In the Sept. 1, 2017 edition of the New York Law Journal, Sol Wachtler, New York state’s former Chief Judge, wrote an article titled “Be Careful What You Wish For.” The article addressed his concern over the debate regarding statues, monuments and memorials that honored Confederate general’s and the nation’s founding fathers.
While the topic is certainly worthy of speech and debate, Professor Wachtler strays far from the relevant argument when he attempts to equate Reverend Al Sharpton to the neo-Nazi marchers that marched, demonstrated and rioted in Charlottesville, Va. last month. By attempting to equate Sharpton and the Charlottesville marchers, he diminishes the importance of the bigger issue he may have wanted to raise and debate. Perhaps, as is always the case, Professor Wachtler went for what was sexy as to opposed to what may have been meaningful. Clearly, to throw Sharpton into any argument and combine it with the words Crown Heights and Jews, you will find many who will publish because it’s Sharpton and therefore it is newsworthy. But the issues of Charlottesville, the Confederacy, racism, anti-Semitism, and American history are all enormously important and worthy of discussion.
