Ted Nugent's Anti-Semitic Posts Drawing Widespread Criticism
Adding to his checkered past of racist, hate-filled comments, Ted Nugent is now serving up a repugnant dose of anti-Semitism, blaming prominent Jewish leaders for pushing gun control.
In a Facebook post聽on Monday, Nugent posted a photo collage of a dozen politicians and civic leaders with an Israeli flag and a conspiratorial or hate-filled comment superimposed over each.
鈥淜now these punks,鈥� Nugent posted. 鈥淭hey hate freedom, they hate good over evil, they would deny us the basic human right to self defense & to KEEP & BEAR ARMS while many of them have tax paid hired ARMED security! Know them well. Tell every1 you know how evil they are. Let us raise maximum hell to shut them down!鈥�
He described former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who鈥檚 now considering a presidential bid, as 鈥淛ew York City mayor Mikey Bloomberg.鈥�
Nugent labeled Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., as a 鈥淕lobalist political agent鈥� and contended that the late New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg 鈥淕ave Russian Jew immigrants your tax money.鈥�
As part of his continuing anti-Semitic rampage, Nugent on Tuesday posted a follow-up Facebook post, saying Jews killed by Nazis in World War II were 鈥渟oulless sheep to slaughter.鈥�
His anti-Semitic Facebook postings are drawing considerable criticism from Jewish gun-owners, including those who are members of the National Rifle Association. Nugent remains on the NRA Board of Directors, despite repeated calls for his removal.
Meantime, two of the nation鈥檚 prominent Jewish organizations, the Anti-Defamation League and the Simon Wiesenthal Center have issued statements denouncing Nugent鈥檚 blatant anti-Semitism.
The also is weighing in, renewing calls for the NRA to kick Nugent off its board of directors.
鈥淭he NRA likes to bill itself as the 鈥榦ldest civil rights organization in the United States.鈥欌�� The coalition posted on its web site. 鈥淚f they want to wear that mantle it鈥檚 time for them to walk the walk and end their relationship with Ted Nugent immediately.鈥�
鈥淭ell the National Rifle Association: Enough is enough. Publicly repudiate Ted Nugent鈥檚 racist rhetoric and remove him from your Board of Directors.
The ADL took the fight to Nugent鈥檚 Facebook page where it posted this statement:
鈥淭his is nothing short of conspiratorial anti-Semitism. Regardless of one鈥檚 views on gun control, this kind of scape-goating of an entire religious group is completely unacceptable and completely divorced from reality.鈥�
鈥淚t should go without saying that anti-Semitism has no place in the gun control debate,鈥� the ADL statement said.
It said Nugent 鈥渟hould be ashamed for promoting anti-Semitic content鈥� and urged him to immediately remove the post from his Facebook page.
鈥淲e hope that good people on both sides of the gun control debate will reject his tactics and his message,鈥� the ADL statement said.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center鈥檚 associate dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, issued a statement saying: 鈥淣ugent has every right to advocate against gun control laws. However, he won鈥檛 be getting a free pass for his anti-Semitic bigotry.鈥�
鈥淭here are Jews on both sides of the gun control controversy and Nugent knows it,鈥� Cooper said, demanding an apology to the Jewish community. 鈥淗e owes our community an apology. He can start by removing the offensive graphic and if he won鈥檛, we urge Facebook to do it for him."
Two prominent racists wasted no time in racing to Nugent's defense, showing聽signs they apparently closely follow his Facebook page to savor his unrelenting聽brand of racism.
Mathew Heimbach, a leader of the white nationalist Traditionalist Youth Network, posted聽a comment saying, "The fact that this is true is proved by the fact the ADL showed up to聽try to "Shut It Down."
Appearing to taunt the ADL, the聽 youthful neo-Nazi said, "Guess what ADL?聽 We already know,聽you cannot stop the Truth."
Not to be outdone, legendary racist David Duke chimed in, saying Nugent was being called聽anti-Semitic "for saying that Jews lead the effort to take away our guns!"
"If he is anti-Semitic so are all the Jewish organizations that boast of the fact that they lead聽the effort, including the ADL which called him an anti-Semite."
"If Jews have a problem with the truth, then the truth is ... Anti-Semitic!" Duke said.
Individuals also were blasting Nugent on his own Facebook page.
鈥淎s a religious Jew who testified with you in the Michigan Senate for relaxing gun laws and strengthening the 2nd Amendment, I'm absolutely disgusted but not at all surprised that you are showing what I always suspected: that you are a Jew-hater and a piece of crap,鈥澛� an individual identifying herself as Debbie Schlussel posted.
鈥淚'm sickened you invoke the slogan of Jewish Holocaust survivors, "Never Again" in mockery. Go to hell, a------!鈥� Schlussel wrote.
Another an individual identifying himself as David Levy posted on Nugent鈥檚 page: 鈥淚 call total f------ bullshit here, I am jewish, conservative gun owner, this is just f------ hate. I've always supported you but f--- you Ted, lets run for generalizations, Many more christian lib gun haters, you sank low here, what's next swaztikas?鈥�
