Shaun King, former senior justice writer for The New York Daily News, is reportedly working on a piece in which he tries to “unpack” a lot of baggage that goes along with defending Louis Farrakhan.
King kicked things off by retweeting this tweet apparently showing the kinder, gentler side of Farrakhan hugging someone we’re pretty sure isn’t Jewish:
One of the greatest moments of my life. Meeting the man who saved my life, @LouisFarrakhan pic.twitter.com/1iRQ3R3PvY
— Brother Ben X (@Brotherbenx) February 26, 2018
I want you to see this tweet and all 3 photos. For context. Look closely.
What I want you to understand is that while it is true for many of you that @LouisFarrakhan represents bigotry, this man’s love of him has absolutely nothing to do with anti-Semitism or bigotry. https://t.co/YzUnOceoh9
— Shaun King (@shaunking) March 10, 2018
I want you to see this because many of my friends say:
How could anyone love a bigot like Farrakhan? Because how you see him and how other people see him is as different as night and day.
This man says “Farrakhan saved my life.”
— Shaun King (@shaunking) March 10, 2018
We wanted you to see King’s tweet because many progressives say, “How could anyone support a bigot like Trump?” Is this negotiable now with people like King? “Hey Shaun, Trump renewed my pride in America!” Oh, he did? Cool, send some photos of yourself at a Trump rally for context and King will post ’em ASAP. “For context.”
That doesn’t mean how you see him is false.
But it absolutely means that how this man sees him is valid.
And that those two views are hard to reconcile. And I understand that.
My piece for @theintercept will unpack how so many of us live in two very different bubbles.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) March 10, 2018
Yeah, sure it will.
So … because this one man’s love for Farrakhan isn’t rooted in his anti-Semitism and bigotry as far as we know, it’s OK? How far are we stretching this rule, exactly?
Opposition to anti-Semitism simply isn't a priority or a bedrock principle for some current progressive leaders — it's negotiable. Let's at least have this conversation out loud: What other forms of bigotry fit in this category? What should the criteria be? pic.twitter.com/SFAUmVSUQS
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) March 10, 2018
2/ When you see something like this, where people are making arguments they simply wouldn't make in any other equivalent-seeming situation, it suggests values are clashing somewhere behind the scenes and that that fight should be dragged out into the sunlight.
— Jesse Singal (@jessesingal) March 10, 2018
Yes, please, let’s have this discussion, because as Singal notes, suddenly the things Farrakhan says are “negotiable” to progressives like Tamika Mallory of the Women’s March, or Rep. Danny Davis who said, “The world is so much bigger than Farrakhan and the Jewish question and his position on that and so forth.”
After two weeks of discussion Shaun King runs up like "Waaaaait I have a take!"
Spoiler alert: the take is bad. https://t.co/X83EGZwmc6
— Double Double Mohel and Trouble? (@Pale_0ntologist) March 10, 2018
"While it is true for many of you." This is the moral pit this kind of relativism throws one into. Farrakhan *is* a bigot – his entire adult life has included unambiguous, repeated, and very public anti-Semitism. https://t.co/NzVtFHFJoC
— Dan Murphy (@bungdan) March 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/familydrone/status/972497695800741888
Ok if Richard Spencer saved somebody you gonna apply the same logic or???? https://t.co/bhWu2EO99v
— caleb (hard mode) (@CountCaleb) March 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/vivrelorange/status/972529956080070656
"I want you to understand that my love of Donald Trump has nothing to do with bigotry or Islamophobia–"
Oh wait, that's different, sorry. https://t.co/hzUrXwl4aH
— Just Some Doc (@forbiddencomma) March 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/WeaveinRotation/status/972518266320097280
This is a loathsome & callous thing to do, How can you preach solidarity with Jews on one day then praise a guy who constantly bashes them the next day https://t.co/zdo8Ykfjrt
— John Heflin (@jch6289) March 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/DurinnMcfurren/status/972543256553803776
"While it is true for many of you that Farrakhan represents bigotry" probably should have been a clue to not pursue this any further. https://t.co/2uQBxZEInB
— Verbs McGillicuddy (@Omagus) March 10, 2018
"…it is true for many of YOU that Farrakhan represents bigotry"… You, not us? Does he not represent bigotry to you, Shaun? https://t.co/G7wXUeZNhD
— John (@johntruman_) March 10, 2018
https://twitter.com/freddiejbell/status/972515878817460225
This is embarrassing https://t.co/QA0WW5D7rY
— Glyn ap Myfyr (@Welshbeard) March 10, 2018
Related:
Let's enjoy watching a Women's March founder do everything BUT denounce Louis Farrakhan https://t.co/RZ76nQNVpZ
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 4, 2018
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