You're probably familiar with Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. I became aware of their Facebook presence after being invited by UU clergy to a rally "in support of the Palestinian people" shortly after the 10/7/23 pogrom. Their constant "anti_Zionist" flames are periodically punctuated by an unmistakably antisemitic bomb. See "the mapping project" and the call to protest at the Maccabi games. My attempts to bring the hateful rhetoric to the attention of fellow UU parishioners was met with indifference. The response to my direct appeal to clergy that UUJME was "emboldening the forces of antisemitism" was (paraphrasing) "Thanks for your perspective. I don't share it." My replies to the Facebook posts were ignored without exception. "How could I be the only person pushing back against this?" I wondered, seeing no other objections. I finally got myself banned from the UUJME page, but I wonder how no UU "thought leaders" ever show up there to maybe cool the atmosphere a little bit. I haven't even mentioned the 2024 GA Action of Immediate Witness, have I? I've been trying for nearly two years, but I can only conclude that, whether extremists were allowed to take over, or it's truly mainstream UU thought, UU is institutionally antisemitic.
"To what extent does the extreme behavior or rhetoric of some members represent the whole?"
Perhaps more to the point. . . to what extent does the extreme behavior and-or rhetoric of group leaders represent the whole group?
When the highest levels of leadership of any group engage in extreme behavior and-or rhetoric, and the whole group or a clear majority of group membership does nothing to confront this behaviour, the whole group becomes complicit in whatever the extreme behavior and-or rhetoric in question is.
Very sensible.
You're probably familiar with Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East. I became aware of their Facebook presence after being invited by UU clergy to a rally "in support of the Palestinian people" shortly after the 10/7/23 pogrom. Their constant "anti_Zionist" flames are periodically punctuated by an unmistakably antisemitic bomb. See "the mapping project" and the call to protest at the Maccabi games. My attempts to bring the hateful rhetoric to the attention of fellow UU parishioners was met with indifference. The response to my direct appeal to clergy that UUJME was "emboldening the forces of antisemitism" was (paraphrasing) "Thanks for your perspective. I don't share it." My replies to the Facebook posts were ignored without exception. "How could I be the only person pushing back against this?" I wondered, seeing no other objections. I finally got myself banned from the UUJME page, but I wonder how no UU "thought leaders" ever show up there to maybe cool the atmosphere a little bit. I haven't even mentioned the 2024 GA Action of Immediate Witness, have I? I've been trying for nearly two years, but I can only conclude that, whether extremists were allowed to take over, or it's truly mainstream UU thought, UU is institutionally antisemitic.
At a recent No Kings protest, a loud woman led a familiar chant: "What do you want?" Response: "Freedom!" "When do you want it?" "Now!"
So I spoke up loudly as well: "What do you have?" "Freedcom!" "When do you have it?" "Now!"
"To what extent does the extreme behavior or rhetoric of some members represent the whole?"
Perhaps more to the point. . . to what extent does the extreme behavior and-or rhetoric of group leaders represent the whole group?
When the highest levels of leadership of any group engage in extreme behavior and-or rhetoric, and the whole group or a clear majority of group membership does nothing to confront this behaviour, the whole group becomes complicit in whatever the extreme behavior and-or rhetoric in question is.
Sometimes the extreme minority is in leadership
Needless to say I concur. . .