Meet the man defending anti-Semitism after the Jersey City massacre (Opinion)

Before today, John Flora seemed like another vapid Democrat just looking looking to find a footing in New Jersey politics. Blah blah blah. They’re a dime a dozen here in New Jersey. A hack from Jersey City. A typical Democrat with the typical Democratic talking points who is running for election to the U.S. House to represent New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District and trying (obviously very desperately) to unseat Donald Payne Jr. and to make some noise. Well, I’m making some, too.

When Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, Gov. Phil Murphy, and school board president Sudhan Thomas called for Jersey City school Board official Joan Terrell-Paige to resign in response to her disgusting comments after the Jersey City massacre in which two Jews, a store employee and a Jersey City policeman were killed in an anti-Semitic shooting, I never expected that she actually would.

Terrell-Paige’s now removed Facebook comment — “Where was all this faith and hope when black homeowners were threatened, intimidated and harassed by I WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE brutes of the Jewish community” — isn’t enough to really anger people, I suppose. Oh, and she publicly stood by her comments.

I knew that people would be wishy-washy and not decry her disgusting comments. I also knew that she wouldn’t resign. With both anti-Semitism and political correctness at an all-time high, it’s no wonder that a female black official will win the political tip-off against what the world considers to be defenseless, passive and yet, somehow at the same time, “brutal” Jews. There’s no contest.

Back to John Flora. Before today, I thought he was just one of those guys, one of those wannabes. But now I know he’s a rabble rouser. The most dangerous kind. And I also know that we cannot allow him anywhere near the U.S. Congress.

John Flora went out of his way to defend Terrell-Paige’s inarguably anti-Semitic remarks.

If I thought it was just to get his name in the headlines It would be damaging enough. To stoke the flames of hatred and bigotry that already exists is sickening enough. But Flora actually believes those remarks. For this obviously inexperienced and possibly unhinged politician.

I’ve concluded that Flora didn’t go out of his way to support such vile and spurious rhetoric at such a sensitive time simply for publicity. (He seems not even savvy enough to have thought that deeply into it.) I genuinely believe that he thought her opinions not really offensive at all, but rather simply a commentary about what we all really “know” about Jews and “how they are.”

All of his quotes are in the article are linked here but what it boils down to is this: No. 1, Flora rationalizes the use of the word “Brutes” to describe Jews. And 2, Flora explains in detail why Terrell-Paige's words are, in a way, true. The most offensive thing he said to defend her bigotry was, “Tragedies happen all the time in certain areas of Jersey City without any national attention.”

As if to say, “why are we making such a big deal of this?“

Read the rest of the hateful rhetoric he spews. And read between the lines. Because the subtext of what he says is pure unadulterated anti-Semitism. Another winner: When referring to Terrell-Paige’s comments in which she seems to countenance the shootings, he says “to me her remarks were an invitation for the entire city to discuss honestly what led up to such a horrific event," as if there is something that would justify it. Flora went on to say, “There is a lingering resentment in certain transitioning neighborhoods that I’m not sure repeated sit-downs with the same community leaders will ever resolve.” Oh! Ok, John. Now that you mention the lingering resentment, I guess I can understand why the murderers had to do what they did.

So, yeah, what Flora is trying to say is that while yes, it’s sad that Jews got killed, blacks have a lot of problems, too, and they’ve had to suffer at the hands of Jews for years. Oh, wait a minute. I don’t even think he called it sad. Maybe I missed it.

Just your basic primer on the facts according to Flora, Terrell-Paige and their ilk: We (Jews) are, in fact, brutes. Black people had to suffer at our hands for many years. Hence, we kind of deserved it.

I’d love to ask John Flora what would happen if we substituted “Muslims” or “blacks” before the word “brutes” and if a quick resignation would ensue. And would he have a shot at being elected if he defended THAT??

I get it that most people did not even decry the original anti-Semitic comments. People know that we as Jews generally don’t carry guns, we’re not prone to anger and revolt, we’re basically non-violent. Look how easy it was to annihilate 6 million of us. Most of us just try to keep our heads down, our families safe and do as much good in the world as we possibly can.

As Jews, we are used to being hated. There’s nothing new here. But this is DAYS after the bloodbath that got us all in the gut. Days after Douglas Rodriguez, Leah Minda Ferencz and Moshe Hersh Deutch and Detective Joseph Seals were murdered in cold blood. To even imply that there’s an understandable reason for this is unconscionable. For him to defend inconsiderate and hateful remarks in the immediate aftermath of it and then double down with his own is so unseemly that it’s not only inappropriate but it truly makes me think that this guy is a little—how do I put it—“off.”

Do we really need another one of these in Congress?

There’s nothing we can do about Terrell-Paige. We have no control over the Jersey City school board. And I’m sure her proud hatred will get swept under the rug. We do, however, have control over who gets elected to Congress. On the basis of his comments, John Flora has proven that he is unqualified to serve as dogcatcher, no less a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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