Clinton: ‘If all that matters is what is different, we’re cooked’

By Conor Shine

Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012 | 12:03 a.m.

At a time when the country may seem like it is moving past many of its prejudices, former President Bill Clinton urged a crowd gathered in a ballroom at Caesars Palace on Saturday night to keep up the fight against intolerance, racism and bigotry.

Clinton spoke at the Las Vegas Anti-Defamation League’s annual American Heritage Dinner, which this year honored former mayor and current Caesars Entertainment executive Jan Jones.

Mixing in jokes about his time as president and the current state of politics in the country, Clinton touched on topics ranging from particle physics and the human genome to history and politics as he made an argument for the importance of identity and the equal importance of not letting our differences lead to hate.

“We’ve got to learn how to say, 'Here’s my identity and I’m proud of it' … but when the thing that matters most is being able to make a negative reference, being able to deny a legitimate aspiration, being able to thwart the dreams of other people’s children … We’ve got to get over this,” he said. “If all that matters is what is different, we’re cooked.”

Clinton addressed a crowd of hundreds of the Anti-Defamation League’s supporters, including Rep. Shelley Berkley and Brian Greenspun, the president and editor of the Las Vegas Sun.

“I’m glad to be back in Las Vegas,” Clinton, who was wearing a dark suit and a gold tie, said.

He only briefly detoured into a discussion of current events, saying that the key to fixing the nation’s economy is to address the still-struggling housing market and foreclosures.

“It’s as simple as that. It’s not rocket science,” he said. “If you want it to take less than 10 years, fix (the mortgage business), clean up the banks’ books and let them start loaning again.”

Mostly, Clinton stayed philosophical, reflecting on the Anti-Defamation League’s 99-year history and the continued importance of fighting intolerance in the 21st century.

He drew his biggest applause of the night when he addressed the issue of immigration, and the value he thinks immigrants add to the country.

“What are we thinking about with all this anti-immigration talk in America today when our greatest asset in an interdependent world is that we have somebody here from everywhere else,” he said.

Jones, who has led several diversity and philanthropic initiatives while at Caesars, in addition to her volunteer work throughout the community, was hailed by Clinton for her commitment to promoting tolerance.

During her remarks, Jones warned about the dangers of hate, which can lead to much more serious things such as bigotry and hate crimes.

“Hate doesn’t only come from bigots, anti-Semites, or misogynists. Hate doesn’t always manifest itself in hate crimes. It doesn’t always produce genocide,” she said. “On the other hand, bigotry, anti-Semitism, genocide and hate crimes do always start with hate. Sometimes they start with hate that is very recognizable.”

The dinner was a major fundraiser for the local Anti-Defamation League, which uses the money to fund programs that combat cyber bullying, investigate discrimination complaints and provide training to law enforcement and teachers, among other efforts.

Founded in 1913, the Anti-Defamation League’s mission is to combat anti-Semitism, prejudice and hate in communities and to bring awareness to citizens.