The Antisemitism Awareness Act shows the mire of identity politics
Here's a quaint idea: If the government is going to punish someone, it should be for something the person has done, not the viewpoint he or she holds while doing it.
Antidiscrimination laws have made that distinction harder and harder to maintain. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would continue the trend. The AAA passed the House 320-91 last year, but on Wednesday it stumbled in a Senate committee as Democratic lawmakers and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) raised free-speech concerns. The pause is welcome because the legislation is flawed. But the real lesson is broader: America's civil rights model for managing diversity warps public debate and needs to be reconsidered.
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