A Washington lawmaker wore a yellow Star of David, a symbol Nazis forced upon Jews as an identification marker throughout the Holocaust, during a speech in which he railed against vaccine mandates.
State Rep. Jim Walsh, a Republican, placed the star on his shirt as he addressed a crowd of conservative activists at a church basketball gym in Lacey on Saturday, according to the Seattle Times. He did not explicitly refer to the Nazis, the Holocaust, or Adolf Hitler.
The lawmaker posted the video on social media, and in the comments section, when someone asked if it was appropriate for him to be wearing the star, Walsh responded, “It’s an echo from history. … In the current context, we’re all Jews.”
MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE APOLOGIZES FOR COMPARING HOLOCAUST TO COVID-19 RULES
Walsh likened mandating vaccines to the Supreme Court’s 1896 decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which upheld “separate but equal” racial segregation laws. When asked if he could understand why people could be offended by his decision to wear the star, Walsh explained, “Some people are offended by having to provide vaccine documentation at their work.”
“I can’t control who is offended by what,” he added.
The lawmaker was reportedly given the star by someone at the event, and many people in the crowd were wearing the same, Walsh said.
Washington has not imposed a vaccine mandate for the coronavirus vaccine, though the state Department of Labor and Industries requires employers to verify their employees’ vaccination status before lifting mask requirements in the workplace.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
In recent months, several conservatives have made comparisons of mask mandates to the Nazis’ treatment of Jews, and many have been rebuked for doing so as well. In May, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene repeatedly invoked the comparison despite criticism from her own party leadership. She apologized for her comments this month after visiting the Holocaust Museum.
