Unless you support hate speech, walk away from it

When Nixon invaded Cambodia in 1972, I marched with the crowd to Independence Square in Philadelphia. While sitting there I overheard a conversation nearby where people were talking about the next steps being to blow up buildings. Listening carefully, I realized they were deadly serious, no hyperbole at all. This was not the kind of activity I wanted to be involved in, even if those with such an intent were a small minority. That was the only protest I attended.

We have read several letters about the student protest about the Gaza War - freedom of speech and suppression thereof. OK, I get it. But, when the chant or signs and posters go up calling for violence (Intifada Now), ethnically cleansing of Jews (Palestine will be free from the river to the sea), or for Jews to go back to Poland (euphemism for to Auschwitz), or endorsing the Hamas action of Oct. 7 (Al Qassam is coming for you next) or any variant, even by a few, it’s time to leave. If the protesters are not antisemitic and they do so, then the various occupations would vanish because these slogans are rampant. But that’s not what’s happening. Everyone who continues to attend protests where these slogans are aired is at minimum tolerating hate speech.

Not very long ago neo-Nazis in Charlottesville chanting of “Jews will not replace us,” led directly to the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. Locally, Temple Israel in Portsmouth has been vandalized twice and we have had neo-Nazis protesting Seacoast Repertory Theatre. When they unfurled race-baiting banners on public property they were arrested. I continue to write these letters because to condemn hate speech from the Right while tolerating hate speech from the Left is unacceptable. And I wish to thank Ms. Xanthopoulos for writing about this so clearly.