An Open Letter to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, GOP Candidate for NJ's 9th Congressional District

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Dear Shmuley,
This morning in Colorado, a tragic shooting occurred at a cinema — there are many dead and injured. The perpetrator was a white male. I bet you’re surprised.
I hear you’re having a press conference today, but it’s not to talk about this tragedy and the danger white males with guns pose to society. No, you plan to talk about how to find and deal with Muslim extremists in your district who pose grave safety concerns.
You scheduled this press conference as a political stunt after the ghastly terror attack in Bulgaria on Wednesday, which left many Israelis dead. Never mind that it has yet to be determined who perpetrated that attack. You assume it’s an Arab or Muslim — you usually conflate the two.
It’s gross that you tried to take advantage of the tragedy in Bulgaria for political gain. (After all, you are struggling in your race against Bill Pascrell (D), and must do something dramatic to make gains.) But what’s worse is that you, in a Bachmann-like moment, immediately tried to fan suspicion of and hatred for Muslims for political gain.
Shame on you.

I don’t expect that, if you indeed go through with today’s press conference, you will announce that you are now going to discuss what to do with the white extremists who pose a danger to the citizens in your district. Or how loose gun laws are significantly to blame for violent deaths in America.
But you should.
In 2010, over 160 terror attacks were carried out in Europe. Do you know how many of thse were by Muslims? Three. And in the United States, the Southern Poverty Law Center chronicles the dozens of terror attacks that have been perpetrated or planned by right-wing extremists, ten of which were in the past year, not to mention the unspeakable amount of gun violence that exists in our country.
But you’ll probably just talk about those Muslims today, because like Bachmann, you think that your Islamophobia can somehow score political points.
It’s hateful, it’s embarrassing, and it’s wrong. Your Islamophobia and fear-mongering — not to mention your penchant for trying to score political points when tragedies strike — make you unfit for office.
And I suspect many in your district feel the same way.
B’shalom,
David Harris-Gershon
@David_EHG

0 thoughts on “An Open Letter to Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, GOP Candidate for NJ's 9th Congressional District

  1. Hey there David Harris Gershon, please mind you hypocrisy. You silence yesterday was deafening. You would not have even mentioned yesterday’s terror attack outside the framework of the massacre last night.
    Shame on you

  2. So sad
    People dead
    Killer acting from deep pain
    And all we do is seek to blame
    Will you weep
    A presence with me keep
    Do you have love
    Join me
    So sad

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