Letter to New York Times re Pittsburgh by Merton Shill October 30, 2018 6:38 AM
I have just sent this letter off to the NYT:

Some television commentators (for example, on CNN and MSNBC) on the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre have suggested that this gunman-and others– who act on anti-Semitic tropes are mentally disturbed. There has been no editorial response from the Times about this serious misunderstanding –or convenient self-deception. This event occurred because of active anti-Semitic hatred amongst both the perpetrator and the chorus of enablers who have been modeling various forms of hatred under this president, including anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has had a distinguished history for 3000 years. It has its own internal logic and appeal. Some perpetrators of anti-Semitic acts are mentally ill, many are not. Were all Germans in the Third Reich who supported or condoned Hitler’s policy of Jewish extermination mentally ill? Was Cicero? Was Martin Luther mentally ill? Father Coughlin? Henry Ford?

Merton A. Shill, JD. LLM., PhD., FIPA. 924 Baldwin Avenue, Suite C Ann Arbor MI 48104 734-662.0294 www.mertonshillpsychologist.com