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From: mf@cornell.UUCP (mf)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.religion.jewish
Subject: Re: Fighting Intolerance ("Ordinary People")
Message-ID: <2151@cornell.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 31-May-85 15:33:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: cornell.2151
Posted: Fri May 31 15:33:18 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Jun-85 02:25:31 EDT
References: <2036@cornell.UUCP> <6152@umcp-cs.UUCP>
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In article <6152@umcp-cs.UUCP> Charley Wingate writes:

> I don't claim that Kahane is symptomatic of Israel any more than (say) Don
> Black is symptomatic of the USA.  But each is very much a product of his
> environment.

Right. Kahane is American, this country is the one he grew up in, so he is as
much a product of the US as Don Black is, and this is hence symptomatic
of the USA, if at all.  Now the argument goes as follows: it is not so much
``Israel'' that was meant, but the Jews and their culture.  Well, in my
book, Judaism stands for tolerance.  Judaism--as a religion--never preached
for proselytism, never burned people to bring them to slavation, recognises
that there are righteous Gentiles ("Zadikei Umot Ha-olam").  If you think
that Charles Manson is just an abberation, well so is Kahane.  What allows
each to occur is democracy.

> Every culture is predisposed to it; the minute a people believes in their
> own righteousness, they are sure to perpetrate some act of violence on
> others.   Certainly there are other causes as well.  But denying that one is
> capable of such acts is to take the first step down the same road.

``Anyone'' is capable of ``any act.''  Fine.  Let's see what *is* happening.
There have been many voices in Israel related to her activities in Lebanon
and elsewhere; public, political.  Now why is it that this writer always
examines Israel's predisposition (from a point of sheer ingorance) rather than
the US's record?  Why don't you publish all those articles about neo-nazism,
racism, and so on in this very country, yours?  You who preach self-examina-
tion, please do it.

>I am well aware of these groups.  I am also very dubious of my direct
>influence over them.

One can have as much influence as one wants, if one really cares.  Not
through the net, but by active involvement in combatting intolerance.
It depends how important you really think it is.

> As I originally implied, I don't think they can be
> prevented from existing, here or elsewhere.

I do.  Try, and you may change your mind.

> My self-examination is my own affair.

Not when you preach it to others, and examine them.