Anti Semitism is on the rise around the world, especially in Europe, Britain, and Canada. Seventy or so years after the rise of the National Socialists (who weren’t far right, they were far left), World War II, the Holocaust, and the subsequent founding of Israel it’s starting all over again. This time the instigators are Islamic extremists, but it seems they have friends on the left who they have enlisted under the guise of “We’re not anti Jew, we’re anti Israel”. I’m not sure quite how that distinction is made, because I can’t figure it out.

The image to the right is from a pro Hamas rally last week. Not in Gaza, not in Saudi Arabia, not even in Europe. In Melbourne, Australia. That’s the Australia that has been a staunch US ally since World War II. This is not a government sanctioned rally. I don’t know what the Australian law on this is, but in Germany and much of Europe this kind of event is outlawed. At least in theory, although the police do seem to be highly selective in who they arrest and who they don’t.

Last year CNN reported that Report: Anti-Semitism on the rise globally. No surprise given the oft stated goal of Iran, Saudi Arabia, Al Qaeda, and other extremist nations and non government organizations that they seek to destroy Israel and eliminate Jews.

Maybe it’s time for a rewrite of the song from The Producers.

It’s Springtime for Hamas and Palestine,
Ahmadinejad is Happy and Gay

I think you get the point.

All too many Jews live in a state of denial regarding what is going on. Or, at the least they aren’t drawing the right conclusions from what they see. Israel is under attack from Gaza or southern Lebanon, and many Jews urge that Israel grant concessions to the attackers to stop those attacks. They talk about “truce”, “peace”, and the “two state solution” as if those are the solutions to the problem. All evidence to date shows that every truce that Israel has agreed to has been nothing more than an opportunity for for it’s enemies to regroup, rearm, and renew the attacks on Israel.

These same self delusional people believe that they are safe from all of this here in the United States. “This couldn’t possibly happen here”, is the refrain. Ironically, that’s what the Jews of Germany said in the early 1930s. How quickly that changed and they learned that it COULD in fact happen there. So, it can happen here, and can happen anywhere. Remember that before World War II, Jewish refugees from Europe were turned away from the US and Cuba. Most ended up back in Europe in countries that were later invaded and occupied by the Germans. This type of thing is always only a couple of election cycles away from happening in just about any nation you can think of.

Which brings us to gun ownership and Jews. I know a lot of Jews, I know a lot of gun owners, however I don’t know a lot of Jews that are gun owners. I’ve never done a survey, but most of the Jews I know are very liberal. Gun control is part of the liberal agenda, so I’d guess that it’s all part of the same package. I understand why Jews were liberal from the 1950 up until the late 1970s or so. Since then I can’t quite figure why anyone would be because, and I know this will disappoint my friend Mule Breath, liberals have become the party of restricting freedom, choice, individuality, and small government. All under the guise of promoting those very things. Not that the Republicans have done much better, but at least I can hope that they have learned that lesson.

Of all of the diverse ethnic groups in this country African Americans and Jews should be the two that are most in favor of gun ownership by law abiding citizens. The early history of gun control is the history of racists trying to keep law abiding African Americans from owning firearms. Just as the British tried to keep firearms out of the hands of the Colonials, mostly southern racists tried to keep firearms out of the hands of African Americans. The reason that they did this is pretty obvious. Unarmed people are far easier to control than armed people. The Nazis knew this and quickly passed gun control laws to keep Jews and other undesirables from owning the means of self defense. Which is pretty much what tyrants have done through out history.

Which does not mean that I think there are any round ups that are going to take place in the near future. It’s not the government I’m worried about in the near future. I think that there are plenty of other groups that have the potential to harm Jews in the country. These groups probably are not all that interested in the niceties of legal gun ownership, because as surprising as it may seem, criminals break laws by habit. Big laws, small laws, doesn’t matter. Ignoring the constraints and limitations of civilized society is what they are all about. Which means that in places with gun control, the bad guys have guns and most often the good guys (that’s us) don’t.

Jews who don’t think of themselves as Jews should pay special attention to all of this. By that, I mean people who were born Jewish, but don’t practice, don’t observe holidays, have even rejected the faith entirely. You may not think of yourself as a Jew, but you can be sure that anti Semites will. Some of whom will despise you even more for “abandoning” your faith as odd as that seems.

So, every Jewish person and family should own guns, know how to use them, and be prepared to do so. Well, every person and family should own guns, know how to use them, and be prepared to do so, but I’m talking to a particular potentially high risk population today.

Two things to keep in mind.

George Santayana:

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Gerald Ford:

A government big enough to give you everything you want is a government big enough to take from you everything you have.

So, if you’re Jewish and live in a place where you can, buy guns. Learn to use them competently. Teach your family how to use them competently. When the time comes, if the time comes, start carrying when you go about. When the time comes, if the time comes, be prepared to defend your home and your family.

Never forget.