At one point in my life, I got used to the sort of casual anti-Semitism that often occurs in the workplace in Las Vegas. Since I moved here, I’ve had to hear at least two dozen people in clubs, restaurants and shops talk about “Jews” in a way that is both insulting and bigoted. The comments usually occurred when they would call someone cheap a “Jew” or imply that someone was a crook by them acting “Jewish.” Often I would say something, and they would apologize, just saying it was “a joke.”
Enter Camille Desiree, a local in Vegas who made a comment that during Halloween people were being “Jews” by not giving enough candy to her. Several people mentioned on Facebook that was a bigoted comment, anti-Semitic – and instead of people finding these comments disgusting, most people defended it again, as “Just a joke.”
I that she tagged her kids as #nazi and her and her friends responses to inquires was met with anti-Jewish and anti-Israel memes, this isn’t “just a joke.” It’s religious bigotry and anti-Semitism of the worst kind. These “casual comments” don’t just hurt, but they do create an environment for more devious types of bigotry.
I know that hatred, bigotry and discrimination remain a fact of daily life for far too many people in this country. But what makes the recent surge in anti-semitism stand out – and what makes it particularly worrying – is the number and range of people who are prepared to ignore it, excuse it and, worst of all, indulge in it.
More than that, the mainstream embrace of low-level, casual bigotry creates fertile ground in which the noxious weed of anti-semitism can take root and grow. Just as one broken window in a neighborhood, left in disrepair, leads to an enviroment in which vandalism and decay is seen as a normal part of life, so casual anti-semitism, left unchallenged, leads to an world in which extremism, and then violence, will thrive.
We need to make clear this is not acceptable from anyone, under any circumstance. Period.
You should probably refrain from posting pictures of people’s children while claiming to have the moral high ground. Whatever is going on between you two is on thing, but have some respect and leave the kids out of it.
The kids faces are blurred out. Get off your moral high-ground, snowflake.