[Peace-discuss] What I Learned On This List

[Stuart Levy]

OK David Gehrig,

Here is my feeling about holocaust denial in the context of recent 
discussions on OccupyCU.

I do not feel threatened by a known crank who expresses it in a forum 
that doesn't represent me.   It just seems too outlandish to take 
seriously - like an Obama birther fanatic, or an evil version of a flat 
earther.

I feel *much more* threatened by a full-throated supporter of Obama's 
neoliberal economic policies, or of Amnesty International's express 
support of NATO occupation in Afghanistan (!), or by someone who 
dismisses human influence on climate change.   Those points of view seem 
much more dangerously seductive.   I don't know anyone who'd be seduced 
by holocaust denial.


On 11/24/12 11:18 AM, David Gehrig wrote:
> How about a recognition that Holocaust denial isn't a pro- or anti-Zionist issue, but an anti-racist issue? And that counseling that it should be ignored when it appears locally -- and again, remember, on the left -- in the name of anti-Zionism is *not* an act of anti-racism but of political confusion?
>
> @%<
>
> On Nov 24, 2012, at 10:48 AM, "David Johnson" <dlj725 at hughes.net> wrote:
>
>> O.K. Mr. Gehrig,
>>
>> As I stated in my previous e-mail,
>> the C-U Occupy Group was approached by ONE individual who made a website proposal to our group and becuase of his " Holocaust Revisionism " ( as he called it ) opinions and articles on his website, that questioned the number of Jewish people murdered by the Nazis, we told him we were not interested becuase we disagreed with his opinions and did not want to be assosiated with his website. period !
>>
>> What more is there to do or discuss ?
>>
>> What do you suggest should be done ?
>>
>> David Johnson
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "David Gehrig" <david-cu at nukulele.org>
>> To: <peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net>
>> Sent: Saturday, November 24, 2012 10:13 AM
>> Subject: [Peace-discuss] What I Learned On This List
>>
>>
>>> Ah well, I tried. And it's been enlightening.
>>>
>>> Here’s what I’ve learned. When encountering Holocaust denial in one's
>>> own community for the first time -- and encountering it on the left
>>> not the right -- the proper response, according to replies from the
>>> list of the self-proclaimed anti-racism organization, is to do the
>>> following "anti-racist" things:
>>>
>>> (a) begin with a fusillade of gratuitous and off-topic insults aimed
>>> at anyone, you know, actually bothered by Holocaust denial
>>>
>>> (b) immediately change the subject to, say, the JFK assassination
>>>
>>> (c) immediately change the subject to, say, Norman Finkelstein
>>>
>>> (d) immediately change the subject to, say, South Africa
>>>
>>> (e) immediately change the subject to, say, 9/11 trooferdom
>>>
>>> (f) immediately change the subject to, say, Israel
>>>
>>> (g) immediately change the subject to any other damn thing under the
>>> sun but (h) smother any on-topic discussion of that Holocaust denial
>>> as an instance of racism in our community and (i) tell the one who is
>>> offended by the racism that *he’s* the bad guy.
>>>
>>> This is anti-racism?
>>>
>>> I believe there are many good people on this list. Yet the replies I
>>> got were off-topic spiraling whatsits from David up-is-down Green and
>>> a pair of Johnsons. If firemen fought fires the way these guys fight
>>> antisemitism, CU would be ashes.
>>>
>>> @%<
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