The last couple of days have been amusing as various celebrities have been entangled with federal crimes concerning issues over fraud and bribery over college admissions for their precious offspring. At a time with justice and equality are rising as political concerns and coupled with the dazzling nature of celebrity it is no surprise that this news story is finding its legs.

My reactions fall into one of two major lines of thought.

First off; no duh. It is of absolutely no surprise that these sort of things are going on, the only original element is that these lower tier celebs had to resort to criminal means instead of the usual just buy your way in with an overly generous ‘gift’ as the more wealthy does. An elite institution will admit anyone if there is a large enough endowment attached. This is the real affirmative action crisis, mediocre and worse student taking up valuable slots in important institutions solely because of the accident of their birth. This does not stop at the university; it extends through internships and entry into the halls of power, both economic and political. I have read, though not yet confirmed, that the number of legacy students, i.e. sons and daughters of former students, at elite universities outnumber the total number of non-white students. This is the lie at the heart of ‘merit.’ Too often what people think was merit is a perk of class and nothing more.

Second this is also a function of gate-keeping and elitism. Harvard, Yale, and many other ‘elite’ institutions are sitting on vast fortunes. They could open dozens of schools across the country, vastly increasing the number students, graduates, and accelerating human advancement but that would destroy their brand as their only real value is the artificially restricted enrollments.

People following politics are undoubtedly aware that freshman Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota had landed a couple of time in hot water for comments critical of Israel and America’s relationship with Israel that invoked imagery or concepts closely linked to anti-Semitism. The House is considering a resolution condemning all forms of anti-Semitism and conservatives are in full attack.

I do not know what it is Representative’s Omar heart. She does not have a paper trail of lawsuits concerning civil rights violations of a racist nature and her public record if correspondingly short given her recent entry into national public discourse but her comments are unsettlingly in the close nature of classic anti-Semitic tropes.

Before I continue let me make clear an important concept, context matters. During the administration of President George W. Bush a common caricature of the president utilized his unfortunately prominent ears giving him an ape-like appearance. Fair game in the world of rough and tumble politics, but doing the same thing to President Obama is not the same, despite some conservative who insisted it was some sort of double standard. Portraying any black man with an ape-like appearance plays on centuries of vile racist imagery and it out of bounds for any civilized discussion. Context is king.

With Representative Omar’s unfortunate choice of words I see that it would fall into one of three major categories.

First: Representative Omar harbors some level of anti-Semitic thought or feeling.

Second: Representative Omar has spent or spends considerable time associating with people who are comfortable voice anti-Semitic positions. (This is an effect I have watched take place with some conservative friends as they repeat ‘jokes’ or opinions voice by darker corners of the movement. Living examples of the adage ‘lie with dogs; rise with fleas.’)

Third: Representative Omar stumbled into these anti-Semitic tropes accidently, unaware of the history behind these ideas and insults.

Time and future behavior will make it easier to judge which of these categories best fits her actions.

That said it is clear to me that the attacks from conservatives are disingenuous. Their lack of any serious reactions to numerous similar situations put a lie to all their pearl clutching over Omar’s comments. Representative Steve King had to openly question why ‘white supremacy’ was a bad thing before they rose in any meaningful fashion opposing his years of public bigotry, to say nothing of the president’s repeated crossing of numerous lines of racist comments.

As to the potential resolution of condemnation, the House should make it explicit that referring to sovereign nations as ‘shitholes’ or considering neo-Nazis chanting ‘Jews will not replace us’ as ‘fine people’ is equally unacceptable.