Y’all might want to reconsider this video
Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) went on a Democratic mission to Israel this week instead of staying home and talking to constituents about health care reform. The Mississippi political and legal Web site Y'all Politics didn't like that, so it put together a video slamming the congressman for his decision -- a video that will probably offend a lot of people in the Jewish community.
As "Hava Nagila" plays, the video notes a recent Childers quote that he would like to talk to constituents about the issue "if they're civil." The words on the screen then say, "Go make some new friends," shows a photo of an Orthodox Jew in Israel and states, "Tell 'em we said 'hi.'" The next image reads "And grab a souvenir yarmulke," followed by a picture of a yamulke emblazoned with "Obama '08," and then "Come on back home, Travis."
In a press release detailing his trip last week, Childers notes that the trip was scheduled several months ago and that he will be visiting sites of specific relevance to his congressional district:
The trip will include stops of specific relevance to North Mississippi. The Congressman will meet with the Chairman of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and will tour IAI’s world headquarters. IAI is the parent company of Stark Aerospace, which is based in Starkville and has a second facility under construction in Columbus. These two facilities will employ approximately 100 people in North Mississippi in high-paying jobs.
Congressman Childers will also visit with members of the Israeli military to observe Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles in action, which were produced at the Navistar facility in West Point. Navistar is currently working to extend its contract with the U.S. military to produce more of the vehicles. Congressman Childers hopes to highlight the need for the vehicle not only by the U.S. military but also by our allies like Israel.
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I can understand the website’s frustration with Childers being away, instead of being at a town hall answering his constituents on health care. But that ad smacks of antisemitism. The ad could have just mentioned he should be here and be done with it, but it has gone the route of bigotry which has no place in America at all.
Well, the ad isn’t old time Mississippi Ku Klux Klan anti-Semitism, but it certainly appeals to the bigotry of its intended audience. Since the congressman went on a business/military mission, he certainly did not meet with an Orthodox young man, but that image was intended to display that “those Israelis ain’t like us good ol’ boys, just like Jews ain’t like real Americans.) No. not quite overt anti-Semitism, but bigotry nonetheless, and really in very bad taste.
It is obvious that those complaining about actions at the town hall meetings have not been to one. I must have missed the announcement of Obama’s executive order regarding drilling for oil. I also missed the announcement by the Democrat controlled Congress to start drilling for oil. Perhaps the “unwashed masses” are being driven by a President who feels that he has been given the dictat to rule by decree. We had Congress pass the Stimulus package with very few reading the bill and attempts by this president to do the same with health care. He has learned that he is no longer operating in Cook County.
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Jennifer P.
08/12/09 04:15 PM
The people who have been disrupting the town hall meetings have gotten just what they wanted. They don’t want debate, or to be listened to. They want to stop discourse. Childers has found something better to do than to be yelled at by people who only want to disrupt.
This wasn’t really offensive to me as a Jew. It was borderline. I think it reflects the maker’s view of Jews as “Other,” which is an unfortunate and potentially dangerous view, but people who want to end discourse are rarely open-minded.