| |||||||||
June 30, 2009 | 2:35 pm
Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Neo-Nazis stretch of highway Photo: NYT
I found this gem last week and tucked it away, only to lose it when my bookmarked stories to blog got pushed by new ones into oblivion. But this story, one of those stranger-than-fiction dispatches, is worth bringing back from the grave. It concerns the Adopt-A-Highway program and the limits of free speech.
In Missouri, a neo-Nazi group adopted a half-mile stretch of Route 160. The state said it was powerless to prevent organizations from participating in the Adopt-A-Highway program on political grounds, regardless of how reprehensible their ideology is. (Really? I wonder what would happen if NAMBLA tried to get involved.) So lawmakers decided they would dedicate that stretch of highway to the great Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
And that has Heschel’s daughter, not to mention the neo-Nazis, upset:
“I don’t want Nazis stomping on a highway named for my father. What are they going to do then if they don’t pick up the litter? The whole thing is disgusting,” said Susannah Heschel, professor of Jewish history at Dartmouth College.
“It may be an attempt to teach the neo-Nazis a lesson, she said. But I think it’s an affront to my father’s dignity to attach his name to a neo-Nazi highway.”
(skip)
“I understand the good intentions,” Susannah Heschel said. “Everybody wants to get rid of racism…. But I don’t think it should be done this way.”
Representatives of the National Socialist movement in Missouri did not immediately return calls seeking comment about the legislation Sunday. But a statement on the movement’s Web site calls the renaming a lame attempt to insult National Socialist pro-environment/green policies.
The Web site has images of the Confederate flag, swastikas and members in military garb, and says the group fights for the rights of all White American citizens of European descent.
“We welcome this spineless legislation, as it will no doubt spur a backlash from the local people whom will wonder why anyone, especially outside Jewish agitators would attempt to disrespect local citizens that volunteer their time to clean local roads,” the statement said.
I’m not sure where these tale is headed, but you can read the rest of the AP’s initial report here.
After the jump, see what happens when Kramer adopted a highway and turned three lanes into two:
3.18.10 at 8:52 am | Domestication of dogs traced to Middle East . . .
3.18.10 at 5:12 am | . . .
3.17.10 at 2:32 pm | Grab a barf bowl . . .
3.17.10 at 12:57 pm | The ancient city is under siege . . .
3.16.10 at 11:17 am | These look treyf balls of dark chocolate look . . .
3.16.10 at 7:44 am | Is it a movement or just a few . . .
6.2.08 at 10:48 am | Despite so much talk to the contrary, Jews are . . . (298)
3.18.10 at 8:52 am | Domestication of dogs traced to Middle East . . . (252)
10.15.07 at 7:01 am | . . . (210)
We welcome your feedback.
Your information will not be shared or sold without your consent. Get all the details.
judaism israel christianity politics media islam los angeles barack obama entertainment anti-semitism america sports american jews evangelicals crime the law president 08 satire president 08 god personal john mccain sexuality holocaust war catholicism holidays books europe atheism jesus sarah palin academia science bible middle east death california family music
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
God's Blog
God for President
Book Bits
Caption Contest
Jewish genius
Strange science
Who is a Jew?
World of Worship
Susannah Heschel said. “Everybody wants to get rid of racism…” This is your Ivy League professor of Jewish histoy. Is she a complete moron, or is that a requirement for the job. How the bleep do you dare say that “everybody wants to get rid of racism” when a racist group is cleaning a highway soon to be named for your dad. This is also only one of hundreds of similar groups. If Ms. Heschel cannot distinguish between saying ‘most people’ and ‘everybody’ than obviously her understanding of the English language is not sufficient to teach anyone, and I mean anyone!
“What are they going to do then if they don’t pick up the litter?”
ban them from the program. i don’t know what she’s upset about really. this is a hilarious situation.
“Neo-Nazi trash on a rabbi’s highway”
This is a pretty disgusting title. Hope you don’t call yourself a journalist. What happens if other people call your religion or belief “trash”? Is that antisemitism, hate, blablabla, right?
“I wonder what would happen if NAMBLA tried to get involved.”
Search “pedophile rabbis” on the google and maybe you find the answer.
“I don’t want Nazis stomping on a highway named for my father.”
So, she that freeway is named for her father, but she or her group didn’t cleaned that highway. Shame on her.
“Everybody wants to get rid of racism…”
Really? Why don’t she stand up against the apartheid in Israel? Oh, that is “different”, huh? Shame on her, again.
So the conclusion is, the Jewish people can have a group, but the white non-jewish people can’t, because if they have a group, the Jewish people call them “trash”.
Ban them from the Adopt a Highway program? What if they ban the Jewish Groups from the program? That is not cool, huh? This story is disgusting, and the people who not totally brainwashed see the double standard.
Even if you are a good jewish person in America, you stand up for the freedom in the United States.
“What if they ban the Jewish Groups from the program?”
Adolf-a-Highway pogrom ?
Or David maybe because non-Jewish whites keep having groups that are hateful to anyone and anything “different.” And yeah, you pig-eating pagan/Christians are and always have been and always will be TRASH. Just cause you all project your bastard selves and all your faults onto others doesn’t stop y’all from being the real TRASH.
It is just hilarious to see you heathens stickin’ your pig-noses into the Middle East situation as if you blue-eyed Aryan pagan/Christian scum care about the brown-eyed or brown-skinned peoples, be they Arab or Jew (or Mexican) or otherwise. I just hope people are wise enough by now to know that you neo-Nazis and other white Christians just stick your pig-noses in to stir up trouble and anti-Semitism. I for one would rather live amongst Arab/Muslims than you blue-eyed pig-eating pagans. And no I’m not leaving America, but I’ll be happy to say Bon Voyage when you bastards go back to the Fatherland. Auf Viederstain or however the Hell it is spelled. And take your Germ ridden German selves back there.
are you for real, Levite Line, or is the racist gay jewish priest thing just some schtick?
Proton Soup,
Is this trying to make EVERYTHING A JOKE just some schtick? I’m just not a Californian where EVERYTHING goes. No, EVERYTHING is not funny and if you can’t distinguish between humor, stupidity, evil and insanity, I cannot and will not even try to help you.
As for “Jewish priest thing?” I am no longer Jewish, ask your brain-washing leaders, who tell you what you can and what you cannot believe. I am a Hebrew or Israelite, that you and your brain-washed and brain-washing cult can’t differentiate between that and a Jew is not my problem. I won’t even try to help. I know you Orthodox, you know everything already.
As far as racist, I know it’s hard for y’all, but the world is and always has been more than black or white, Jew or Christian, Jew or Gentile. That you and you horrible excuse for leaders have not even considered this and so many other realities, is inexcusable. That the Jewish community continues to let them get away with such ignorance and closed-mindedness is also inexcusable.
Yeah, I know that there are over 200 nations on this earth. They are generally grouped by race and language and culture. That some don’t like my group or vice versa, is fine. I’ll not stick my head up my you know what, like your kind and be ignorant about reality. I know my race and my ethnicity and who I am. That you don’t know or even want to know who or what you are, is not my problem. If ignorance and cowardice are your foundation, then you will, God-willing, get exactly what cowards and ignoramouses deserve.
As far as gay. I won’t even begin to go there with any jokers.
it was a serious question. i’ve been wondering about it since reading your “Benjamins” article. anyway, thanks, i think that answers it for me.
Kewl