This past week a video went viral in which a student at Columbia University declared, repeatedly, that Jewish people don’t deserve to live. He happened to be one of the leaders and spokesmen of the protests happening on that campus. He made it clear in his comments that he could see himself murdering Jewish people, and that he wouldn’t feel badly about doing it, as he believes doing so would make the world a better place.
(Aren’t you glad that you aren’t paying the hugely expensive tuition to attend one of these elite universities indoctrination camps?)
After the video went viral, he issued a statement trying to walk back his comments, and various news outlets have reported that the University has barred him from campus.
This is just the latest example of a deeply disturbing rise in antisemitism that seems to be widespread throughout the United States. What used to be viewed as a problem with a small number of poorly educated bigots can now be clearly seen on the streets of our cities, and in our universities.
Last night, it touched me, and my Lodge.
Late last night my Masonic Temple had Nazi Party symbolism spray painted on it.
An antisemite in a mask spreading her hate.
Freemasons in Europe under the fascist regimes found themselves in the same camps as their Jewish neighbors, and suffered their same fate.
The Nazis propagated a theory whereby the Masons were somehow a part of a worldwide conspiracy along with Jewish people and Communists. A conspiracy that secretly controlled the world, and brought suffering to millions. Due to the fact that our Craft rituals incorporate parts of the Old Testament, another popular theory was that by going through our Degrees, Freemasons became something akin to Synthetic Jews. Our rituals didn’t exactly make Masons Jewish, but it was close enough for systemic murder apparently.
And now, we are seeing that again. Right here, on the streets of the United States.
Racism in any form is immoral. Antisemitism in any form is immoral. Encouraging the hatred of any group of people because of characteristics that they were born with is immoral.
Freemasonry regards every man by his character alone. Freemasons may individually fail to meet that standard, but every one of us is called upon to strive for it.
And that is part of the Light that we as Freemasons are meant to spread into the world.
We must, in this time of blatant and growing antisemitism, call it out and push back against it, whenever and wherever we might encounter it. We cannot allow it to take root in our society under any circumstances.
It may be easy to just scroll past that antisemitic video on Twitter. Or ignore that protestor holding that sign calling for the “Final Solution.” Just paint over the Nazi symbolism defacing our Masonic Temple.
But, if that’s all we do, we aren’t working, as Masons, for the good of humanity.
We have to call these things out when we encounter them. Let those around us know that ethnic and religious hatreds are immoral and should not be tolerated by those who want to be good.
In that way, Freemasonry stands as a shining example of the best of society.
If we tolerate these things, if we allow them to pass us by without comment, well, then the unthinkable could well happen here. We may believe that our Civil Society is strong, that nothing like what happened in our grandparents generation could happen here.
But, I’m willing to bet that the good people of Weimar Germany believed the same things. That their Civil Society was strong, that the unthinkable could never happen there.
How quickly it changed in Germany. It could change just as quickly here.
If we don’t stand up. If we don’t say that antisemitism is morally bankrupt and beyond the pale. If we don’t do what we are called to do, as Masons.
I don't believe it is reasonable or fair to refer to elite universities as "indoctrination camps" because some small percentage of their students and/or faculty are bigots. Aside from that I think you make some very excellent points in this article about what we as Masons should be doing in the face of bigotry and I agree with Brother Willard that there's plenty of problematic bigotry going around on all sides that tends to drown out the reasonable elements of society.
The reasonable elements of society, (hopefully) including Masons, need to come together to combat all forms of bigotry and decry violence and other bad acts perpetrated in the name of that bigotry, full stop, or I fear you're quite right that it would be too easy to slip into a nightmare scenario.
Thank you, Brother Cameron, for your wisdom and courage regarding this currently inflammatory subject. And thanks to Brothers Willard and Smith for your responses.
We all need to fight against 'isms, regardless of the group to which they refer and stand up for human rights for all people's of the world. We need to distinguish between facts and 'fake' facts so we can apply the lessons taught us in Masonry.
As Co-President of the Worldwide Civility Council I constantly hear about 'abuses' which turn out to be based on personal biases, not actual facts.
Let's all keep seeking light in the darkness of hate.