On this first day of Passover, the holiday that commemorates the Jewish peoples’ exodus from slavery in Egypt to establish a new nation that its enemies today deny ever existed, Jews are threatened as never before — here.
For centuries, Jews came here to escape lands where they were persecuted. In America, they were welcomed by a government that recognized them as citizens, and also by its magnificent first President, George Washington, in a letter to a Rhode Island synagogue.
The letter set a standard for American tolerance, promising no sanction to bigotry, no assistance to persecution, asking only that people carry on as “good citizens.”
This is not to say that all Americans welcomed all Jews. They did not, and the Know Nothings have a long-standing hateful tradition of opposing all immigrant groups. Not to normalize the despicable behavior, but I have come to regard it as a form of hazing that all immigrants must endure. It isn’t right, it isn’t fair, but it is human nature.
It goes without saying that Blacks and Native Americans were treated even worse.
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In America, in the New World, for the first time in history, Jews were protected by law outside the borders of their own homeland.
When I was born there was no Jewish homeland. There was no Israel.
To me, America was and is my precious homeland. To me, and to thoughtful Jews, America is the Promised Land. It is the safest place for Jews, even safer than Israel when you consider the constant threat under which that nation exists. In Israel, every day might be Oct. 7. America is safer.
And today, I hear this:
“Death to America!”
Chanted in America?
Not in Tehran, with its weekly Friday holy day street demonstrations against the Great Satan (the U.S.) and the Little Satan (Israel), punctuated with riotous chants of “Death to America,” and “Death to Israel.”
These death chants are led by religious leaders. The intifada has come to America.
Here, in my homeland, when you say “death to America,” you are saying death to me, to my family, to my friends. That is not protected speech and I would be foolish not to take you at your word. America would be foolish to ignore you.
America is entitled to self defense.The First Amendment is not a suicide pact. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud swiftly condemned the chant. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took about a week to find moral clarity to call it “hateful rhetoric.” Was that a hard call? It must have been, because Dearborn’s despicable Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib still hasn’t denounced it.
Whether heard in Dearborn, Mich., or on college campuses, these death threats must be answered… swiftly.
I’d suggest the FBI take these threats as serious as other terrorist threats and pull in these terrorists for interrogation. They should instantly be added to the terror watch list. It has grown to 2 million, and clearly there is room for more.
Those who are not citizens should be deported immediately, whether they are here on tourist visas, student visas, work visas, or anything else.
Everyone is entitled to a hearing. Expedite their deportation hearings and get their asses on a bus, train, or boat. Sorry — no terror suspects on aircraft.
As for the citizens: We can’t deport these human roaches, but we can do whatever we can to make them uncomfortable.
Put them on the terror watch list.
Bar them from the airlines.
None should have any security clearances.
None should have a government job, and that includes teaching and the military.
None should have government loans, or any other government benefit.
Their employers should be notified of their terror suspect status.
If they can’t work, they may starve. Good.
Not death to America — death to them.
Stu, we’d have a 1st Amendment problem with your proposal. Chanting “Death to America” may be despicable, but absent a credible threat of violence it is merely speech.
Given that it is coming from a side — Islamists — who have repeatedly attacked the homeland, I disagree. I say it IS a credible threat, lacking only specifics.
I have got to agree with Andrew on this one. It is too abstract a threat to qualify as more than an odious sentiment. It is is more like the commies advocating for “revolution” in the abstract, rather than taking any concrete steps to effectuate the goal (other than trying to persuade others that they are right.) If they were chanting “commit violence against America and American interests” I would agree with you. If they were chanting “death” to a particular person, or groups of people, I would agree with you.
But this strikes me to be more like flag-burning, which is protected by the First Amendment. There is, of course, nothing wrong with the FBI checking these folks out for terrorist connections, support or organizing, given the stated sentiment. If they are citizens, I doubt they could pass a background check for a federal job anyway, even assuming the would deign to work for US.
However, I don’t think blanket punishment/retaliation would survive constitutional scrutiny. What do you do, say, with a person who was at one of these rallies, but didn’t participate in the chant–or says they didn’t. Or says they were just saying “Down with America” (is that any better?”) And what about “Shame on America”?
Maybe more to the point, the First Amendment is one of the things that makes this a truly great country. (How does this compare to your book-banning column? Should a book titled “Death to America” be banned?) I’d hate to toss that away. What about, say, the Confederate flag?
Where do we draw the line where harsh criticism is expressed with arguable “mere” hyperbole? Ordinarily, under the Constitution, it is where words cross the line from the expression of opinion, however disgusting, into the realm of “true threats.” There’s a difference between “I hope you get hit by a bus” and “I’m coming to kill you.”
Wishing death on someone, or a country, is not the same as a threat–though I agree that by saying such, one can conclude that the speaker dislikes and wishes ill upon them. But this is not actionable under the 1st Amendment.
And where do we draw the line. I, for one, think displaying the Confederate flag evidences disloyalty to the US, and expressing solidarity with traitors to the Constitution. It has been associated with real terrorist organizations from the KKK to neo-Nazis, not to mention those who wish a second civil war. Doesn’t that symbol inherently mean “Death to America”? Probably sometimes yes, sometimes no.
Should such people also be placed on terrorist watch lists, denied federal employment and kept out of the armed forces? I don’t think so, so long as they are not planning or involved in planning or supporting attacks on government buildings and officers, Black churches, and synagogues or mosques. Is it part of a mix that should allow the FBI to take a look at them? Maybe so.
In my view, it is usually a mistake to become more like one’s enemy in order to fight them.
Bravo, I can’t agree more. The Confederate flag has long been used as signal of oppression and terrorism.
Stu might be old enough to have lived through Senator Joseph McCarthy and his Communist witch hunts. Where merely being called to testify in front of the House Committee on American Activities or even having your name mentioned in front of it could and did destroy peoples lives and livelihoods. Why would anyone want to return to that level of destruction in America today?
The First Amendment was designed to protect unpopular opinion. So Americans could engage in political statements and opinions that the majority of Americans may not approve. Just like the right to a free press has allowed to publish opinion pieces no matter how repugnant they maybe. It also means that people can use that same right to speak out against those same statements.
Disagreement is fine. I also believe anyone who says, “I am Hamas” should go on the terror watch list.
I am a pro-free speech as almost anyone, but the First Amendment is not a suicide pact, free speech cannot protect willful liars like Inga Saffron, or terrorists.
When push gets to shove, the courts will decide, and I will abide.
Saying “I am a Proud Boy”, KKK, or a 3% or some other group you don’t approve is still free speech. Only if they act on that statement does it become a criminal act.
You lived through Senator Joseph McCarthy’s committee hearing, where if they announced you were a Communist your life and livelihood were destroyed. Returning to that era makes you far more dangerous to America than someone stating “I am Hamas”.
As far as Inga Saffron goes, she was right. No matter how carefully your trip to Thailand article was reedited.
I don’t disagree that folks who say “I am Hamas” or for that matter, “I am KKK” or “I am Proud Boy”, should be on the radar, but I think something more should be required for actual sanctioning.
And, er, Judah, Saffron was found guilty of defamation by a jury of her peers, and that should settle the matter. Do you have evidence not adduced at trial that makes you disagree with the jury? Are you going to write a book called “J’Accuse” laying it all out?
If not, I suggest that you avoid doing what we lawyers call “republishing” the defamation, which is just as actionable as the original statements. If you are saying, in your opinion, as legal matter, her misstatements/inaccuracies should have been found non-defamatory, that is one thing.
But if you are saying she was “right” as a matter of fact, you are treading on thin ice.
Agreed on all of it.
Let’s start to bar congressional folks from having another country’s flags in their offices or waiving Ukranian flags after a vote… really?
That was a breach of protocol that was beyond the pale. Waving another nation’s flag may be fine on Main Street, but not in the halls of Congress.
ALL DEMOCRATS!!! Coincidence? I think not.
Well, as long as that includes the Confederate flag. Unlike the flags of our friends/allies, those folks went to war against the USA, and as far as I am concerned, displaying that flag asserts disloyalty and enmity towards America.
That broke House rules. Will there be “punishment”? Unlikely.
Which Congressional law are you referring to?
What about all of the Republicans who were subpoenaed by Congress who refused to testify, how were they punished?
Judah- are you referring to the Pelossi /Schiff set up on January 6?
Refusing to testify and flying another country’s flag are 2 very different situations. You’re deflecting
You are right. Rules are rules and they apply to everyone who violates them.
What Congressional rules were broken by flying another countries flag?
Members of Congress Kevin McCarthy, Scott Perry, Jim Jordan, and Andy Biggs all refused to testify when served Congressional subpoenas.
Um, Stu, there is no rule against displaying foreign flags in Congress as far as I can tell.
There was an amendment proposed to an appropriations bill that: ““None of the funds made available by this Act may be used to acquire or display any flag or pennant other than the flag of the United States, the flag or pennant of any State or territory or possession of the United States, or the POW-MIA flag.”
If such a rule existed there would be no need for the amendment.
Even if it had been passed, which it wasn’t, it just prevented members of Congress from using government funds to “buy or display” a foreign flag. Guess they’d have to find a donor for the flag and flagpole, and have a non-employee/volunteer to place it there.
Also I suspect that any law restricting the right to display another country’s flag by a member of congress might be unconstitutional under the Speech and Debate clause. Explaining, why the fund restriction and not a legal ban.
A congressional rule might do it, subjecting someone to fine or censure–but there is no such rule that I can find. That might be a problem too. I haven’t looked it up, but I would not be surprised if foreign flags, as a matter of respect to foreign dignitaries addressing congress, may have been displayed. What if the dignitary had a flag lapel pin?
Heh. The Vatican flag was displayed by members when the Pope addressed Congress. A lot of members of Congress (GOP) have had Israeli flags outside their offices. And, as I said, members have had small foreign flags when foreign heads of state visit to show support.
So this is just another supposedly “unique outrage” that is actually a long-standing practice.
Everybody is just “shocked, shocked” after over 200 years. What silly, performative nonsense.
Syarting with the end, a lapel pin is not a flag and many Reps wear flag pins — almost always USA crossed with another — Israel, Ireland, Ukraine.
Using inductive reasoning per that amendment, you may be right. I DID hear the person with the gavel say it was a violation of House rules, which I believe creates its own law, e.g., libel laws don’t apply on the House floor. I searched a bit — and you are better than I — and found a HUD document, which might be applicable to all government offices? See 13-2 e https://www.hud.gov/sites/documents/22161C13ADMH.PDF
HUD is Housing and Urban Development. It’s an executive department, not Congress. Also it’s an administrative rule, not a law. Generally, only Congress can govern the conduct of its members. Anything else would be a violation of the separation of powers.
You are right that the person with the gavel said it was a breach of the general rule of “decorum.” Given the precedent of other flag displays (not to mention wearing MAGA hats) I don’t see how the House would ever deem it a violation of decorum. Plenty of Israeli flags at the capitol after Oct 7. Fine with me. Ukrainian flags as well.
I’d have a problem with Russian or Confederate flags, but it would be for political reasons, not a matter for the rule of decorum.
More generally, I think they stopped enforcing that rule when it became ok to shout “you lie” during the State of Union and certainly by the time they showed naked pictures of Hunter Biden in a hearing. If one is fine with those, one can hardly complain about a little flag waving.
As far as I understand, the speaker gavels things back to “order” when there has been a breach of decorum.
Here’s the ‘controversy’:
“dozens of Democrats held up mini Ukrainian flags. Others tucked them in their breast pockets, while New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. draped a larger version over his shoulders like a cape..”
“Banging the gavel repeatedly as he called for order, presiding Rep. Marc Molinaro of New York reminded his colleagues to ‘observe proper decorum,’ adding that ‘flag-waving on the floor is not appropriate.’”
I looked up the decorum rule:
“A Member’s comportment in debate may constitute a breach of decorum even though the content of the Member’s speech is not, itself, unparliamentary). Except for naming the offending Member, the Speaker may not otherwise censure or punish the Member. The House may by proper motions under this clause dictate the consequences of a ruling by the Chair that a Member was out of order”
So, for this type of violation, the presiding officer just gavels something out of order, but there is no punishment unless the House votes for it.
There are also per se violations of decorum, to be enforced by the sergeant-at-arms without further ado. I searched for “flag” and there is no per se rule or precedent stating that no flags are allowed.
Roll Call also reports this is true:
“House rules state that members may not engage in disorderly or disruptive conduct. While the rules bar things like smoking or wearing nonreligious headdresses or hats, waving a mini flag is not explicitly mentioned.” https://rollcall.com/2024/04/23/flag-fracas-republicans-infuriated-by-show-of-support-for-ukraine/
[Note to MTG: no MAGA hats]
On the other hand: “A person on the floor of the House may not smoke or use a mobile electronic device that impairs decorum. The Sergeant-at-
Arms is charged with the strict enforcement of this clause…no device may be used for still photography or for audio or video recording…”
Apparently, Representative Massie, (R-Ky) recorded some of the flag-waving and posted it with commentary criticizing Speaker Johnson for “capitulating” to the dems. (Massie has joined in the motion to oust Johnson)
According to Massie, the Sergeant at Arms threatened a $500 fine if he didn’t pull the clip from social media (“The Sergeant-at- Arms is charged with the strict enforcement of this clause”). Speaker Johnson called the Sergeant at Arms and told him to lay off.
Ironically, Massie, who wants the US to capitulate to Putin, claimed that celebrating our ally, instead of giving Putin a boost, was a “betrayal of America.”
If he had been around when JFK said “Ich bin ein Berliner” he’d have probably called for impeachment.
Anyway:
“Rep. Kat Cammack vowed to draft legislation that would ban the display of foreign flags on the House floor. That measure could be introduced as early as this week, according to a spokesperson”
Have to see the language to see if it includes lapel pins. But if it passes, seems pretty clear no more flags for the Pope, or other foreign dignitaries.
Ironically, many of those same punishments were and are being doled out to those who participated in the January 6 riots. And those people were most certainly NOT calling for death to America.
One has to wonder if our moral compass has been irrevocably broken, because these cockroaches are becoming more emboldened by silence. And there is plenty. I have yet to see friends on the left side of the aisle — including Jewish leftists — condemning these terroristic threats.
Uh, no, that were not calling for death to America. They were simply trying to stop the peaceful transfer of power, trying to hang the Vice President of United States, and carrying Confederate flag and shitting in the Capitol building. You blew up your entire argument by going there, so nice work. And this “leftist” most certainly DOES condemn that kind of speech. So stop generalizing.
Freeze, you make a good point in your post, but it actually supports Sara.
They were not calling for death to America but certainly wished to stop or at least stall the transfer of power.
If you follow any of the individual trials and statements by the defendants you will see a pattern. Many of these people are not violent, they had no intention of entering the Capitol when they arrived, they were swept into a mob that resulted in the riot that ensued.
What is to stop these protestors on these campuses from being swept into a mob by bad actors infiltrating these protests. Look at some of the comments by the groups that started these protests, they are complaining that there message is being corrupted by outside groups and agitators.
This will not end well unless the universities act on these threats. All universities have codes of conduct and have used them aggressively in recent years, they need to use them now,
The 1/6 protestors were calling for a death to America. By chanting and searching for Nancy Pelosi, Mike Pence, and other members of Congress. They were not swept up by the mob, they chose to follow the mob, no one forced them to join the mob. There were no outside agitators on 1/6 unless you count Trump and his acolytes. The statements made by the 1/6 criminals facing trial are no different than any other criminal trying to blame their problems on others.
I see your comment, but for clarity, Nancy Pelosi and Mike Pence are not America.
You like to put words in people’s mouths, but the actual words matter.
Your opinion on the presence of outside agitators depends on your definition of an outside agitator. I have my own opinion.
The statements by the protesters in Columbia are also people blaming others for their message of Death to America.
Mike Pence was the Vice President of the United States and Nancy Pelosi was the Speaker of the House. They were elected officials who represent America at its highest level.
“You like to put words in people’s mouths, but the actual words matter. Your opinion on the presence of outside agitators depends on your definition of an outside agitator. I have my own opinion.” Your right, words do matter, so do facts. If there were outside agitators present on 1/6 who were they and what porof do you have other than your opinion.
Correct they were representatives of America, not America, no threats of death to America.
I do not need proof for my opinion, the rioters were a mix of protestors and organized individuals who came with intentions of creating havoc.
Dare I say there were good people on both sides, that should get your fingers typing google for proof.
Use your best judgement in life, stop following talking heads and quoting them.
The riot on 1/6, was an embarrassment and could have resulted in additional deaths and injuries. Trump instigated it and demonstrated why he should never be elected. However, any person that believes those jackasses could have taken over this country is mistaken.
I stand by my opinion that many of the convicted were swept up in a mob mentality and would never allow themselves to be involved in something like that again. I have no proof, but I believe some of the BLM rioters feel the same way.
Which talking heads was I quoting, other than myself?
There were good people present during 1/6. They were the ones who didn’t break past two lines of police barricades, broke down the doors of the capital, and tried to force their way into secure locations inside the Capital. Anyone else who got arrested did so because they chose to join the mob and ignorance of the law is not an excuse. The people who did this should have complied with the instructions given to them by the police.
See we agree follow the laws and police instructions, no matter if you are a trump supporter, Biden supporter, supporter of Israel, Gaza or anyone else.
Peaceful protests, should not include inciting violence, threats, damage to property, or breaking into private property.
You consistently posted links from a rapper and the Washington post in another rant.
You seem very riotous and angry, why not take a rest from the computer.
“You consistently posted links from a rapper and the Washington post in another rant.” So what if I did and none of those links apply to this opinion article by Mr. Bykofsky.
You seem very tired and confused about opinion vs facts, why not take a rest from the computer.
America today under Biden and the democrats. This is what the people voted for. I hope the people of this country see the mistake they made and vote him out of office. After being savagely attacked twice in the last 7 months Biden is trying to dictate to Israel how to run the war in Gaza. Chuck Schumer the Senate majority leader is calling for regime change in the only democracy in the middle East in the middle of a war. Is this what you do to our greatest ally in the region.
Only Daniel could try to pin this on Biden. Get a clue, dude.
The people with common sense know Bidens weakness and incompetence is responsible for all the craziness and horror that’s going on in this country and around the world.
I did not realize that Biden was President on 1/6 and that he actively encouraged people to marc h on Congress to prevent the peaceful exchange of power.
“The people without commonsense…” There. Fixed it.
This is what DEMOCRATS do to our greatest ally in the region. And given the chance, this is what they’ll be doing to all of us in our own country. Democrats are doing to civilized society what termites do to wood. And they’re damn proud of it.
Trump is the one that has stated that American Jews who do not vote Republican are disloyal. The Putin Republicans like Greene, Gaetz, Bobert, and others are the ones who want to withhold the aid package to Israel. They are the ones who are betraying American Jews and Israel.
Israel is our ally, not Netanyahu. The majority of Israeli’s want him out, and are demonstrating in the streets, calling for new elections. And, by the way, calling for elections is not seeking “regime change.” The “regime” remains, It’s called the regime of democracy.
So, if you are against the majority of Israeli’s, it would seem to be you who is against Israel, our greatest ally.
I saw on X last night that people who are sympathetic to the views of the hater-protesters were sharing the names of the police officers who arrested students. These people are playing for real and those who oppose them had better do so too.
And all of these animals are being trained and financed by DEMOCRATS!
https://www.foxnews.com/video/6351336615112
Do you mean the same Fox News that has promoted the myth of a rigged election and that the Clintons were killing people. Then there is my personal favorite, Pizzagate, which is nothing more than a modern version of the antisemitic Blood Libel myth.
No, I mean Mark Levin. As for FOX, there’d be know need for them if our media weren’t always leaning to the left.
So its regular media’s fault that Fox News promotes news that have no basis in facts?
This is so out of hand, I stand with Israel. No I am not Jewish, I don’t have to be. This has all of the makings of an old party. The Nazi party. It’s not based on politics, it’s based on hatred. There are no peaceful demonstrations, just people, mostly students clashing with Police in violent protest, mostly about things they know nothing about or have never experienced. Maybe gettting kicked out of school and having to live side by side with Hamas would be a better education than NYU, PENN, or CAL Berkley. If they agree with them So much maybe they should renounce their citizenship and go live with them. They will be begging for a country in 5 minutes.
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This post was wonderful all around. Thank you, and chag samaach!
What will it take for America to wake up? The state of Michigan is a cancer, and untreated cancer grows and ultimately destroys.
There was a time when refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or burning an American flag meant that people would be arrested and sentenced to prison. Until the courts made it clear that free speech includes things the majority oppose.
There was a time when laws were passed when Jews, Italians, Irish, and especially the Chinese through the Chinese Exclusion Act were actively prevented from coming to America. Just like you want to do to those who follow Islam. It was wrong then, like it is now.
As an American Jew I find the actions of these protestors disturbing. What truly scares me is the White Christian Nationalist movement who are trying to reshape America into their own image. Through the use of politicians that are morally, ethically, and legally repugnant.
Edward Everett Hale wrote a fictional short story in 1863 about Philip Nolan, a man who renounced America during a trial for treason. He said that he wished never to hear of the United States again. The judge granted his wish . He was exiled aboard US Navy warships and was never allowed to set foot on U.S soil again. The sailors had orders to never mention the United States to him and they never did. Sounds to me like a good plan for the demonstrators wishing death to America.
You can find a full write up on Wikipedia.
The story was based on a true incident, where Philip Nolan, who was indicted as a co-conspirator in Aaron Burr’s trial for the killing of the vice president (in a duel) cursed the USA at his trial. The judge jailed him and told him he would never set foot on American soil again.
Do you mean this Philip Nolan? https://celiahayes.com/archives/333 Who was not a conspirator in the killing of a Vice President or jailed and never allowed to set foot in America again. The Philip Nolan you are referring to is a work of fiction.
Based on the real Phillip Nolan, as I cited earlier.
Except that the real Philip Nolan did none of the things you cited. If you had actually looked at the link provided you would have seen this in the first sentence of the article; “Yes, there was a real Philip Nolan, and the writer Edward Everett Hale was apparently remorseful over borrowing his name for the main character in his famous patriotic short story.
I remember that, thanks.
The democrats will do nothing to punish these anarchists because like BLM and ANTIFA they are part of their thug militia.Common sense people better wake up and fight back.
The only thug militias are groups like Proud Boys, the III Percenters, the Boogaloos, the KKK, the Daily Stormer, Identity Evropa, and the Daily Stormer. Many of whom were present at Charlottesville and 1/6.
ANTIFA dates back to the 1920’s to fight the rise of Fascism in Europe and 94% of BLM’s marches were peaceful. https://acleddata.com/2021/05/25/a-year-of-racial-justice-protests-key-trends-in-demonstrations-supporting-the-blm-movement/#:~:text=Key%20Findings,looting%2C%20or%20other%20destructive%20activity.
Antifa may not be identified as a militia in Wikipedia, but many practice violence and destruction of property under the guise of fighting against fascism. They are no different from the groups you identified as thug militias.
When you have to deal with violent fascists who would assault and kill people on the basis race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, country of origin or beliefs they don’t agree with. Then violence is the only answer they will understand. These militias will go after anyone they perceive to be a threat. ANTIFA only goes after fascists.
Except they are being arrested on campuses across the country. What more do you want? As I said, if it is “Death to America” today, why not Confederate flags tomorrow?
Good thought provoking column, Stu.
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Excellent and factual column, Stu. Thank you very much.