by Bill Levinson

The following E-mail (minus the first Shakespeare quote) has been sent to info “at” moveon.org to challenge Eli Pariser to publicly debate, in front of as many cameras and microphones as possible, or in a newspaper’s point/counterpoint format, our allegations that his organization knowingly and willfully allowed its Action Forum to be used as a platform for racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Catholic hate speech as well as 9/11 denial. This challenge was prompted by the Jewish Fund for Justice’s attempt to whitewash MoveOn.org. Whether this was at MoveOn’s request or on its own initiative is irrelevant; it is time for MoveOn.org to stop hiding behind its allies and enablers, step forward, and take responsibility for its actions.

And tell the pleasant prince this mock of his
Hath turn’d his balls to gun-stones; and his soul
Shall stand sore charged for the wasteful vengeance
That shall fly with them: for many a thousand widows
Shall this his mock mock out of their dear husbands;
Mock mothers from their sons, mock castles down;
And some are yet ungotten and unborn
That shall have cause to curse the Dauphin’s scorn.
But this lies all within the will of God,
To whom I do appeal; and in whose name
Tell you the Dauphin I am coming on,
To venge me as I may and to put forth
My rightful hand in a well-hallow’d cause.
So get you hence in peace; and tell the Dauphin
His jest will savour but of shallow wit,
When thousands weep more than did laugh at it.

–King Henry V

Dear Mr. Pariser,

MoveOn.org’s press release of September 2 does not apologize for allowing its Action Forum to be used as a platform for hate speech that could have come straight from Nazis or Ku Klux Klansmen. The hate speech included a blood libel of Jews (asserting that the Talmud commands Jews to hate and even “slaughter” non-Jews), a racial slur that calls prominent African-Americans “house slaves,” and the phrase “Catholic Pedophiles of America.” In addition, there were numerous examples of 9/11 denial. 9/11 denial is like Holocaust denial except it dismisses, excuses, or blames on someone else (e.g. the Bush Administration) two missing skyscrapers and four missing passenger aircraft instead of six million missing Jews and three million missing Polish Catholics. The reprehensibility of 9/11 denial and Holocaust denial is equal in terms of everything but the number of innocent people whose murders are excused, written off, or blamed on someone other than the known perpetrators.

The press release instead seeks to blame the hate speech on “a right-wing campaign to target [MoveOn.org]” while claiming, “We were dismayed to see [the hate speech entries], and removed them as soon as they came to our attention 17 days ago.” organizations like Fidelis, The Center for Jewish Values (CJV), and the National Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education (NCFJE) do not find these statements credible and neither do I.

On the other hand, the Anti-Defamation League, The Nation, and the Jewish Funds for Justice have accepted MoveOn.org’s explanations. The Jewish Funds for Justice has put up a petition to object to our ongoing exposure of MoveOn.org’s apparent tolerance of hate speech. The petition is full of politically-correct Kumbaya-singing claptrap and this is my personal response to it:

Dear Jewish Funds for Justice,

Scorn and defiance; slight regard, contempt,
And any thing that may not misbecome
The mighty sender, doth he prize you at.
–King Henry V

In fairness to the organizations, columnists, and pundits who have weighed in on both sides of this controversy, it is past time to clear the air with a public debate or a point-counterpoint exchange in a major newspaper. I would personally be delighted to meet you in either or both, prior to the November 7 elections so voters can make informed decisions about the candidates who have chosen to accept MoveOn.org’s endorsement and/or financial support.

Regards,

Bill Levinson

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Sent to info “at” moveon.org on 25 October (Saint Crispin’s Day), 591st anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt.

King Henry V, one of my favorite role models, put the above far more eloquently than I ever could:

Take a trumpet, herald;
Ride thou unto the horsemen on yon hill:
If they will fight with us, bid them come down,
Or void the field; they do offend our sight:
If they’ll do neither, we will come to them,
And make them skirr away, as swift as stones
Enforced from the old Assyrian slings.

The original challenge was in fact sent to Mr. Pariser at info “at” moveon.org on October 25 with a copy to Noah Winer the next day. Now that it has been established that MoveOn.org’s moderators read each piece of hate speech not only once but twice, we have no doubt that the MoveOn.org rat is digging its hole even deeper.

Appendix: Jan Poller’s letter to MoveOn.org

From: Jan Mel Poller [E-mail given to MoveOn.org, deleted for privacy here]
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2004 10:19 AM
To: ‘info “at” moveon.org’
Subject: Liberals and the left

I doubt that you will read this or pass it on to your leaders, but it is worth a try.

I am an old time Liberal, dating back to the Truman era. I am deeply disturbed by some of the anti-liberal views espoused in many forums on line, in college campuses and in the news media.

Liberalism always fought for truth and against censorship. I was told by a Muslim woman that she was against terrorism, Saddam, Arafat and the rest of the Jihad leaders. However, her posts were not allowed to appear here. At the same time, Nouris strongly anti-Israel posts, not to mention rod Hutchinson’s anti-Semitic post are allowed to appear.

You tolerated my posts, which challenged support for Jihadist terrorism and supported Israel and the spread of democracy throughout the world (including the Arab world), have all been removed. I am no longer allowed to post.

I am pleased that you have done this as it supports my view that the extreme left is totalitarian.

You are part of the college campus terrorists. San Francisco state expelled a 59 year old Russian Jewish woman because she attacked Communism and supported Israel. You are part of the totalitarian left who shouts down anyone who doesn’t share your views.

The first time I came to the MoveOn website, you prominently display a screed that said Barak, not Arafat walked out of the Camp David peace talks. You did this on the word of Uri Avneri against al the statements by people who were there, including your hero, Clinton.

The really bright thing that you do is support the Islamo-fascist Jihadists. You give them the knife present your throat and say, “Slit here”.

You are like the pacifists of the 1930’s who didn’t mind Hitler’s aggression.

Jan Mel Poller

PS: you might remind Noah T Winer that Hamas wants to slaughter all Jews in Israel. If they succeed in doing that, they won’t stop there. After all, the Islamo-Fascists are claiming Spain again and the Jews would be killed there, as well.

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Related: Anti-Semitism, Elections

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