A few weeks back I ran a friend's review of "Religulous" that pointed out Bill Maher's double-standard for Christian evangelicals and Jews. A man who just saw the film–"Rand Meko"–found that review online, and sent me the following note:
off free, but there was a very distinct melding of specific politics
and religion – something Bill Maher seemed to be vehemently against. I appreciated you opening up the discussion. It seems many do not want to.
I
am living in Toronto, Canada, but spend a great deal of time in the US
(LA and NYC). I am apparently in the entertainment industry, but I am
hardly entertained by it all. I write you while in the middle of
trying to finish yet another album (I am a professional record producer
and composer). Often my mind wanders after hearing the same song for
hours, while having a staring contest with my Mac screen.
Nonetheless, I am getting touch because as I get older (I am 37 and we are expecting
our first child) I try every day to get a better handle on the world. I
have never been very political, never grew up with religion, am a 'visible' minority
(Asian-American, though a fourth generation Canadian), and have spent most of my adult
life doing crazy entertainment-tech-journalist-type things. It has led
to a real appreciation of learning – or maybe 'sharing' is a better
notion.
Why can I
and most people I know openly make fun of various ethnic groups,
politicians, celebrities? Openly joke about homosexuality, stereotypes
– do this in front of and with our gay friends, our Asian parents – you
get it… but when it comes to having any criticism over the
situation in Israel/Palestine – walls, settlements, human rights, I am
immediately considered anti-semitic? [Weiss emphasis]
I am analytical enough to
recognize there is a much bigger political agenda at work there, but it
opens up a very simple question:
Why is there the double standard?
What have your experiences been with such?
Why does this happen even in normal day-to-day situations? Especially in this day and age and in North America.
I think only our Mexican friends and some of our Muslim friends can have
any right to feel marginalized in America (well the poor too, but they
tragically seem to accept it).
Obviously
this is not a phenomenon related solely to Judaism — I have had many
hush me as I asked openly about some of the harsher aspects of Islam. It's
funny, my former business partner and dear friend was the first to
bring up the double standard — he couldn't understand it – though he is
an American Jew, raised on the wrong side of the tracks in Chicago.
I have been getting into the habit of saying Merry Seasons….seems to offend less people..
Don't know how to answer Rand Meko's questions except that this blog is all about that: trying to expose the brutal conditions in Palestine and the ways in which my community, Jewish-Americans, have immunized Israel from all criticism for decades, and done so righteously. I feel that these seals are breaking. And that the work of brave Jews like Avraham Burg and Aaron Levitt is changing the environment… Some day American culture will catch up.
