38 Comments
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Rich Furman's avatar

So, they came in the night and arrested Mahmoud Khalil. I am a Jew and a Zionist. My Zionism, according to some, puts me "to the right of Attila the Hun." I won't contest it. Mahmoud Khalil is someone whom I regard with enmity. He is someone who, I suspect, wants me dead. Or if not me personally, then the 8 million or so of my coreligionists who reside in Israel.

None of this is salient. What is salient that they came in the night and arrested Mahmoud Khalil. The person going about his daily life was "disappeared" by the United States Government. The Destroyer has been loosed in our nation, and just because it destroys your enemy does not make it your friend. With the Destroyer loosed, no one is safe. It does not discern. Its power is arbitrary.

The salient thing is that they came in the night and arrested Mahmoud Khalil for his dissent. I do not agree with his particular dissent, but I too am a dissenter. As unsafe as protests like the ones he led made me feel, I feel far more unsafe because they came in the night and arrested Mahmoud Khalil. For his dissent.

And for whom else might they come, and for what matters of dissent?

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The Unk's avatar

I have no religious beliefs at all, and I agree with you.

The First Amendment prevents the government from restricting speech, even speech that may be unpopular, rude, annoying, vulgar, outrageous, etc.

The freedom to disagree with and/or criticize the government - or anything - is the foundation of our democracy. Once that freedom is lost, we become the USSR, Nazi Germany, North Korea….

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Robin Howe's avatar

Another Jew who agrees with you! Thank you.

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Michael Murphy's avatar

I'm an agnostic, and I agree with both of you.

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Robin Howe's avatar

I guess I’m really a Jewish agnostic

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Lori Ayre's avatar

I'm heartened that your support Mahmoud's right to dissent but please don't assume he doesn't agree with your right to a homeland as he pleads that he also has a right to his homeland!

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Mary Roeser's avatar

I'm a lifelong Catholic and I agree with you completely.

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Michael Murphy's avatar

I think you may have read that quote from Pastor Martin Niemöller.You have expressed the same concept very eloquently.

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C. Horst's avatar

Oh, Ann, this mirror you’re holding up is painful to behold. Thank you for not looking away.

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Joe F's avatar

I don’t believe a word he said and would probably punch him in the mouth if we crossed paths but you either believe in free speech or you do not!

Remember how many people were pissed off when the ACLU defended the American Nazi Party that marched in Skokie, IL?

You either believe in free speech or you do not!

I do.

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Anne's avatar

There is a reason it is the First Amendment. It is the most important of our rights. Violations of it can not be tolerated.

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John Crowe's avatar

There is so much shameful stuff coming out of the WH we should all be embarrassed to be Americans. The great Lee Hays once said “This too will pass; I know, I’ve had kidney stones.” Let’s hope that the moron and his colleagues will, like Lee’s kidney stones, all get pissed away if we all get sufficiently pissed off at them.

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Chuck McGinn's avatar

Well done! Thank you.

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Evelyn Scolman Lemoine's avatar

Why must we keep repeating these shameful incidents? Can we never learn?

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Ellen's avatar

Always perfectly in tune to the moment. Brava!

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Peter Summers's avatar

Well “said” Ann! As usual Trump/Musk/Magots pick on the least advantaged. Gaza is nothing but a resort in waiting. What is his “deal” with Bibi? During the campaign, he promised Latinos/African Americans, etc that he’d have their backs and bring prices down. He hasn’t and won’t! More MAGA lies. He’ll look after himself and the 1% like he did in his 1st term. Tariffs? What is he and his family making off carve outs from the tariffs. Nothing is sacred to him except the grift. America is a giant piggy bank.

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Rich Furman's avatar

What is his “deal” with Bibi?

Bibi fled into the premiership this time around to avoid prosecution for corruption charges on which he had been indicted, and immediately set about trying to sabotage the courts' authority to try him.

Sound familiar?

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Peter Summers's avatar

Agreed. Who knows what the deal is between Trump and Bibi. Maybe Trump stays out of the way with far right Israeli desire to take over the West Bank and Israel buys into Trump Gaza plan? There has to be something in it all for Trump.

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TCinLA's avatar

Just... perfect.

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steve's avatar

Very well...........illustrated. But it is much worse than that. The Rethuglican party and Putin are also involved this time. Not Americans!

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TCinLA's avatar

Not only Americans. But we're all involved.

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The Unk's avatar

“I still don't understand it, why they hate us so much. They took Ruth while she was out buying food. I've never cried so hard in my life. It wasn't long till they came for me.”

— Valerie, “V For Vendetta”

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Victoria Brown's avatar

💜

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The Unk's avatar

I’m envisioning assorted hicks and good old boys wearing red maga hats, walking around in public and asking people at random, “Your ID papers, please.”

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Cathy 98280's avatar

😳😳😳

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Michael Murphy's avatar

Now that image is scary -- and all too possible.

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Hank Cohen's avatar

You left out the Alien and Sedition Act of 1798.

I would love to see the artistic possibilities you might find in that one.

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Lori Ayre's avatar

I guess today's cartoon is easy...just add a stuffed plane full of illegally deported Venezuelens. I wonder if we'll ever find out how many of these people had absolutely nothing to do with gangs - except maybe being victims of gang warfare in Venezuela and the White House.

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