Re: “,” Sept. 1 Marc A. Thiessen column.
You published a column by Marc A. Thiessen that claimed, falsely, that the John Birch Society was anti-Semitic.
First, let’s set the record straight. The John Birch Society is not and never has been anti-Semitic. When the California Senate investigated in the early 1960s, it concluded that “our investigations have disclosed no evidence of anti-Semitism on the part of anyone connected with the John Birch Society in California, and much evidence to the effect that it opposes racism in all forms.” Considering the prominent Jewish leaders on the society’s National Council, that was obvious. The society has always expelled any anti-Semitic infiltrators.
Secondly, the column praises William F. Buckley for having allegedly “excommunicated” the John Birch Society from the “respectable right.” Ironically, Buckley wrote that whites, as the “advanced race,” had every right to deny blacks the vote. The John Birch Society, meanwhile, published the work of black members and expelled racists.
Let’s deal in facts.
Alex Newman, Coral Gables, Fla.
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