Southern History Month 2019: The Time John Rankin Gave E. Michael Edelstein a Heart Attack

Should we criticize the Jews?

There is a diversity of opinion on the subject. I’m of view that the 3.0 movement should focus on destroying political correctness which has made our culture stupid and toxic and incapable of rationally debating all kinds of important issues in public affairs like, say, our unwavering support for Israel or the power that our aging Jewish oligarchy wields over our politics in general.

There are many reasons for this some of which are religious, some of which are cultural and others temperamental. Martin Luther certainly never held back from criticizing Jews. Neither did our Southern ancestors who until the Boomer generation never put the Jews up on a pedestal. They criticized everyone in their society whether it was Jews, Catholics, Yankees, blacks or even themselves.

Political correctness is a cultural straightjacket. I think everyone should the liberty and free speech and cultural room to criticize anyone they want. I don’t mind when people me in the comments. I don’t really care when some people criticize the South either because some of their criticisms are probably valid. The vast majority of the country would rather not walk on eggshells all the time and cease policing their utterances all because of a small group of miserable, hypersensitive people.

In 1941, Rep. John Rankin of Mississippi criticized Rep. E. Michael Edelstein of New York over the efforts of his tribe to drag the United States into World War II. Edelstein got so triggered by Rankin that he collapsed and died of a heat attack on the floor of Congress:

“A heated debate on the House floor over charges by Rep. John A. Rankin that the Jews were seeking to drag the United States into war had a tragic climax early this afternoon when Rep. M. Michael Edelstein died of a heart attack a few minutes after giving a fervent reply to the accusation.

The debate began when Rankin (Dem. No.) loudly charged that “Wall Street bankers and international Jews” were dragging the country into war. The speech threw the House into turmoil. Edelstein (Den., N.Y.) who was 55 years old and had been suffering from an ailing heart for some time, managed to get the floor and received unanimous consent to answer Rankin. When Edelstein finished speaking, he was cheered. He left the House Chamber, collapsed in a chair in the Speaker’s lobby and died.

The New York Congressmen’s last words in the House were: “Mr. Speaker–Hitler started out by speaking about ‘Jewish brethren.’ It is becoming the play and work of those people who want to demagogues to speak about their ‘Jewish brethren’ and ‘international bankers’

“The last speaker (Rankin), speaking about international bankers, coupled them with ‘their Jewish brethren.’ The fact of the matter is that the number of Jewish bankers in the United States is infinitesimal. It is also a fact that the meeting which took place yesterday on the steps of the Sub-Treasury was entirely controlled by persons other than Jewish bankers.

“I deplore the idea that any time anything happens, whether it be for a war policy or against a war policy, men in this House and outside this House attempt to use the Jews as their scapegoat. I say it is unfair and I say it is un-American. As a member of this House I deplore the allegations because we are living in a democracy. All men are created equal regardless of race, creed or color. Whether a man be a Jew or a Gentile he may think what he deems fit.”

Edelstein’s speech was in reply to the following statement by Rankin, who obtained permission to “revise and extend” his remarks just after the House had convened:

“Mr. Speaker–Wall Street and a little group of our international Jewish brethren are still attempting to harass the President of the United States into plunging us into the European war, and at the same time Communistic elements throughout the country are fomenting strikes, harassing industry and blowing down the defense program.

“The international bankers are so afraid of this peace movement now going on in England–This peace movement now going on behind the lines might take root and this catastrophe brought to a close before they can get us into it–that on yesterday they held a rally in Wall Street and Wall Street bankers made a plea to that effect.

“If Great Britain gets terms of peace that will leave her empire and navy intact, we ought not to stand in her way. We ought to let the world know now, we ought to let the British people know now that we are not going to plunge into this war and send an army to fight on European soil.”

Rankin refused to release the stenographer’s text of his remarks for use by the press until after he had “revised” it. He did not give any outward evidence of being perturbed by Edelstein’s death.

The House adjourned a few minutes after Edelstein’s death. …”

Now, I don’t wish death on anyone.

I’m bring this up because I WISH that we had the ability to have an honest discussion on the floor of Congress about American foreign policy and the power and influence of AIPAC and a tiny number of wealthy Jewish donors have over our foreign policy. In fact, I think it is becoming increasingly obvious under Blompf that a reckoning is coming on that antiquated taboo.

There used to be room in the Democratic Party for proud White Southerners like Rep. John Rankin who criticized Jews and who were a counterweight to their suffocating influence:

REP. JOHN RANKIN OF MISSISSIPPI NAMES THE WARMONGERS

REP. JOHN RANKIN OF MISSISSIPPI VOTES FOR TVA

REP. JOHN RANKIN OF MISSISSIPPI (LEFT) WITH FDR SIGNING THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION ACT

REP. JOHN RANKIN OF MISSISSIPPI SERVED SIXTEEN TERMS IN CONGRESS

Note: Those people began to leave the Democratic Party after World War II. Maybe it is time for the descendants of Southern populists like Rankin to come back?