The Jews will not replace us

The Jews Will Replace Us

It wasn’t long ago that the mentally ill marched in Charlottesville, Virginia in opposition to the idea of freedom.  The Nazi-like torch light parade was not condemned by then President Trump. The obvious anti-Semitic chants were not condemned.

“The Jews will not replace us”. These young thugs, according to Trump, had some “good people” in there, somewhere. Perhaps he was right. There may have been FBI undercover agents.

Former Vice President Biden was outraged. Disturbed. Sickened. It was this moment, according to Biden, that he decided to come out of retirement and run for president. To represent decency, not hatred. To counteract the growing nastiness that is Trumpism. Against the collective wisdom of the political experts he did just that. And won.

Last week the governor of Louisiana signed a bill that mandates posting of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. I am not sure which version they identified as the “official” Ten commandments, but all versions have pretty much the same prohibitions.

“The Jews will not replace us”.

Don’t steal. Don’t commit adultery. Don’t covet thy neighbor’s junk. Don’t covet thy neighbor’s wife. (I guess a woman can covet her neighbor’s husband). Honor dad and mom , if you want the car keys on the Sabbath. And the rest of it.

“The Jews will not replace us”.

The supposed reason for posting the Ten Commandments is that the USA, at least south of the Mason-Dixon Line, is a Christian nation.  The Christians who kept slaves. Who drove the Native Americans from their land. Who fought to destroy the Union. Those Christians.

“The Jews will not replace us.”

A bit of history. The Ten Commandments, of course, are not Christian. Yahweh, pissed off that the Jews were behaving like savages, decided these people needed some rules. So, he had Moses climb a hill, laid down the law, and sent him back. While Moses was gone the Jews had made a statue of a golden ass  (why do I think of Mr Trump) to worship.

Worshiping a statue was a lot safer than worshiping an invisible god. Still, Moses broke the Ten Commandments in anger and had to climb back up the hill for a replacement set of stones. No Xerox in those days. Those Ten Commandments were meant for the “Chosen People”. That would be Jews. Not Buddhists. Not Christians. Not Muslims. Not Republicans. For Jews. And only for the Jews. 

“The Jews will not replace us.”

Fast forward a few thousand years. We have Christians in Louisiana, with other states poised to join in, who are placing the Jewish laws in our schools. Spreading fundamental Judaism to young minds. Demanding that Judaic principles be taught to our children. 

The same people who are adamant that the “Jews will not replace us” have demanded that.. Uh.. the Jews replace us.

Of course, real Christians would not demand that Jewish law be posted in our schools. They would want the Beatitudes.  Blessed are the poor. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are the merciful. Blessed are the clean of heart. 

Real Christians might want the concepts of love, forgiveness and tolerance to be taught. They might want little Christian children to be taught to love your enemy, be a good Samaritan and keep the money changers out of the temple.

Instead, these “Christians” chanting about replacement , unwittingly have already been replaced. By fundamentalist Jews. Worshipers of Yahweh, not Christ. By the old laws of retribution and negativity. Laws that even modern Jews , for the most part, no longer cling to.

To the young Nazis chanting  and marching for hatred in Charlottesville. You have already been replaced.