From a reader:
Subject: “Please leave Jews out of your discourse”
Jonah,
Please refrain from using Jews as an example of how our political system has been abused.
Two problems with it.
1. Many people who read your articles are basically uneducated, uninformed conservative Americans, who have previously shown their inability to understand nuance and sarcasm. They may think they agree with you about the Zionists. This is truly a problem in a country run by fear, that is so ready to divide and conquer among its own population.
2. You have a name that indicates to many that you may be Jewish. People may believe that there is significant number of Jews who read and agree with you. As an open minded liberal people, wanting to learn the truth, we probably do read you. Fortunately, any and all polls indicate that over 80% of Jews voted Democratic in the last election. Jews support civil rights, level playing fields, equal education opportunities, the environment. Why? Because Jews believe we have an obligation to help the less fortunate and to make the world a better place. The Darwinistic philosophies you consistently sprout is a hard Calvinistic type belief and far removed from the beliefs of any GOOD Jew.
You backtrack so often, a person would need an archive of your articles to flowchart your true positions (or at the least a backup warning light and siren). You dish it pretty well, even your caveats are loaded. Can you take it?
Warm personal regards,
Here’s the email I sent back:
[name withheld] – This is the biggest load of horse s**t I’ve read in a long time. Where you’re not disingenuous, you’re insulting, where you’re not insulting you’re ignorant. If you have an example or two of my backtracking I’d love to see it, unless you’re talking out your a**. Indeed, you say I “consistently sprout” calvinistic and darwinian theories (for the record plants “sprout” pundits “spout”) and in the same breath you say I’m inconsistent. Which is it?
Oh, and shame on you in the starkest terms for thinking that to be a good Jew you need to hold liberal political views. This sort of determinism and stereotyping has never been good for the Jews.
Seriously [Name withheld], you do a great service to the Jews here by demonstrating that we aren’t all articulate and intelligent. Thanks a bunch.
Shalom,
Jonah