Progressive Democrat Issue 66: Jews in Indiana--the 2% Solution

I am passing this on from a post from awhile back on My Left Wing. Sometimes it is hard for those of us who live in NYC to realize how tough it can be for non-Christians in other parts of the nation.

I am reposting the MLW post verbatum, then I will comment and update.

For those not familiar with the Indiana prayer issue, here is a Washington Post article. The whole thing blew up when one person offered the House's openening prayer, then led the whole legislative body in a rousing, with standing and clapping, rendition of "Just a Little Talk With Jesus," which many found rather less than non-denominational.

Last Tuesday, the Indianapolis JCRC’s Jewish Lobby Day was held. Around 40 Jews from around the State of Indiana came to Indianapolis to lobby our state senators and representatives on a number of issues.

The day ended with a private meeting with Speaker of the House Bosma meeting our group in the beautiful House chambers. We asked questions about full day kindergarten, about the clinics, and a young member of the delegation asked about providing sexuality education in public schools that is more than abstinence based. He responded to everything we asked. Sometimes we liked what he said and sometimes we didn’t. Speaker Bosma wondered why we hadn’t discussed the controversy surrounding the issue of prayer in House chambers. He told us his version of what happened and what he believes, and a passionate exchange took place. The end of this exchange left us, the Jewish delegation, in shock. Speaker Bosma, defending the prayer issue, asked, “How many Jews are there in Indiana? About 2%? There are at least 80% Christians in Indiana.” The implication of this statement was that our minority community doesn’t and shouldn’t have any say or any voice. It is about the majority and what the majority wants. The jaws of the delegation dropped to the floor. We were speechless. Everything we believed about this country had just been trampled. Gone was the belief of the constitutional protection of minorities. Gone was not feeling marginalized. Gone was the belief we were not strangers in this country. I am sure that Speaker Bosma is a fine man, but in that moment, for the first time in my life as a citizen of this country, I was scared. It is what I now call the 2% solution (and Jews are much less than 2% of this state) that if you are only 2% don’t even bother to speak up as the “Tyranny of the majority” will prevail.

I am sorry to bring such a depressing message as we prepare for Shabbat, but it needs to be said and addressed. I have been reminded about why we need to be vigilant. So I come to you on this Friday, February 17, 2006, to ask you to use this Shabbat to think about joining me and others at times to raise our voices. We might not agree on all the issues, but we agree that as Jewish residents of this State we should have a voice. 2% or less shouldn’t matter. It is not about the majority. It is about us.

As you light your Shabbat candles this evening, light one for this great nation that has allowed us to grow and prosper and worship as Jews without restrictions. Light the other as beacon to our elected officials who if they follow the light will understand that leadership comes with responsibility to all, to be inclusive of all, and to help those who need the most help.

Shabbat Shalom

Chilling. To anyone who knows their history, this is chilling. Remember, Germany was the SAFE place for Jews before the Nazi takeover. Jews were welcome and fully assimilated there. That is one reason few thought to leave early on...they were decorated war heros, full German citizens, patriots.

A distant cousin of mine died in Indiana about a year ago. He was the son of my great-grandmother's brother. Our family were Jews who fled the Russian pogroms and the Russian draft (Russo-Japanese war). My cousin was best known in the 1930's as Harry "the Horse" Danning, an all star catcher for the NY Giants before WW II called him away. He fought against the Nazis in WW II, fought for freedom and against those who were trying to destroy Judaism. Eventually he married a non-Jewish woman and settled in Indiana where he lived out his days. What would Harry Danning think of being considered an insignificant minority by the state government of Indiana?

Let us never forget that this nation was founded by people FLEEING monolithic religious/state systems. Let us never forget that in many colonies, before the establishment of the United States with its Cosntitution, where there were anti-Catholic laws. This nation is NOT and NEVER was intended to be a Christian nation. Even if 100% of all Americans were Christian, this would NOT be a Christian nation because our Constitution wisely forbids it. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Atheists, Agnostics, and a variety of other groups are all legitimately and loyally American and the view of Indiana's legislature is insulting to all of us. In fact, Indiana's legislature is insulting our Constitution and our Founding Fathers.

And yet theocracy is slowly creeping up on us. The military-industrial state system is becoming increasingly Christian, even to the point of questioning the loyalty of non-Christians and calling our wars "crusades."

The original posting that I quote created a wave of letters to Brian Bosma's office, forcing him to issue an apology to the Jewish community of Indiana. DON'T THINK YOUR LETTERS DON'T HAVE AN EFFECT.

But another effect of this story has been an increse of support for a Democratic challenger against Bosma. He is being challenged by the President of the Hamilton County Democrats, Susan Fuldauer. She just announced a couple of weeks ago and is just getting her website off the ground. I strongly urge everyone to give a donation to help Susan Fuldauer defeat a Republican who seemed to believe that America should be a Christian nation led by Christian prayer. If Susan's website isn't up yet, you can send a contribution to:

Committee to Elect Susan Fuldauer, 6284 Rucker Rd., Suite A, Indpls., IN 46220