Oy Vey

“Oy vey” is just about the only thing one could say about the USA Today editorial written by Nikki Sapiro Vinckier who is proud of the fact that she voted for and supports Abdul El-Sayed. She attempts to make a case for why a Jewish person could support someone who makes no apologies for supporting the members of the Hamas terrorist organization who invaded Israel, raping and murdering men, women, and children on October 7, 2023.

Ms. Vinckier’s softball approach to El-Sayed is not merely an embarrassment; it is a fraud on the public.

El-Sayed is no friend of the Jews, would work to marginalize members of the Jewish community, and clearly does not believe that the State of Israel has a right to exist.

Unfortunately, other minority groups have supported totalitarian, fascist, and communist regimes, only to wind up persecuted themselves. It is the “Me Too” complex. Minority groups often want to be accepted by those who thirst for power.  It is not unusual for a minority group member to believe that by sucking up to those who hate minorities (other than their own) they somehow will personally benefit or will benefit the country that they are members of.

The Jewish experience has been that you cannot turn an antisemite into a friend by kissing his tuchus. Rather, it is important to stand up to bullies and call them out.

Ms. Vinckier has always supported feminism, abortion rights, reproductive freedom, and generic “human rights.” However, she has thrown her principles into the garbage by supporting someone who refuses to criticize regimes that are the most anti-feminist on the planet.

While El-Sayed trashes the only socialist leaning, pro-feminist, democratic regime in the Middle East – which is Israel, neither El-Sayed nor Vinckier calls out the dozens of Muslim Arab regimes that execute women who do not cover their heads and consider rape to be a man’s right. There are no women’s rights in the great majority of the Arab world, among almost 500 million people.

Psychologists have long studied the minds of people who take action inimical to their own wellbeing. Is it some form of guilt or self-sacrifice? Does Ms. Vinckier really believe that peace, prosperity, and freedom will not only be embraced by Abdul El-Sayed but will be the result of his narrow minded focus?

It has been written in other places that modern polemical political followers have adopted a new kind of religion. Supporting a Democratic Socialist, for example, is similar to religious fanaticism of past centuries. Ms. Vinckier has no trouble putting aside any factual evaluation of the Michigan politician. El-Sayed simply checks off some boxes by his empty verbiage and failure to address specifics.

However, people like Ms. Vinckier appear to have no particular interest in the facts, reality, or the chaos they would bring upon their own followers. It is more important for some people to follow the lead of demagogue than to think independently about the consequences of their support and their vote.

Perhaps Ms. Vinckier is motivated by Trump hatred. The hatred for Donald Trump has driven many people to support extremists. “If we have a maniac rightwing extremist like Trump and his buddies, why not support somebody equally maniacal on the other side of the spectrum?” It makes no sense, but then again common sense requires discreet thoughtfulness and evaluation.

The most recent bizarre news is that Tucker Carlson is now supporting El-Sayed.  There are people who are actually surprised by that. It is no surprise at all. Carlson will support any antisemite, extremist, or lunatic fringe member who is ready to tear down rather than to build a better America. Tucker Carlson fully realizes that by supporting El-Sayed he will be helping the United States become more unstable. It is chaos, instability, and revolution that the Tucker Carlsons and El-Sayeds of the world are seeking. They are not interested in a fair, balanced and socially conscious America. They have no interest in capitalism with a reasonable safety net. They are not interested in reforming the tax system, addressing the deficit, or supporting economic growth. They are about accumulation of power and a blood lust for the television camera.

It is indeed an embarrassment for Ms. Vinckier to conflate her Jewishness with support of any particular politician. It is an ahveyra.

Although it may have happened, it is hard to recall any African American who supported southern segregationists and those who excused the hanging of African Americans in the South. Wisely, the African American community stood shoulder to shoulder against discrimination in favor of justice in America.

Nikki Vinckier, if she had any principle at all, would condemn the likes of El-Sayed, would support the great Israeli democracy, and would stand tall for Americans facing discrimination by people just like El-Sayed and his followers. Although Nikki Vinckier tries to distance El-Sayed from the antisemites and bigots who support him, she can only make herself feel better. She cannot pull the wool over the eyes of anyone who is still politically not comatose.

The only comfort one can take is that sooner or later, probably later, the Nikki Vinckiers of the world will realize their mistake, will apologize for it, and may even come around to a more thoughtful point of view. As we approach the Days of Awe, Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur, we can only hope and pray that people like Nikki Vinckier will abandon bigotry as the road to redemption and will embrace the call of the Shofar to be enlightened in the path consistent with Jewish-American principles.