Posted on 05/20/2022 7:37:40 AM PDT by RandFan
On Wednesday, Republican Congressman Thomas Massie was the only member of the House to vote ‘no’ on a resolution that condemned rising antisemitism.
His vote had nothing to do with tolerating hate. This didn’t stop many from instantly and eagerly jumping to this conclusion.
The bill asks that social media “institute stronger and more significant efforts to measure and address online antisemitism while protecting free speech concerns.”
Politicians dictating to social media and other platforms how to operate is a problem for anyone who still cares about free speech.
But that’s not all. As Reason’s Christian Britschgi observed, the “resolution also calls on Congress to work more closely with the Inter-Parliamentary Task Force to Combat Online Antisemitism—an international working group whose membership includes lawmakers from the U.K., Canada, Israel, the U.S., and Australia.”
“The task force’s first briefing in November 2020 featured presentations from groups also calling for Section 230 reform and holding platforms and their executives accountable for antisemitic speech,” Britschgi.
So it is dishonest to portray this legislation as a mere condemnation of antisemitism.
But this is still not all. “The House’s antisemitism resolution also endorsed increasing funding for a Department of Homeland Security program that provides security grants to ‘at-risk houses of worship, schools, and community centers’,” Britschgi pointed out.
He added, “Given that the Department of Homeland Security shouldn’t exist, expanding its funding doesn’t sound like a good idea. One can see why a libertarian-leaning budget hawk like Massie wouldn’t like that provision either.”
One would. One would also wonder why in an environment where so many Democrats are intent on censoring or labeling “disinformation” and many Republicans are opposed to such efforts, why didn’t more Republicans didn’t join Massie in voting against this resolution?
It should be easy for a member to say that they roundly condemn racism and antisemitism specifically, but do not support the other troubling aspects of this bill, just as Massie has.
So why did every other Republican support it? Was Thomas Massie the only one who actually read the legislation he was voting on?
Please support him!
All you need to know about this phony virtue signaling vote is that Ilhan Nur Said Elmi ( her real name) and Rashida Tlaib voted for it and they are the biggest anti-semites in Congress.
It’s very troubling that other countries also want to stop right wing terrorists from shooting up synagogues. Good Job, Massie!
Unfortunately, the fight against antisemitism became a template for the use of censorship first by the Muslim Brotherhood front groups, then by every new cause that could claim victimhood. This is just another camel nose.
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