The_Walrus wrote:
VegetableMan wrote:
Nope. It's merely a a correct or incorrect statement about the actions of a government. It is not an anti-semitic statement. Again, this is why you shouldn't be a mod here. I've made all kinds of statements about the actions of the American government, but, right or wrong, does not make me "anti-American."
You're smarter than this. Please don't be afraid to admit you made a bad decision.
Correct, I am. That's precisely why I am a moderator. I know a lot about things and am prepared to research them when I don't, I am capable of considering the implications of words beyond their surface meanings, I stay objective when making decisions, and I show an appreciation for context and nuance.
Why, of all the countries in the world, single out the one Jewish-majority country? That is antisemitism. Don't believe me? Ask the Anti-Defamation League (
https://www.adl.org/blog/anti-semitic-9 ... er-attacks) or consult the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's working definition of antisemitism. Pay particular attention to "Using the symbols and images associated with classic antisemitism (e.g., claims of Jews killing Jesus or blood libel) to characterize Israel or Israelis."
In this regard there are clear differences between Israel and America - it's more like if someone said all Muslim countries are savage, or all African countries are "s**tholes", or saying that the German government are Nazis. If you take a stereotype about a group ("Jews are plotting against us") and then quietly decide to just apply it to the nation(s) associated with that group ("Israel is plotting against us") then you're still being racist. You can, of course, offer legitimate criticism of the Israeli government, but "Israel did 9/11" is not "legitimate criticism", it is the classic antisemitic trope of blaming Jews for bad things.
I have evidenced comprehensively and robustly, that John's warnings do not constitute "targeting", are not "unfair", and are not the result of a vendetta by an individual moderator. His complaints are demonstrably groundless. I believe that is clear to any objective observer. If the other mods wish to disagree with any of my decisions then we can reconsider them. However, I would be surprised if any of the decisions proved remotely controversial. They are some of the most clear-cut decisions I have had to make.
The discussion about antisemitism is over. Anyone who repeats the conspiracy theory that Israel is behind 9/11 will be breaking WrongPlanet rules, and that is not up for public discussion.
Thank you for this.
When John Powell casually stated that "Israelis were dancing on the rooftops" after 9/11 it was an acutely painful untruth and nothing could be further from reality, in fact many Israelis were working in the World Trade Center at the time, and the entire country of.Israel was overcome with compassion and concern for all involved. There was a state of mourning in my country. Antisemitism masks itself carefully behind meticulously selected rhetoric, but nobody is actually fooled.
WP should be a safe environment for all of us who are concerned with autism related issues and the emphasis should be primarily placed on promoting well being for all concerned. There are so many other platforms from which to spew hatred, political discord and intolerance.
I don't want to be afraid to post here, bond with you and learn from you all as a result of my ethnicity and country of origin . There are members here from countries which are currently at war with mine, and we get along just fine. Political conflicts should not be aired here in my opinion, they deflect from the ultimate mission of helping people on the spectrum and their loved ones find solutions and thrive above persecution, blockades of pre-conception and stigma. The mods are only human, and do a thankless job, but they are the reason I chose to stay because of their vigilance in maintaining a safe environment for all of us. If anyone had to leave WP for feeling unwelcome for political or racial reasons, then that would be a tragedy and would defeat the whole purpose of the concept .
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My best will just have to be good enough.