Several years and what seems like a lifetime ago, I was a member of a Facebook group for essay writers.
In this group for essayists, members were invited to share their work and that of others they found of interest. The group, I should say, was not politically diverse, but, like many progressive writing groups, prided itself on being protected spaces for marginalized voices.
Around the time of Trump's election and the coinciding increased attention to anti-racist education, progressive writers were reckoning with what it means to be aware of prejudice and how that manifests across all spheres.
Because I am a curious person, I consumed a lot of material on racism, bias, discrimination and more. In the back of my mind, I wondered how Antisemitism and my own experiences as a Jew fit into all this.
Indeed, I recall a Facebook post commenting on something to do with (I think?) problematic real estate practices perpetuated by White landlords. The details aren't really the point. The point was that the White folks involved weren't just White, they were Jewish; a detail that was worth mentioning as the context was needed to understand the long history between this particular sect and the community in which they reside.
That's a discussion for another day. What's relevant here is that when a White, non-Jewish progressive decided to comment back, “well Jews are White,” I responded rather unkindly.
BTW even if many Jews appear to be and may be considered White, many are definitely not white, and claiming “all Jews are White,” erases the experience of Jews of Color.
Soon after, I came across an essay by a queer, American or Canadian writer of Asian descent. They spoke about how they called out prejudice behavior and asked if progressives need to reconsider the language we use in correcting and challenging such behavior, particularly when that behavior is coming from people who genuinely want to learn. It wasn't an anti-woke tirade from the likes of Matt Walsh, but rather, what I thought was, a reasonable argument that made me think about my own behavior in calling out Antisemitism.
So, I shared the essay (unfortunately, I can't remember the author or title to link here) in my essay group. Looking back, I wish I added more context, namely how it resonated with me as a Jew, but I wanted the essay to speak for itself. I honestly thought it would be met, with some comments of mild interest, or even not much at all. It wasn't, to my mind, saying anything that controversial or even original for that matter.
But, holy hell, was I wrong.
As soon as I shared it the backlash was swift. It was immediately seen as a call to silence marginalized voices and a cry for tone policing. I was kicked out of the group as was anyone who liked the post.
I don't begrudge this decision. The group mods had the right to run things as they see fit, and nobody owed me a place in that space. I also don't fault anyone for being angry about what I shared.
I fault myself for thinking that a reasonable debate on a topic that resonates with progressive writers would be possible.
I fault myself for believing that was still possible, even today.
I fault myself for falling into an us vs. them mentality that stifles healthy dialog.
For instance, not long ago, I was an active member of another writing group that was much more politically diverse than the aforementioned essay group. This group included a small number of writers who were vocally anti-trans and homophobic. Though their views weren't platformed widely, their presence in the group was problematic for some, and I was among those who decided to leave the group for this reason.
In that group I could have stayed and attempted to educate, but I didn't.
In the other, I was forced out because people didn't want to hear other perspectives.
Both experiences, I have since learned are rooted in the sort of dogmatic self-righteousness that has dominated leftist spaces for years. (I assume the same happens on the right.)
There are moments when I think productive debate is still possible, but mostly I have given up. At the same time, I am accepting that I don't have to fit into a neat box that checks off every requirement needed to be called progressive.
Progress means growth, and that's what I strive to do, even if many of my peers remain halted in their ideology.