WhatsappIf Martin Luther King were alive today, he would sound like Ritchie Torres. MLK’s messages about standing up for the rights of black people to vote freely, live as equals, and not be subjugated to racism were the right messages for the 50’s and 60’s. Martin Luther King’s leadership of the Civil Rights Movement led to the most important change that occurred on issues of race in the USA in the 20th century. Despite the North defeating the South in the Civil War during Lincoln’s presidency, the issues of race continued to plague the United States well into the 60’s. Separate bathrooms, sitting in the back of the bus, and being scared to vote, were all norms in the South until the civil rights movement changed the law under LBJ’s administration.
The group of people in the US that was most represented in helping push through the successful legislation of the Civil Rights Movement were the Jewish people. Jewish leaders, Rabbis, lawyers, and civic leaders throughout America stood side to side with Martin Luther King and with Black activists at rallies all across the South. The NAACP had massive support among Jewish people and amongst the general Jewish population. Tens of millions of dollars from the Jewish grassroots were contributed to advance the cause of inequality for black people.
This has been repaid by most of the balck people in America today with rampant antisemitism. One need not be a sociologist to know this. A simple reading of talkbacks across social media channels reveals the widespread black antisemitism that grows from day to day. But there are notable exceptions. New York’s Mayor Eric Adams, whether you support his NY policies or not, stood up with the Jewish people following October 7th. Others have followed suit.
But the vast majority of the Black activists today have nothing but anti-Israel and anti-Jewish attitudes. This is very politically incorrect to say and is therefore not declared loudly in public. But most of what Ritchie Torres says should be self-evident to all black people. Perhaps his clarity of thought and speech will make a dent in the negative trends that are the norm today. Even rightwingers like Candace Owens have not figured out that Israel’s battle for survival is connected to the West’s battle against radical Islam. It’s about right and wrong, good vs. evil.
The immigration wars on the borders of the USA are very much the same issues that Israel deals with on it’s borders. But the strong isolationism of the America Firsters often confuses those who think that if we padlock our doors and focus inward, then the rest of the world can just go to he__, and we’ll be just fine. One question must be asked of those people: Has this ever proven to be true in the last 250 years since the founding of the United States of America?
Isolationsim begets aggression. The dangers that are on the other sides of the Atlantic and Pacific will find their way to cross the Atlantic or Pacific if we deny their dangers. The Taiwan, Israel and Ukraine battle theaters may not all be the same. But they cannot be ignored without the USA facing massive repercussions a few years down the road. Perhaps the right thing is not to send any US boots on the ground. But non-involvement is not a choice. It is just kicking the can down the road and then the problems will simply snowball from where they are today into a monumental issue.
