On Thursday September 21, 2017, I shared a deeply offensive article on Twitter.

The anti-Semitic tropes in the piece are vile and I do not, nor ever have, endorsed them. I regret adding to the already chaotic and sometimes hate-filled conversation on social media. In the past, I have also carelessly retweeted articles from this same site, the Unz Review, without closely examining content and authors.  Now that I have, I am horrified and ashamed. The white supremacist and anti-Semitic propaganda espoused by this website is disgusting and I strongly condemn it. It is an affront to human dignity and does not reflect my values. 

I unequivocally oppose anti-Semitism and prejudice in every form. I believe we all have a moral responsibility to speak out when we see injustice and racism. Although I have strong opinions on public policy matters, going forward I will endeavor to avoid resorting to stereotypes to express my positions and ensure my arguments are grounded in facts. 

 

While intending to underscore the madness around those fanning the flames of war with Iran and their continuing efforts to kill the Iran nuclear deal, I made a grave mistake and am deeply sorry for perpetuating any conversation that gives credence to anti-Semitism.

 

 Actions have consequences, and while I have been honored to serve on the board of the Ploughshares Fund, to avoid distracting from their mission, I have resigned.

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 I take full responsibility for my thoughtless and hurtful actions, and there are no excuses for what I did.

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~Valerie