[ April 23, 2024 ]
The governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, is urging lawmakers to pass a bill that would counter antisemitism on college campuses in the state.
McMaster is the same guy who made a cpontroversial speech addressing the freedom of religion in 2014:
Now he’s pressing lawmakers to pass H. 3643, which he said would help provide a “welcoming environment” to those of all faiths and walks of life, he said in a statement.
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The bill comes in time for a signing on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, held later this month.
The Algemeiner has the story:
South Carolina’s governor urged his state’s Senate on Wednesday to pass legislation designed to counter campus antisemitism in time for signing on International Holocaust Remembrance Day later this month.
The bill — H. 3643 — would help “our state and its college campuses provide a welcoming environment for those from all walks of life,” Gov. Henry McMaster said in a statement.
The measure seeks to ensure that South Carolina’s public colleges and universities will take the State Department’s definition of antisemitism into consideration when investigating allegations of discrimination against Jewish students.
The definition encompasses traditional anti-Jewish tropes — such as conspiracies about Jewish control of societal institutions — as well as efforts to “demonize,” “delegitimize,” and apply a “double standard” to Israel. It also acknowledges that “criticism of Israel similar to that leveled against any other country cannot be regarded as anti-Semitic.”
The announcement was applauded by some advocates of Jewish students on campus.
Alyza Lewin, director of policy and chief operating officer at the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law (LDB), framed the bill as “a significant step” in deterring antisemitic activity in universities, amid a rise in anti-Jewish hostility “on both far ends of the political spectrum.”
LDB emphasized in a statement that the measure “is careful to protect First Amendment rights of all students on campus, and will not curb or restrict free speech or academic freedom.” The State Department’s definition of antisemitism is “substantially similar” to that used by the 31 member states of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, and the 50 countries included in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, excluding Russia, the legal group argued.
However, the bill has not been without controversy, with critics claiming that it could be used to chill free speech.
Shortly before it was unanimously approved by the South Carolina Senate’s higher education subcommittee in April, H. 3643 was strongly criticized by Kenneth Stern, who helped draft a working definition of antisemitism for the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC). The State Department’s definition of antisemitism was adapted from EUMC’s.
“It is an unnecessary law which will hurt Jewish students and the academy,” wrote Stern, now the executive director of the Justus & Karin Rosenberg Foundation. He argued that the bill is an effort “to have the state define a line where political speech about Israel is classified as anti-Semitic, and chilled if not suppressed.”
“Indeed, if certain expressions about Israel are officially defined as anti-Semitic,” Stern continued, “pro-Israel Jewish students will be further marginalized, having gained the reputation for suppressing, rather than answering, speech they don’t like.”
This was disputed by the pro-Israel organization StandWithUs, which claimed that the bill does not restrict “any form of speech.”
“It merely states that if a person engages in unprotected behavior, such as vandalism, law enforcement may consider anti-Semitic intent,” the group contended.
H. 3643 was overwhelmingly approved by South Carolina’s House of Representatives with a vote of 103-3 in March. If passed by the Senate and signed into law, it would be the first such state legislation adopted in the nation.
Advocates have regularly warned that Jews — the primary target of religiously motivated hate crimes in the United States, according to FBI statistics — face increasing antisemitism at American universities.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, a leading civil rights organization, reports of antisemitic incidents on US college campuses increased by 59 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year.
A 2016 study published by the watchdog group AMCHA Initiative argued “that the rise of anti-Zionism — particularly [boycott, divestment, and sanctions] campaigns and anti-Zionist student groups and faculty — is fueling the rise of anti-Semitism on campus.”
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37 Comments
6 years ago
There is some merit in a bill such as this, but, to be effective, there has to be teeth in the legislation. If those convicted of anti semitism are following islam, which calls for the death of an identifiable minority, in fact of everyone who is not muslim, then the penalty must be severe enough to permanently discourage such activity.
6 years ago
Reply to
Mahou Shoujo
Happy New Year Mahou!
– yes, and the Koran explicitly calls for the extermination for both Jews and Christians
– so the problem in not limited to anti-Semitism
6 years ago
Funny how there’s no mention of the source of all this growing antisemitism in the USA.
6 years ago
Reply to
IzlamIsTyranny
Izlamis Tyranny: The situation with media denial and choosing to ignore the facts has progressed to such an extent that now not mentioning the source of antisemitism has, in almost all cases, become a clear identification of the source as Islam/Muslims.
6 years ago
Reply to
Merlinever
This is why I want out of the dying atheist West before I get imprisoned for “hate speech” against muslums and islum.
6 years ago
More thought crime legislation. How about prosecuting actual criminal acts that have actual victims?
6 years ago
Reply to
MAS
And getting rid of old stupid laws?
– until recently is was legal in Missouri to hang Mormons on sight.
– and brainless politicians thought it was OK to keep that law for decades?
“Former Missouri governor honored for rescinding Mormon ‘extermination order'”
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700036138/Former-Missouri-governor-honored-for-rescinding-Mormon-extermination-order.html
6 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules
Hmmm, didn’t the Mormons attempt to secede from Missouri (by force) back when their founder was ranting and raving about being a Second Muhammad?
6 years ago
Reply to
IzlamIsTyranny
Happy New Year Izlamis!
– Mormons aren’t angels
– no one else is either
– one key irritant was Mormons absconding with farm wives while hubby was in the fields
– the women were offered an easy life as a second or third wife
– but that hanging law was in place since 1838
– a bit harsh, no?
6 years ago
Reply to
DemocracyRules
I believe no other religious group except mormons in the US to date has attempted to secede from the US by force.
6 years ago
I hate these bills
– there are already abundant anti-discrimination laws, polices, and regulations on the books
– just enforce those laws, polices, and regulations
– the Governor could do that right now
– like cut all funding to racist and anti-Semitic colleges
– the ‘new law’ is an excuse to do nothing, and blame others
– lawyer-addicted politicians would outlaw a certain pesky mosquito if we let them
D
6 years ago
This is just more politically correct word stigmatizing. It doesn’t arrest the jew haters, for acts of violence and threatened violence. That’s what needs to be done. When these acts are indeed punished, ie, expelled from the colleges for the acts, instead of ‘understanding the roots’ then the problem gets handled.
6 years ago
Reply to
Mark Goldberg
The idea is that this is an add-on offense and that a college is obligated to punish someone engaging in lawbreaking if antisemitism is determined to be the motive. Otherwise, you run into problems with the COTUS and SC Constitution of 1895.
D
D
6 years ago
The law is meaningless, especially when you can’t discuss the jew hatred of the ‘Qu’an’ and can’t mention any of the commands to submit and kill unbelievers.
Can’t discuss. Can’t mention, can’t point too, but they want to pass an antisemitism law that won’t allow for any punishment or understanding.
6 years ago
I don’t know exactly what is being said on campuses but I know if defamatory statements are made about any other group, be they Blacks, Muslims, Palestinians, Hispanics, LGBTQ, etc., no one would be hesitating or debating if that should be allowed. They would be shut down immediately because it creates a hostile environment. Does that suppress “freedom of speech?” Defamation is not protected speech. Stuff like what is described in this article (“Zionism=Racism” for example) are unacceptable: http://college.usatoday.com/2016/11/03/jewish-students-battle-rising-anti-semitism-on-campus/
I don’t share Robert Stern’s concern “… if certain expressions about Israel are officially defined as anti-Semitic, pro-Israel Jewish students will be further marginalized, having gained the reputation for suppressing, rather than answering, speech they don’t like.” How can you, on your way to class, rationally debate claims that Zionism is colonialism, Israel kills babies, harvests Palestinians’ organs for sale, etc.?
6 years ago
there is an easy solution to anti-semitism in this country….no muslims. maybe SC can figure out a way to make them a deal they can’t refuse to stay out of SC
6 years ago
It’s to O.K. to call some African Countries s–tholes, but it is O.K. to insult Jews. It no suprise to me that this would happen once we started to bring muslim scum into this Country.
6 years ago
CAN’T STOP THAT HATE TRAIN !!!!!
6 years ago
Most liberals care about Muslims being offended or hurt…Jews, not so much.
6 years ago
It is Antisemitism and Anti conservatism as id Christian, Patriot as well. exp if you are a Trump fan the college professors and liberals in general are instantly triggered. The bill should cover all these.
6 years ago
There is no such thing as a bill that would discourage anti-Semitism. People are going to believe what they want to believe.
6 years ago
I wonder about lefty Jews that have advocated for moslems. Most of what the Jews got is kicked in the brains. This Jew votes Republican and supports Trump and the So. Carolina Gov. But, even Jews of the left deserve protection from physical harm…
6 years ago
Every college campus should ban the terror groups disguised as “social justice” organizations called Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) and the Muslim Students Union or Association…that would take care of many of the problems on American campuses. Both groups have major ties with terror organizations and should not be allowed on any American college campus.
D
6 years ago
Kenneth Stern is an idiot. His definition of Antisemitism resulted in 59% increase in 2017. Good for Henry McMaster! Don’t listen to leftie Jews, they hate Israel.
6 years ago
I guess Gov. Henry McMaster has never heard of separation of church and state.
And how could the Supreme Court, or any other court for that matter, be said to have “gone off the deep end” by being against prayer which is nothing but superstition in practice and a sign of delusion which is a form of mental illness.
D
6 years ago
Reply to
Merlinever
If you really feel this way, I mean REALLY feel this way, and aren’t just a Soros troll, how about standing in front of a Mosque in the Middle East and stating this opinion?
You could get a sizable sum if you started a GoFundMe whatever and VLOGGED you trip. Think of all the viewers and followers you’d have………..
6 years ago
Reply to
Bill
All the atheists who fail at prayer for guidance in the Lord’s word (and go on to be lecturers -misery loves company, madmen, killers) usually do so because they ask for too much of things they should pray to leave be. Material is only a few microcosms of existence – if that -compared to eternity.
6 years ago
Reply to
Merlinever
This is just the old atheist lie that all religions are the same and I had to endure 12 years of it in the atheist indoctrination camps that are public schools. But your atheist lies don’t trump reality and islum will be your bloody reality atheist.
Christians and Jews founded hospitals to cure the sick and provide succor to the dying. F’ing muslums found terrorist organisations.
6 years ago
Reply to
Merlinever
Poor you. Because of your spiritual blindness you are the one who is deluded. Seek God while He may still be found.
6 years ago
Reply to
Menseismal
The dying atheist West will be subsumed by islum and when they act as janissaries for their muslum masters I hope the remainder of the civilised, free world annihilates them.
6 years ago
Reply to
IzlamIsTyranny
Will there be enough of a free and civilised world left to do the job; I think they have left it too late.
D
6 years ago
I don’t go to church, but I acknowledge my faith. I also acknowledge the Jewish faith, as well. Our society is based on the Judeo-Christian religion. To disavow religion is to disavow our society.
People do not have to go to church, or even pray, but they should acknowledge that these religious principles have guided our forefathers in building what we have.
6 years ago
Hit them in the pocket, where it hurts most.
