How do we learn to separate the action from the actor?

Genuine question.

The current war between the Netanyahu government of Israel and Hamas in Gaza has generated much discussion. We have had lively questions and threads about it here.

For example, I have seen written numerous times that we can’t judge the individual participating in a protest against the war as being anti-Semitic. Likewise, we can’t judge Jews as anti-Palestinian just because they support the Israeli efforts to stop Hamas.

I honestly struggle with that type of thinking. As a gay man who grew up in a rabidly fundamentalist family and in a time and place that was grossly homophobic, I suffered greatly. There were many bullies who did me great harm. I struggle with the idea that I’m somehow supposed to look past the bullying and remain detached in my view of the bully.

I remember reading Rousseau in grad school and hearing that he was a scoundrel for abandoning his own children. (Was it Rousseau? Am I remembering correctly?) We’re supposed to keep his writing in high regard while the man himself was a villain.

There’s Michael Jackson who was a great musician and performer but was likely a pedophile. His music was part of my early life.

Partly what I’m asking is the age old question of separating the art from the artist. How can one learn to do that? I’ve read some well written treatises of this, but I don’t have them at hand right now.

How am I to view the bullies from my childhood and youth? How am I to view a college student now chanting “from the river to the sea Palestine will be free”? Do we simply excuse their ignorance? That seems wrong.

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