny by a very thin barrier that is now at its breaking point, and we need to endeavor, in every way we can — including prayer — to prevent the encroaching darkness from snuffing out our Constitutional Republic.
Welll said Rosalie. Many of us have limitted or altogether stopped posting our opinions because they conflict with the “Elite media.” The people who agree with this “Elitist group” will one day realize if they ever disagree with the media, they will be ostracissd and cancelled too. I never thought this day would come to the USA.
Rosalie Greenberg exposes the frightening parallels inherent between our cancel culture and all totalitarian regimes. Dehumanizing the other is the first step to marginalizing and then eliminating the enemy , if not physically, but certainly from any position of power or legitimacy. The actress Gina Carrano drew the same parallel and was immediately banned from Disney, her employer, which has made millions of dollars from her performance. The hypocrisy, lies and hyperbolic rhetoric from the left at first glance appears farcical. However it portends very dire consequences for our country.
The Gina Carano story, while infuriating, is really not that amazing. Walt Disney is well known to have been a RAGING Anti-Semite. Looks like there is a “deep state” alive and well in the company he founded.
Rosalie, Thank you for sharing your eloquent letter to the Editor. You have opened my eyes, and many others to the frightening scenario that led to the Holocaust which no one ever believed could happen. The similarities are horrifying to what is happening in our beloved country right now.