I believe I was born a contrarian, and if not, at least eventually I was meant to become one. Thus, I was sad to see anti-Semitism burst into the open, but relieved at the same time. I admit to being conflicted but also comforted. Why?  Because hatred lurking beneath the surface which keeps resurfacing for thousands of years cannot be confronted during dormancy. It is virtually impossible to rally the troops to be critical of that which has not surfaced and remains below the gutter.  

Now that anti-Semitism has resurfaced, it is being challenged and may be on the way to peaking once again. Consequently, I was saddened to see far too many Jews become frightened. Rather than be fearful, I suggest Jews remember God is on our side. That was once a powerful comfort.

I recommend they read Outsmarting Anti-Semitism.

When it comes to anti-Semitism on university and college campuses, Jews probably made a mistake by contributing to the erection of buildings while radical Islamists actively established departments engaged in educating vulnerable students that Jews were oppressors and Arabs/Muslims were the oppressed.

The new faddish tools of the anti-Semites are a variety of renamed methodologies that profess to be inclusive yet, in the case of DEI, in many instances, clearly exclude Jews and/or falsely attack Israel as an apartheid nation.  Among the more prominent accusers was President Jimmy Carter.

I submit that after Nelson Mandela died, racists who also embrace a cultural Marxist philosophy, needed a new scapegoat and that tail was penned on the Jews/Israelis.

I believe not only may DEI be on its deathbed but CRT, Wokeism, and even ESG may be on their way to their own decline if not burial.

Lamentably, America's allegedly most prestigious colleges and universities have allowed many of their departments to be overrun by biased radical professors who have attained tenure and whose teaching methods are didactic. Having served on the Board of Visitors of St. John's College for eight years, I know the difference between a unique educational institution whose goal is to expose and challenge students to learn how to reason, to recognize there always is another side and how to structure a rebuttal as opposed to thoughtlessly vomiting back the biased bile fed by agenda-oriented professors.

Our republic will not survive if those between the age of 18-24 willingly support of the likes of Hamas' heinous activities because many eventually become professors, staff members of those in Congress etc.  The cultivation of brainless students has been in the works for decades and the cost of accomplishing this tragedy has exploded because of governmental intrusion.

I maintain once President Carter established the Department of Education, as with most anything government touches, American education began to spiral downward. Hillsdale College, unlike the Ivys, chose not to be bludgeoned by the heavy hand of government bureaucrats. Instead, Hillsdale chose not to have its curriculum set by government because of federally-funded students. Hillsdale raised its endowment so any student they accepted and in need of financial aid will receive same.

Even St John's recently/dramatically cut the annual cost of student tuition and in conjunction with a munificent challenge gift substantially raised its own endowment.

If our republic is to survive and anti-Semitism is to subside a return to educational basics is an absolute necessity and choice must be made available so competition will impact our union-controlled system. Randi Weingarten, and the union she leads, continues to be a disaster.

Perhaps the most significant factor to right the ship of state will be Biden's defeat. No nation whose citizens speak multiple languages excels. Furthermore, open borders encourage not only this development but also heightens the prospect of terrorism, increases divisiveness, and spawns a multitude of other serious societal negatives/debilitations.

Moreover, Biden allegedly set about to unite, yet from Valley Forge he attacked Trump both as a person, a liar, a destroyer of our democracy, as a former do-nothing president, as a crude oaf, and an insurrectionist.

It was Biden at his best. He might have picked up a few votes with this mean-spirited harangue as he reminded America what a lousy president Trump was or he might have won a larger number of votes for Trump. Why?  Because, as is usual with radical Democrats, their attacks are actually demagogically projecting who they really are by saying more about themselves.

I do not believe campaign negativity is what American's need right now, nor frankly, at any time.  But that is something voters will decide.

Meanwhile, America is culturally and militarily in decline. Our mass media no longer serves the role of ombudsman, progressive welfarism has destroyed the two-parent family, and patriotism and religion are no longer revered. Most republics have a history of early demise. America has lasted well beyond the norm. Can it be sustained?

I remain less than enthusiastic that ours will survive unless we return to embracing fiscal responsibility and cease asking our progeny to pay our bar tab.

As I often say: "The enemy is us."

Image: Public Domain