Contact your California legislators about HR-35, which conflates criticism of Israel with holocaust denial and antisemitism
43 2012-09-07 by [deleted]
Just sent mine the following:
Since you have a great legislative record on many issues dear to my heart, I was very surprised and disappointed to see that you were a co-author of HR-35. While I find neo-nazis and holocaust denial as deplorable as any sane person would, I also find attacks on freedom of speech deplorable, and think that two wrongs don't make a right. Furthermore, conflating criticisms of the Israeli government's policies and human rights violations with holocaust denial and antisemitism is political solipsism at its worst. I realize that a House Resolution does not carry the force of law, but this resolution nonetheless has a potential chilling effect on legitimate political discourse. I'm no longer surprised when federal-level Democrats push right-wing AIPAC propaganda, but I honestly thought there was less corruption at the state level. I hope you'll think twice about attaching your name to material like this in the future.
LOTS of legislators signed on as co-authors of this resolution: Introduced by Assembly Member Halderman, Bonnie Lowenthal (Coauthor(s): Assembly Member Achadjian, Beall, Block, Blumenfield, Butler, Cook, Fong, Furutani, Galgiani, Gatto, Gordon, Hagman, Mansoor, Miller, Monning, Portantino, Williams, Alejo, Allen, Atkins, Bill Berryhill, Bonilla, Brownley, Buchanan, Charles Calderon, Campos, Carter, Cedillo, Chesbro, Conway, Davis, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eng, Feuer, Fletcher, Fuentes, Beth Gaines, Garrick, Gorell, Harkey, Hayashi, Roger Hernández, Hueso, Huffman, Jeffries, Jones, Lara, Ma, Mendoza, Mitchell, Morrell, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Perea, John A. Pérez, V. Manuel Pérez, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Swanson, Torres, Valadao, Wagner
The full text of the resolution can be found at the link below. I recommend reading it yourself, as it's only a page long.
9 comments
9 [deleted] 2012-09-07
This is a foreign power enforcing its interests on the American people.
And, I am tired of stating this, but proposing these laws treasonous, pure and simple. These laws undermine our nation.
5 KonDon 2012-09-07
Israel is mimicking many of the policies that Germany succumbed to before the second world war. When the truth becomes illegal, thats when you know you have to be worried.
1 EMRLD007 2012-09-07
Yes, yes and yes. Do they not see they are acting just like the fascists? Or do they know and have a huge laugh about it? We are truly losing our freedom of speech rights. The truth is becoming illegal, and I am definitely worried. No foreign power should have so much influence over our own government.
4 conjita 2012-09-07
What a joke. What are the proposed punishments for denouncing Israel?
3 [deleted] 2012-09-07
I love the paragraph where it talks about how the universities should get rid of all texts that cause "agitation" among the jewish population.
5 [deleted] 2012-09-07
yeah, it states that most anti-semitism in colleges is disguised as criticism. this is truly laughable
1 [deleted] 2012-09-07
laughable indeed.
2 Limbo_Arab 2012-09-07
This is a very serious issue, this isnt criticism of a race or religion - Israel is a apartheid country that is breaking international law. The Zionist lobby is expecting the tide is slowly turning against them so they need these laws to delay the inevitable.
Why should Israel get this special treatment? Would it be OK to not criticize Saudi Arabia so we don't offend Muslims? Or the Vatican so we don't offend Christians? This is getting pathetic and its time the American people wake up.
2 SonOfMan11 2012-09-07
In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. -George Orwell