Talking about "trope" makes you a dope?

Ilhan Omar on "Time"

Sometimes I think controversies like Ilhan Omar do more to harm Jewish people than to help them. It has emerged again: Ilhan Omar is an anti-Semite or so the assertion is stated. Journalistically there is an issue here. We see objective news stories stating that Omar's background is one of presenting "anti-Semitic views." Is it so cut and dried?
We are all getting a vocabulary lesson on the use of "trope." Congresswoman Omar is said to use anti-Semitic "tropes," I guess stereotypes, to assert anti-Semitism.
I approach this issue not as someone who is pro or anti-Israel - for the record let's just say I'm skeptical of Israel - but as rather an atheist. I must insert the qualifier "rather an" for the sake of my deceased mother. Mom would never want me to state flat-out that I'm a non-believer. I guess the word "agnostic" suggests you're open to revision.
I respect the Native Americans who simply talk about "the creator." Surely there is a spark within us that we cannot understand. I don't feel conventional religion is taking us anywhere. Mention "the Reformation" and I'm clueless. That is such ancient history. Reformation from what? The Catholics.
The poor Catholics have a whole stew of trouble these days. Would any local Catholics dispute me on that? Is there any rational basis for suggesting that clergy people should be celibate? Can the gospel be shared better by someone who does not have a spouse? Of course not. Arguing to the contrary just gets us into the voodoo/weirdo realm of religion, which may have had its place before science gained its primacy.
This isn't to say we cannot accept the idea of a "creator." It does not mean we can rule out a creator who "sent his only begotten son to die for us" so violently. It's an advertisement for atheism: the violence. I don't recall the Jesus story having such a gruesome portrayal of his crucifixion, when I was a child.
The Jews reject the New Testament. Isn't it ironic that the most fervent self-styled evangelical Christians of today hitch their wagon to the Jews and Israel so much? I'm not a theologian but I suspect this is because the Jews and Israel fulfill Biblical prophecy. Every time the evangelicals make this point, I'd like to ask them: "Do you believe Jewish people will enter the Kingdom of Heaven?" I suspect they have an answer that is not an outright "no." But don't evangelicals believe that Christ holds the absolute key to salvation?
It's fine if you want to accept that. What troubles me is the level of conflict that is instilled by religion itself. Why do so many people find comfort in this sanctuary? Why is it necessary? Why do we retreat to the primitive world of the Bible? Why are all those quotes from ancient times, before modern medicine even, still considered so important?
The pragmatic world of today has us placing more faith in secular institutions, whether we realize it or not. We cling to religion out of hope we might gain eternal life, as opposed to burning in hell. If I'm not bound for heaven, I hope I can at least tap on a pane of glass and wave to my family members who I assume are on the other side. Our family dogs too. "Hi Sandy."
I feel profoundly sorry for Ilhan Omar who I'm convinced is a good and caring person. I'm sure she cares about the Palestinians. I do too. Her anti-Semitism appears not the prima facie anti-Semitism.
Here is where I think journalism is failing us, though I will not call it "fake news." The assertion is that Omar is using anti-Semitic "tropes." Fascinating implied qualifier, isn't it?
If you wish to share any sort of popular generalization about Jewish people, probably not a cool thing to do anyway, you're prone to being called a bigot, which is much too harsh a judgment.
Jews are good "negotiators?" Trump has said that in a light-hearted way in front of Jewish people. Isn't that a "trope?"
Omar merely refers to money as "the Benjamins." How on the face of it, is that a bigoted, prejudiced comment? Her statements are at best murky in demonstrating resentment of Jewish people. I cannot see Omar having an intrinsic resentment toward any human beings - she seems very caring. She is concerned about money and its political clout. The pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC is in focus.
Omar stated a month ago that she had no idea her statements were anti-Semitic. Back in 2012 she was coaxed to apologize for saying Israel "hypnotized the world." Sounds like a non-bigoted opinion to me. Remember that Republicans are going to want to discredit someone like Omar regardless of any sensible interpretation of her comments. I need to say that, in case you were born yesterday.
The idea of AIPAC "buying off" members of Congress is the kind of blunt statement not uncommon from politicians. Don't we have Mr. Blunt in the White House now?
AIPAC is a lobbying organization. Ir promotes the interests of Israel, never mind that within Israel itself the people are not homogeneous with political views. When Omar says some Jews have "allegiance" to Israel, are we to infer that this allegiance is exclusive? Isn't allegiance simply defined as devotion?
Israel is a problem because the nation is defined in such religious terms. It often seems counter-intuitive to be sympathetic to it. It's Neanderthal to most of us, to have a political state organized on religious grounds - we ought to reflexively fear it. The late great Helen Thomas, the journalist, said Jews should simply "go home - to back to Europe." Why should they not? No Jewish person has ever wronged me, to my knowledge. If that happens I may revise my thinking, but it has not happened. I'm happy to treat Jewish people - all people really - with religious considerations put aside, as long as they do hot harm people with prejudice.
Many churches today harm gay people with prejudice. This exists right here in Stevens County.
I'm concerned about journalism when a norm develops where criticism of AIPAC is construed as "anti-Semitism" with the use of "trope" as an end run about normal logic.
Wasn't it a "trope" for Mark Meadows, the Freedom Caucus guy, to say in campaigning that Barack Obama should "go home to Kenya." Didn't the North Carolina Republican seize on the ugly "trope" of how black people should "go back to Africa." Has Meadows been formally censured or pressured to resign from Congress? What's the difference?
I  know a good way of pointing out anti-Semitism without using the "tropes." How about good old-fashioned, in your face bigotry and hatred? This can be cited from Martin Luther, whose name today graces churches found all over. The Lutheran church gets its inspiration from a guy who said Jews were a "base, whoring people, that is, no people of God, and their boast of lineage, circumcision and law must be accounted as filth." Luther wrote that Jews are "full of the devil's feces, which they wallow in like swine."
Who needs "tropes" when you have material like this to work with, n'est-ce pas?
I think Meadows' comment re. Obama makes him rather a scumbag of a human being. And yet it seems Ilhan Omar's feet are being held to the fire more. That's probably because a segment of America - older white men in non-metropolitan areas - are in a hissy fit of resentment and looking for symbols for their ire all the time. A Muslim congressperson from Minnesota is a perfect target. She was elected last November and is one of the first two Muslim-American women to serve in the U.S. Congress.
I am saddened by what has happened to the Lutheran denomination in Stevens County. This level of conflict is not worth the trouble. I hesitate to even choose sides with the non-combative ELCA folks, the folks who reject homophobia. Again my inclination is to be "rather an atheist." But what would Mom say?
 
Addendum: On the allegiance to Israel thing, perhaps the congresswoman could say she meant exclusive allegiance to Israel. This would parallel a backtrack that President Trump has done lately: through the campaign he said a hundred times "Mexico will pay for the wall" and now he says: "I never said Mexico would directly pay for the wall." Seriously, can we get this clown presidency to just end now? Why not?
 
Addendum #2: I'm watching cable news at 1:30 p.m. and seeing these people with the dirty foreheads - oh, excuse me it's the charcoal mark or whatever it is for "Ash Wednesday." What blatant superstition, so primitive looking. It makes Christians look like a big cult.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com