DEAR WEHO: Supreme Court decision dims heroism of history

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To the Editor,

Last week’s Supreme Court 303 Creative v. Elenis ruling brought back for me a memory from my childhood in the Netherlands. We had a neighbor named Anna Holst. She was the most decent, brave, and courageous person I ever met. She was not a bystander to the Nazi terror. She was a “devout Catholic” who could easily have sat out the war in comfort. She would tell me stories about the dark days of WW II.

When the Nazis marched into the Netherlands, they started “by law” to make Dutch Jews second-class citizens. One day, when I was maybe nine years old, she took me by the hand, and we climbed a steep staircase which led to the attic. There, behind a secret wall in the maid’s room, was a hiding place. That’s where THEY had to hide. Over the war years Anna Holst sheltered eighteen of her Jewish friends and neighbors in her home. She knew of her fellow citizens who had already been deported for “resettlement” in Eastern Europe. She knew the same fate awaited them all if they were discovered. She was scared that any night the Gestapo (tipped off by their many collaborators) might once more search her house in the middle of the night.

At night, she would sit for hours on the stairway landing. Three rings on a nearby bell press there meant that everyone had to clear rapidly out their rooms and immediately go to the hiding place. “Why did these people have to hide,” I asked her. The invariable response was that she would tell me when I was older. After the war, she neither asked for nor received any official recognition for her incredible bravery. I do remember her receiving huge crates of Jaffa oranges from Israel.

Years ago, I had a conversation with Simon Wiesenthal after the publication of The Sunflower. He expounded on his famous admonition about a society’s response to a possible resurgence of fascism: The schools would fail through their silence, the Church through its forgiveness, and the home through the denial and silence of the parents.

West Hollywood has historically been a haven for oppressed citizens from all over the world: the LGBTQ+ community of America, Holocaust survivors and their children, people who sought political asylum from oppressive regimes and immigrants who seek to raise their children in a safe environment.

Attempts to destabilize our democracy have become a national phenomenon, not just to those minorities who have made West Hollywood their home. In all post-WW II Europe countries, the number of Nazi collaborators whose suppressed hatred and violence was stirred up by Nazi propaganda has been grossly underestimated.

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The Simon Wiesenthal Center recently described the surges in anti-Semitic violence between 2021 and 2023: incidents of physical assault jumped by more than a quarter, with more than half targeting Orthodox Jews. Acts of vandalism surged by 51%, and harassment rose by 29%.

In Florida, Gov. DeSantis signed a slate of extreme anti-LGBTQ+ bills, enacting a record-shattering number of discriminatory measures into law. [He] has also signed SB 266, which doubles down on his attacks on academic freedom……….

The current Supreme Court abnegates any responsibility for their corrupt private actions. They appear indifferent to the vast-reaching consequences of their flawed rulings. These seem to originate in a reactionary arrogance with leanings to theocracy. No matter how well-versed they may be in the letter of the law, they eschew a sense of humanity and the Spirit of the Law. That is why such an increasing number of Americans disapprove of their immoral personal conduct. Their societal rulings are not issueless. The majority of this court is clearly incapable of divorcing their personal religious identities (as they themselves describe them) to reflect judicial probity. Several justices are “regular attendees at Mass;” Kavanaugh is an “active Catholic;” while Comey-Barrett describes herself as a “faithful Catholic.” (!) God is love.

What a contrast with the heroic and devout Catholic actions of Anna Holst! Today, eighty years after the heroic life of Anna Holst, we have a Supreme Court that would eventually drive minorities of whom they personally disapprove of into darkness. After all, that’s why they were placed on this court: to advance the divisive agenda of a disgraced ex-president, “in imitatio Trump” rather than “in imitatio Christi.” To again quote Mr. Wiesenthal, “Tolerance and human rights require each other.” Their ruling on the phantom 303 Creative v. Elenis case allows right-wing extremists a disproportionate (at present) platform to publicly denounce LGBTQ+ and other communities they oppose. This recent majority Supreme Court majority ruling will embolden more vile and discriminatory behavior. They, and all their supporters, are personally accountable for every injustice and hate crime that will still be committed in America. These people disregard the spirit of the law: measure by measure their acts sanction Americans to drive others into darkness or to be mere bystanders to discrimination and violence. This court twists the Constitution so that it is no longer a living document of the people. After all, in the murderous centuries of history, a majority of this Court still degrades God’s creation.

Anna Holst’s proudest moment came when the liberating Canadian troops were entering our town as soldiers walked alongside their tanks. She held up the child whom she had sheltered for a year and exclaimed with the greatest joy, “he is a Jew.” Let us, too, work to bring bright sunlight to those dark places to which others are trying to consign us and not ever allow hatred to prevail.

Alexander J. Kekesi,
West Hollywood

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Sheila Kay
Sheila Kay
1 year ago

The 303 Creative v. Elenis ruling, as Mr. Kekesi points out, should be a clarion call for vigilance against increased discriminatory practices against vulnerable communities.  We need to be concerned about the implications of this ruling because of how it will be used to further a worldview of some, while it suppresses those others. This will “eventually drive minorities of whom they personally disapprove of into darkness.” We need only look at the state of Florida and how educators there can be punished for discussing LGBTQ topics in schools, or the surge in recent years of book banning and censorship… Read more »

Gimmeabreak
Gimmeabreak
1 year ago

There is something narcissistic about those who think everything that happens is about them. Nothing that has happened in Florida nor on the Supreme Court threatens your rights. None of your presumed intentions of theirs or your predictions for what is ahead because of them are in any way at all even near accurate.

Outraged
Outraged
1 year ago

West Hollywood used to be a haven for LGBT people, juice, immigrants, Artist, and others. It was a progressive Haven. The city was actually found it on those principles. But when you have vapid, ignorant, and confident, self-serving, and most of all, vindictive city council members like that vile SEPTIC Shyne, “serving“ the city of West Hollywood only long enough to propel her own personal financial and political ambitions, that flies in the face of the very founding principles that the city was established on. Shame on West Hollywood for becoming the moneygrubbing, commercial, disgusting masturbation of the capitalist model… Read more »

Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago

The government can’t force people to do things they disagree with doing, that’s literal fascism!

Hot take.

Florida bans showing porn to elementary school children, it’s an attack on LGBTQπR^2!

Hotter take.

The Supreme Court is indifferent to the feelings of various parties and is only concerned if the laws are operating as written, and not in violation of the United States Constitution! NAZIS!

Hottest take.

Do you understand…anything? No, no you do not.

Outraged
Outraged
1 year ago

What did you just say? That Florida “bands showing pornography to kids“?? Is that what do you think they were doing? Are you really that ignorant? Do you really think showing porn to elementary school children actually happened? Or that it would happen? You are too dangerously ignorant to walk the streets. You need to be put away for being a danger to others. I’ve never heard such a vile assertion, or one filled with more ignorance and hatred than what you just said with that. Here is one for you: Go to your doctor. I hope they have news… Read more »

Harambe’s Vengeful Ghost
Harambe’s Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago
Reply to  Outraged

Ok groomer

Gimmeabreak
Gimmeabreak
1 year ago
Reply to  Outraged

What you’re calling a “vile assertion” is exactly what was happening. Pornographic reading material was found in many of Florida’s public schools, including in elementary schools. There were no guidelines as to what was appropriate so Desantis set them. Even high school libraries and classroom reading material had highly sexualized books that were often required reading. Teachers were frequently quite open about their intent to groom, often revealed in TikTok vids where they probably thought it would never be brought to light. In your ignorance I suggest you reconsider your sources for news which have betrayed you. Your last sentence… Read more »

C.R.
C.R.
1 year ago
Reply to  Gimmeabreak

Just for laughs, tell me the titles of the “pornographic reading material found in many of Florida’s schools, including elementary schools,” you refer to here. You’re obviously very well informed, this should be no problem for you.

Gimmeabreak
Gimmeabreak
1 year ago
Reply to  C.R.

Nope! No problem at all! Of course you could have done exactly what I did and saved yourself from looking really foolish.

C.R.
C.R.
1 year ago
Reply to  Gimmeabreak

You provided links which reference all of four pieces of literature, and your links have no references to elementary school students, and the materials are considered reading material for teens. The title Flamer is absolutely not pornographic, it’s nothing more than a normal depiction of juvenile behavior based on what’s shown. I would have to wonder how Pollyanna-esque anyone’s childhood was to consider that pornographic. The book It’s Perfectly Normal has a now long track record for being challenged and those challenges appear unsubstantiated Banned Books 2022 – It’s Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health –… Read more »

Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago
Reply to  C.R.

If you open any of those books up on YouTube, and try to show the content therein, your video will be taken down and marked as pornography or child pornography. Yet somehow it’s ok to show to an elementary school class.

But tell me more about how you and your homie above think I should have cancer because I’m against *checks notes* grooming boys into getting onto Grindr and having sex with adult men. (That’s in This Book is Gay)

C.R.
C.R.
1 year ago

Hmmm, could it be that those videos on Youtube you refer to are being heavily flagged by people like yourself, thus leading to their removal? Nah, that couldn’t be happening. But regarding This Book is Gay (another title aimed at tenagers), well this piece I found on Youtube for you covers everything I would have said in response to your reference in the book. I haven’r read it myself but it seems to be including a reference to be cautious about app and online activity. That’s good advice, no? ‘This Book is Gay’ school review – YouTube

Gimmeabreak
Gimmeabreak
1 year ago
Reply to  C.R.

I did a quick search and grabbed the first two of a long list. There are vids of parents speaking at school board meetings who are outraged at the reading material provided to their children, and sometimes required, that the parents read aloud at a microphone to the members of the school board that is so explicit that the school board stops the parents from reading further. It has happened at all levels from elementary to secondary. Convincing you of this does not interest me. Draw whatever conclusions you want but I’m not going to do the work to fill… Read more »

C.R.
C.R.
1 year ago
Reply to  Gimmeabreak

Well your link there has zero to do with any books in libraries, which was the point you were making and I wanted specifics about. I provided the other side of the story regarding those books and don’t find your claims to have any merit and are now dismissed. But I enjoyed how your totally unbiased source, the esteemed New York Post relied on a video with spooky music dubbed over it for fear mongering maximization. I asked for laughs, that was at least somewhat amusing.

Sanity Now
Sanity Now
1 year ago
Reply to  Outraged

Florida has it right.

Joshua88
Joshua88
1 year ago

This was a case about freedom of speech.

Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago
Reply to  Joshua88

Don’t you know that freedom of speech is literally Hitler?

Joshua88
Joshua88
1 year ago

Guess not.
Explain, please.

Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago
Reply to  Joshua88

According to the left, Hitler was a proponent of free speech, firearms ownership, private property rights, adversarial justice, and individual liberty. Just like George Washington and Antonin Scalia.

Outraged
Outraged
1 year ago
Reply to  Joshua88

No, it wasn’t. It was about trying to legalize discrimination against LGBT people from a business open to the public, based on a lie of a situation that did not actually happen in reality. Your name is Joshua? Are you Jewish? Do you believe in discrimination? That would be rather ironic if a Jew perpetuates discrimination, don’t you think?

myemail@gmail.com
myemail@gmail.com
1 year ago
Reply to  Outraged

you can determine someones ethnicity by their name? Wow!

Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
Harambe's Vengeful Ghost
1 year ago
Reply to  Outraged

As a Jew, I will say with absolute authority that plenty of Jews are discriminatory.

Indeed
Indeed
1 year ago

The SC decision and your charming story……have nothing in common with each other.

Steve Martin
Steve Martin
1 year ago
Reply to  Indeed

What I take away from this is that we as a society and a nation have options: we can stand up for our personal beliefs at the expense of others or we can take a broader view of our own self interest and find ways to live with those whose beliefs are different from our own. It is a lovingly written and thoughtful piece, a far cry from the self-serving drum beat often heard from City Hall. Thank you Alex for sharing.

Leslie Karliss
Leslie Karliss
1 year ago
Reply to  Steve Martin

Well said, Steve. As you say, it is a beautiful and thoughtful piece.