Shabbat shalom!
A quick tip of the kippah to Wendy Sachs, author, documentary filmmaker and Director and Executive Producer of the newly released film, “October 8”. Over the last 17 months, we have watched in shock as Ivy League campuses became hotbeds of support for terrorists and their ideology. A powerful new documentary that the Academy Awards refused to consider illuminates how – and more importantly why – college campuses became a pivotal front in the war against Israel. I urge all JNR readers to watch “October 8” at a local AMC theater, or, wait for it to stream in a few weeks. Here is a link to an interview with Wendy Sachs by Dan Señor highlighting the challenges she had getting anyone in Jewishy Hollyweird to pay attention, represent, or distribute the film.
https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/call-me-back-with-dan-senor/id1539292794?i=1000698981656
It’s March 15, and for those not up on their Shakespeare, this date is known as the “Ides of March”. On March 15, 44 BCE, Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of senators, an event that had a profound impact on Roman history. William Shakespeare’s play “Julius Caesar” popularized the phrase as a warning given to Caesar by a soothsayer, immortalizing the day’s association with foreboding and fate. Today, “the Ides of March” is often used to signify a fateful or critical day, often with a sense of impending doom, drawing from the historical context of Caesar’s assassination.
Those of you who know me personally, know that I am not a doom and gloom kind of guy. And I don’t take any pleasure in having to summarize the depressing news which keeps gushing at us like the proverbial firehose. And I also don’t take any pleasure in venting each week about how the orange turd is bent on remaking America into some kind of retro-hellscape from his love-less past. I live in the real world, and I try each week to reflect the reality around my comfortable, bougie life here in a mostly liberal, Jewishy suburb of Massachusetts, with influences cast from a broad range of writers and podcasters on the political left and right.
But, I think it’s time to hit the panic button. Beware the Ides of March! Caesar is out of control! Forget about his taking a sledge hammer to our government. Forget about the Sheriff of Tarriff-ham ruining the economy and draining our 401k’s. (We lost about $5 Trillion in one week! As Bill Maher said, at this point, Greenland could buy us!) No, what really scared the shit out of me this week was the jailing of Pro-Palestinian activist and green card holder, Mahmoud Khalil, followed by this story from the New York Times, followed by the orange turd’s presser at the DOJ on Friday:
Days after immigration officers arrested a prominent pro-Palestinian campus activist, administrators at Columbia University gathered students and faculty from the journalism school and issued a warning … “If you have a social media page, make sure it is not filled with commentary on the Middle East,” [Stuart Karle, a First Amendment lawyer] told the gathering … When a Palestinian student objected, the journalism school’s dean, Jelani Cobb, was more direct about the school’s inability to defend international students from federal prosecution. “Nobody can protect you,” Mr. Cobb said. “These are dangerous times.”
Dangerous times indeed. Along with this news story came the report from Marco “tiny” Rubio that Caesar has launched a massive AI-assisted, all-government encompassing program called “Catch and Revoke”, which is intended to scan every social media comment, or anything online, that can be used to flush out any noncitizen whose expressed views might be considered anti-Semitic, anti-Zionist or anti-Israel. Marco and the DOJ and DHS and ICE are now the Brownshirts of the 2020’s. Anyone see anything that could possibly go wrong with this program? This is not a slippery slope, more like an icy mountain looming directly over the first amendment.
Mahmoud Khalil has not been accused of a crime. And that is the scary part! A White House official explained: “The allegation here is not that [Khalil] was breaking the law.” A DHS spokesman elaborated to NPR:
“We’ve invited and allowed the student to come into the country, and he’s put himself in the middle of the process of basically pro-Palestinian activity. And at this point, like I said, the Secretary of State can review his visa process at any point and revoke it.”
“Pro-Palestinian activity” is the reason. The DHS document citing the law being used against Khalil — and thereby potentially every other noncitizen, including green card holders — has this legal formula:
[T]he Secretary of State has reasonable ground to believe that your presence or activities in the United States would have potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.
This is “the first arrest of many to come,” says Trump. DHS is already searching dorm rooms. And of course, the orange a-hole couldn’t resist getting in a nasty shot at Khalil with this bigoted troll from his X account: “SHALOM, MAHMOUD,” a glib and spiteful use of a Jewish term for “goodbye” to a Muslim. This a-hole is the President of the United States.
As you all know from previous posts, I am not a fan of the “useful idiots” on campuses across the country voicing their support for Hamas, with their ridiculously foolish upside down morality and echoing of genocidal policies and downright dumb chants. And if they break a law or intimidate Jews and/or disrupt the rights of others, they should be prosecuted and, if found guilty, booted from the country. But, I will defend their right to the death to spew stupid speech. And don’t fall for the legal mumbo jumbo around green card vs citizen rights. This is a direct attack against the first amendment, and won’t be the last. Today it’s focused on non-citizens. Tomorrow? News organizations critical of the orange turd? Even as I write this post, I am thinking that there is probably an AI algorithm flagging me and this post to some moron in DHS who will put me on a list. Paranoia? Maybe. But not so much.
There are clear echos of history in this emerging and potential first amendment crisis, and I am surprised there has not been more written about the parallels with one of the most famous First Amendment cases, the Nazi march on Skokie in 1977. In the Chicago suburb of Skokie, one out of every six Jewish citizens in the late 1970s was a survivor—or was directly related to a survivor—of the Holocaust. These victims of terror had resettled in America expecting to lead peaceful lives free from persecution. But their safe haven was shattered when a neo-Nazi group announced its intention to parade there in 1977. The case ignited enormous controversy and challenged our understanding of and commitment to First Amendment values.
The debate was clear-cut: American Nazis claimed the right of free speech while their Jewish “targets” claimed the right to live without intimidation. The town, arguing that the march would assault the sensibilities of its citizens and spark violence, managed to win a court injunction against the marchers. In response, the American Civil Liberties Union took the case and successfully defended the Nazis’ right to free speech. The ACLU team was led by a Jewish lawyer.
While local authorities in Skokie sought legal means to prevent the Nazi party’s march, leading to a judicial affirmation of free speech rights, in Khalil’s case, federal authorities arrested him, citing national security, raising concerns about potential infringement on First Amendment rights. Both events elicited strong public responses. The ACLU’s defense of the Nazis was controversial, leading to over 50,000 membership resignations. Khalil’s detention has sparked protests and debates within political circles, reflecting the divisive nature of U.S. policies toward Israel and Palestine, but also risking making Khalil into some kind of martyr for his cause.
The ACLU is actively supporting Khalil. They have joined his legal team, filing an amended habeas petition challenging his detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The ACLU argues that Khalil’s arrest violates his constitutional rights, including free speech and due process, and exceeds the government’s legal authority. In addition to legal action, the ACLU has launched a public campaign advocating for Khalil’s release. They are urging supporters to contact ICE, emphasizing that detaining and attempting to deport an individual based on their political viewpoints is unconstitutional and un-American.
Furthermore, the ACLU has publicly condemned Khalil’s arrest, describing it as an unlawful action taken in retaliation for his pro-Palestinian advocacy. They highlight that Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, was detained without due process, solely based on his political beliefs. And as much as I hate to say so, I agree. It’s also clear to me that both cases highlight the complexities of balancing free speech protections with public safety and societal values. They serve as reminders of the challenges democracies face in upholding fundamental rights, especially during the reign of the orange Caesar. Only the courts can stop his assault on truth, our values and our speech.
His presser at the DOJ was equally alarming. Most Presidents have appeared in the hallowed halls of the DOJ to announce a major anti-crime initiative, or to offer plaudits for the fundamental tenet of the rule of law. Or, in the orange turd’s case, to seek revenge on his enemies. Over more than an hour, relying on a series of twisted facts and misrepresentations, the orange turd accused his adversaries both inside and outside the department of weaponizing the justice system against him. The campaign-style address suggested that Mr. Trump would not soon let go of his anger at federal prosecutors and that he intended to make good on his longstanding vows to seek retaliation against them. In offering his litany of complaints, Mr. Trump provided no proof that anyone on his list of bad guys had committed crimes or even ethical violations. Their sole offense appeared to have been trying to hold him accountable for his behavior.
The ides of March are upon us.
So be careful out there.
Brad out.
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