To the editor:
President Trump claims to be fighting anti-semitism by threatening to withhold $400 million dollars in grants for medical research and training from Columbia University.
The university has knuckled under and modified student speech and Mideast Studies policies. Over 50 universities are being targeted in this way.
He is also executing extrajudicial incarceration of legal immigrant students with this rationale as well. At the same time, according to the March 20th Enterprise, Congressman Bergman’s spokesperson explains his refusal to attend recent townhall meetings with the antisemitic trope that George Soros is funding them.
This is, of course, a play to the anti-semitic prejudice that wealthy Jews run the world. Mr. Soros’ Open Society Foundations does worldwide funding of organizations promoting democracy, including Indivisible. Wealthy people of all stripes do fund causes that are important to them. Here in Michigan the DeVoses fund conservative causes, the Strykers liberal ones.
Elon Musk has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars into recent Republican elections. The only reason to specifically call out Mr. Soros is to raise an anti-semitic flag.
Dating back to 2017, Mr. Bergman has avoided townhall meetings. In doing so he has long been dismissive and disrespectful of hisconstituentswho may disagree with his positions on issues.
His stooping to hateful rhetoric as an excuse is cowardly and needs to be called out.
Jim Schwantes Cedar
