Uppity Wisconsin

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

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.