10 | MAY 14 • 2020
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chological reactions to COVID-
19. And we can do that while
still being clear about one thing:
Not even the worst, most dev-
astating outcome of our state’
s
current policies — a long-term
economic collapse resulting in
widespread job losses — is an
appropriate comparison for the
goals and tactics of the Nazis
and their systematic efforts
to round up and exterminate
European Jewry. The intention-
ality is not even on the same
playing field through which one
might employ a “slippery slope”
argument. Such an analogy
comes from a place of igno-
rance, which is the same place
where more overt anti-Semitism
emerges from.
If such a comparison is being
made in the public square and
is reaching enough people,
we must speak out about it so
that our readers understand
the tenor of dialogue that is
being employed in the current
moment, and how that may
impact us and our shared histo-
ry. So now we turn to the second
part of the criticisms: Was this
component of the protests worth
drawing attention to?
Here it’
s worth noting that
Sheridan’
s letter did not express
support for the protesters
who held signs reading “Heil
Whitmer” or displayed blow-up
dolls dressing up the governor
as Hitler, to name two examples
spotted at Operation Gridlock.
But nor did she or the MCC out-
right condemn such messages in
their letter to us. Their position,
instead, is that these protesters
were “a small fraction of outli-
ers” holding “controversial signs”
and they did not reflect the
larger goal of the demonstration.
And on this point, we disagree.
Though small in number, the
individuals brandishing overt
references to Nazism were not
on the fringes of the crowd
that day. They were right in the
thick of it, sometimes on the
capitol steps themselves, and
being cheered, not sidelined,
by the protesters around them.
More importantly, the Nazi
allusions were part and parcel
of the dark, inflammatory tone
being employed throughout the
event, with words like “tyrant,
”
Confederate flags and firearms
visible among the crowds.
Those firearms, incidentally,
are part of why we took this
“small fraction” of the protests
so seriously. The overt specter
of violence in the public square
should always warrant serious
concern for the health of our
community. Case in point: On
Sunday, May 3, a security guard
at a Flint dollar store was fatally
shot by family of a customer
after doing his job by refusing
to allow them to enter the store
without a face mask.
Nazi allusions have also
emerged at similar protests in
other states, often directed at
Jewish officials. There is a clear
pattern at play. A sign reading
“Arbeit macht frei,
” repeating the
infamous “Work Makes You
Free” message emblazoned on
the gates of Auschwitz in its
original German, was spotted
at a rally protesting Illinois Gov.
J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish,
and prompted an official con-
demnation from the Auschwitz
Museum and Memorial in
Poland. And in Ohio, the wife
of a state senator compared
the actions of the state’
s health
director Dr. Amy Acton, who
is Jewish, to those of Nazi
Germany, earning a strong
rebuke from Mike DeWine,
the state’
s Republican governor.
“The comments showed a com-
plete lack of understanding of
the Holocaust,
” DeWine said,
demonstrating that this should
not have to be a partisan issue.
Yes, these are a few people out
of thousands. But yes, it is assur-
edly our responsibility to report
on them. The sight of a “small
fraction” of particularly vocal
and angry citizens pushing or
attempting to push a large body
toward an extreme conclusion
has its roots in historical prece-
dence that the JN cannot ignore.
To put it another way: Because
they fit right into the goals and
tactics of the larger movement,
these were, in fact, “legitimate”
protesters.
And they may not be a small
fraction for much longer. This
fanning of such violent, con-
spiratorial flames — not only as
they relate to the Jewish people,
but also to the public citizenry
at large — has been “rewarded
and encouraged” by groups like
the MCC itself over the last few
weeks. Following Operation
Gridlock, the MCC’
s Facebook
page has shared partisan articles
and memes casting Whitmer as
exactly the sort of Hitler-like fig-
ure these protesters declared her
to be (“Tyrannical,
” “Pure Evil”).
A BIG TENT
Our readership includes many
Holocaust survivors in the
Detroit area, and many more
descendants of survivors, as well
as Jews from across the entire
political spectrum. Indeed, the
JN is the rare media outlet where
it is still possible to find people
of wildly different political ideol-
ogies congregating together, and
it is our full intention to do this
kind of reporting no matter who
is on the receiving end. In this
current moment, the Lansing
protests are the most pressing
story for us to cover. Another
time, there will be different
movements with different goals,
and we will cover those fairly
and responsibly, too.
If you are wondering why we
are “not covering” something
related to anti-Semitism, there
is a good chance we do, in fact,
have a story in the works about
it. But we also appreciate your
tips, as always.
We can and do often disagree
with one another about policies,
and about the proper govern-
ment response to the linked
tragedies of a global pandemic
and recession. But we must
do so without the histrionics
that compel us or our neigh-
bors to reach for the metaphor
of Nazism with no historical
context, simply because it is a
convenient evil to brandish in an
argument.
The JN will continue to cover
the COVID-19 crises within
the state: both the medical and
economic ones. And we will
continue to cover any signs of
anti-Semitism and bigotry that
emerge from this moment in
time. We welcome your thoughts
on all of this in the meantime,
even (and especially) if you dis-
agree. It’
s why we’
re here in the
first place.
continued from page 6
AP PHOTO/PAUL SANCYA