Uppity Wisconsin

The Madison-based Freedom From Religion Foundation is among a group of notable signatories to a September letter demanding a new "investigation into charges of religious coercion and proselytizing at the United States Air Force Academy."

Foundation co-presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker join notables signing the letter, including Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, and Bobby Muller, Nobel Peace Prize winner.

The demand stems from Mikey Weinstein, president and founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and a range of other activists objecting to what is typical conduct at the Colorado Springs-based Air Force Academy that includes Holocaust jokes and coercion of cadets to practice Christianity and display signs of fidelity to the Christian faith, "practices that discriminate against non-Christians in the military."

Incredibly, one Colonel Donald P. Higgins, Jr.

So says one Publius after my comments defending an innocent black Harvard professor and hitting the lack of liberal condemnation, too many abiding by the dictum that we don't want to challenge racism too much, lest we offend racists and their enablers. Bad politics.

"[T]hat anti-Semite MAL ... ," writes Publius.

The charge came out of nowhere, no context in my defending Henry Louis Gates, ignoring a lifetime of work against bigotry. And not surprisingly Publius hiding behind anonymity supplies not one piece of evidence for the foolish charge.

Such is the virtual country we live in where the forces against racism have been lulled into complacency, and an anonymous coward feels free to make up perhaps the most vile charge one can imagine in modern history. For more information on the use of the fake anti-Semitism charge, see:
- Ira Chernus
- Politics of Anti-Semitism, w/ essays by Uri Avnery and Bill, Kathy Christison
- MuzzleWatch (Jewish Voice for Peace) Sydney Levy

Note: After a lifetime of fighting bigotry I have been called anti-Semite and Jew Hater (at Daily Kos yesterday). Such is the mindset of those dedicated to war and militarism. Stand up for innocent Palestinian families and you are a "Jew hater". [See The Politics of Anti-Semitism for a discussion of this repulsive tactic.]

An effective voice against Israeli militarism is the Free Gaza Movement, a "human rights group that in August 2008 sent the first international boats to land in the port of Gaza in 41 years ... (raising) international awareness about the prison-like closure of the Gaza Strip ... ."

Of course, militarists seeing Palestinians as less-than-human have said the effort to ship aid to starving families is inherently anti-Semitic or sympathetic to terrorists, yada, yada.

It's a lie. Support the Free Gaza Movement.

Update III: Fond du Lac Police Captain Steve Thiry: "Obviously, people were offended," or we would not have investigated the incident. The Fond du Lac Reporter's lede gets knocked down.

Update II: Check out the xenophobic comments on the bottom of the Fond du Lac Reporter's piece, and you can understand why Neo-NAZIs in Fondy are in a word: Worrying. 

Update: SPLC Maps 12 Racist Groups in Wisconsin

I read with disappointment this morning's report in the Fond du Lac Reporter (Gannett Newspapers) on the neo-NAZIs leaving their business cards on the car windows of several participants of a Hispanic-Latino event last week.

 
Update: Washington Post - Bad Economy May Fuel Hate Groups, Experts Warn

© by Michael Leon

A social diversity event held last night at the Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Public Library entitled "¡Hola! Hispanic and Latino Experiences in Fond du Lac" was marred by a card left on the car windows of several participants by a neo-NAZI "Aryan Wear" group asking if the car-owners had "had enough diversity?".

The card is pictured above-left and was obtained by e-mail from Ken Hall, director of the Fond du Lac Public Library.

Folk Bum has a post displaying the American Family Association’s (AFA) promotion of a Christmas-lighted cross that appears precisely like the image of a burning cross.

And the AFA is drawing howls.

“The American Family Association--they of the our-morality-for-all bent--is offering a sweet new Xmas gift,” laughs Folk Bum.

"The American Family Association has really topped themselves," observes John Cole.

The AFA’s founder is of course one Donald Wildmon—a self-proclaimed decency advocate challenging Jews, gays, humanists and other assorted going-to-spend-eternity-in-damnation types by “focusing primarily on the influence of television and other media” that Wildmon fears promotes witchcraft, homosexuality and so on.

James Kirchick who wrote a piece in The New Republic in January knocking down the former candidate for president, Rep. Ron Paul, as a bigoted nutbag has been vindicated.

Steven Walters in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reveals today that "(f)ormer Republican presidential candidate U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas will keynote Saturday's session of the 50th anniversary of the Appleton-based John Birch Society."

The John Birch Society, dating back to the 1950s, is infamous for its conspiracy-minded, anti-Semitic, Joe McCarthy-supporting whacks.

Writes Kirchick in the January 8, 2008 The New Republic on Paul:

Update: Affirmative distraction

via mal contends - Jesse Helms and the Southern Strategy live.

John McCain just cannot resist that old-time religion used by the GOP in fighting general election presidential campaigns: Race as a wedge issue.

Obama says McCain flip-flops by opposing affirmative action reads a McClatchy headline on a piece by William Douglas, though a more instructive headline is that: McCain did flip-flop on affirmative action.

That flip-flop is a fact, and should be reported as such.

Writes Douglas:

Update: Obama Far More Popular Among American Jewry Than Lieberman

One of John McCain’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders and top campaign surrogates, Sen. Joe Lieberman, will address a controversial, militaristic conference sponsored by an organization founded and led by the bigoted Pastor John Hagee tonight, Christians United for Israel (CUFI).

The Christians United for Israel (CUFI) group will hold its Third Annual Washington-Israel Summit in Washington, D.C. beginning today.

McCain had sought out and received Hagee’s endorsement before renouncing him earlier this year. “I’m very proud to have Pastor Hagee’s support," said McCain before repudiating Hagee.

Hagee’s anti-Catholicism and homophobia and whacky statements on blacks and women had caused an uproar on the internet, but it was Hagee’s statement on Judaism that finally saw McCain break with Hagee publicly in May.

via mal contends

 by Michael Leon at MAL Contends

Madison, Wisconsin — Several major American religious right figures signing an anti-Iraqi withdrawal statement were previously identified by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as extremists assaulting tolerance and pluralism in America.

A group of 44 right-wing, extremist American leaders released a Declaration on Monday urging the continuation of American policy in Iraq and warning of catastrophic consequences if America withdrawals from Iraq.