Jamaal Bowman Won't Acknowledge His Own Rhetoric

When he is not pulling fire alarms under false pretenses, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) seems perfectly happy to set fires. 

According to the Free Beacon, on Thursday morning, it was discovered that two Jewish-owned businesses in Bowman's district had been defaced with black spray paint with the words "Genocide supporter." The two stores are located in the Golden Horseshoe Shopping Plaza, across the Jewish Community Center of Mid-Westchester. Both stores have signs that say "We Stand with Israel."

BREAKING - New Rochelle police are now investigating hate-fueled vandalism at a local store selling women’s clothing. Let us know if you shop here. [email protected]@News12WC pic.twitter.com/sV1X6DmEa8

— Tara Rosenblum (@tararosenblum) January 25, 2024

Later that day, Bowman performed a shameless stunt that masqueraded as a heartfelt press release, full of what Mark Twain called "tears and flapdoodle."

This morning, my team and I received reports of graffiti at the Golden Horseshoe shopping center in Scarsdale on a Jewish-owned store and we will continue to monitor the situation. While we await more information, we have sent a team member to the store to look at the area. Let me be clear: I strongly condemn antisemitic actions that target Jewish Americans because of their religion or conflate the actions of the Israeli government with our Jewish neighbors. Throughout history, vandalism has been used to target and harass Jewish communities, and the use of vandalism today against Jewish-owned shops here in our district is unacceptable. There is no place for vandalism or violence anywhere in our communities.

As we witness horrific tragedies unfold and see a rise in hatred across the world, it is more important than ever to remember that Jewish Americans are not responsible for the actions of the Israeli government, just as Arab Americans are not responsible for the actions of Hamas. Our communities must come together in times of pain and grief to protect each other’s safety as we engage in hard conversations grounded in truth. Stoking divisions and hatred only prevents us from working towards our collective liberation. Instead, we must center our actions and conversations in truth, empathy, and our shared humanity as we work to protect human rights around the world and promote peace. (sic)

That is certainly soaring, uniting rhetoric. It almost could leave one with a tear in one's eye were it not for the cheap shot at Israel in the second paragraph. And this rant by Bowman in November:

Rep. Jamaal Bowman accuses Israel of genocide and ethnic cleansing in the war against Hamas in Gaza.

“We have all read about genocides.. I cannot believe I'm living through one,” he added, “and the U.S. government is condoning it and being complicit.”pic.twitter.com/alBxv5P3dw

— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) November 30, 2023

Yep. Nothing says "unity" quite like teaming up with Rashida Tlaib. Linking arms with an anti-American anti-Semite is the fastest way to heal a nation and bind up its wounds. 

I realize that is only a matter of days or even hours before the acts of vandalism are linked to white supremacy and the MAGA movement. I'll give you 90 to 1 odds that they already have been. But the graffiti echoes Bowman's own words, not to mention those of Tlaib and a whole host of Leftists. Of course, a salient point here is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. 

I've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Many years ago, during an interview, Civil War historian Shelby Foote opined that, during the Civil Rights era, the reason that Klan and others were permitted to harass the Freedom Riders, the people at lunch counters, and the marchers was because while the elites at the time were all for segregation and Jim Crow laws, they wanted to keep their hands ostensibly clean of any actual crimes. According to Foote, the prevailing mentality was, "Let our riff-raff take care of that riff-raff."

So Bowman is employing an old tactic used by demagogues throughout history. Plant a seed, and when the bitter fruit emerges, shed crocodile tears, feign outrage, and imply your innocence. He savored his moment in front of the camera and dropped the word "genocide" without caring about the consequences. And someone in his district believed him.   

Of course, it may well be that Bowman had no idea that words carry weight and that someone would actually do something so heinous. And there is no evidence that his words directly contributed to this incident. But, then again, Bowman would also have us believe that he doesn't know how a fire alarm works. He is a grown man and a sitting member of Congress. He knows the power of words and ideas. 

The faces, places, and names may change. The stated ideals and objectives may change. But the politics of ambition, power, and hate are constants.