Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) has come under fire for anti-Semitic comments in the past. During an interview with on "The Daily Show," Omar explained how she never tried to be anti-Semitic but she understands how her comments could be deemed anti-Semitic. The most interesting aspect: Omar compares her being blind to her anti-Semitism to white people who don't understand they have "white privilege."
There are so many things wrong with this interaction.
1) If Omar was truly interested in learning how to change her ways and her thinking, she would come out and say, "I'm an anti-Semite but I don't want to be. Can you please help me?" She would be upfront and honest about it. She wouldn't be so wishy washy about where she stands. And she wouldn't make an excuse for why she thinks the way she does.
2) Again, if she was truly interested in "overcoming her ways" she wouldn't have taken so long to come to this realization. It wouldn't have taken all of the public backlash she's received.
3) Why does every conversation revert to "white privilege?" We could have two people who grew up in the same exact neighborhood under the same exact circumstances, the one difference being the color of their skin. If they're both given the same college education and the white kid succeeds then it's because of his skin color. What happened to equality of opportunity? Why does everything have to revert back to race? And at one point do we, as a society, reject the idea that race is the greatest underlying force behind someone's success? Thought all of that was supposed to end when President Obama became America's leader.
On Thursday, @IlhanMN made a crucially important point about antisemitism on @TheDailyShow: Just as white folks have to unlearn white privilege, non-Jews have to unlearn antisemitism—and that can be a process.
— IfNotNow?? (@IfNotNowOrg) February 2, 2019
Thank you, Ilhan, for your vulnerability about your process. pic.twitter.com/0PnVWptxvh