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| Photo courtesy of Sally Lorberbaum |
First it was "thoughts and prayers." Now, it's "there are no words....."
Actually, there are lots of words to describe what happened in Pittsburgh last Shabbat. So many words, that surely a million miles of shelf space is occupied with all those words. Some are ancient, some medieval, some modern, But there are a gazllions words wasted on explaining Pittsurgh and similar events when a single word works quite well: antisemitism. That's the only word you need for this heinous act. When someone shouts "All Jews must die!" while shooting up a sanctuary during Shabbat service, antisemitism is the only world that fits. And the act the word denotes has been around a long, long time.
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| May 17, 1934 ~ New York City Madison Square Garden from the Bettman Archive |
The Amalekites practiced it in the desert. The Babylonians practiced it. The Romans practiced it. The British, the Spanish, the French, the Italians, and the Germans all practiced it. And the Americans have practiced it for years in this republic. Don't think for a New York moment that it was not practiced here. Antisemites and the New Germany true believers rallied at Madison Square Garden. And they even rose for the Nazi salute in little North Bellmore, New York, where our synagogue was built over the site of a tavern that hid in its basement a treasure trove of Nazi regalia.
Antisemitism ain't new. The difference right now is that there is a documented upsurge in the number of antisemitic acts over the course of the last six months. And lots of words are being written about that. And now our countrymen are rising to the silent call to take up arms once more.
Did you know private militias are heading to the Mexican border to "help" the troops sent by Feckless Leader? What surprises you more....that there are private militias in this country, or that they are on their way to the border?
Our very own Feckless Leader, so well known for his masterful way with words, used these in Montana over the weekend:
Barbed wire used properly can be a beautiful sight.
Like this?
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| Child survivors of Auschwitz in 1945 |
Or this?
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Otero
County Prison in Chaparral, New Mexico,where immigrant
mothers
have been detained by the United States government.
Photograph by Philip Montgomery for The
New Yorker
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So when you go to the polls tomorrow,
- vote as if it's your child or your spouse behind those wires
- vote as if you are a new immigrant
- vote as if you are from Squirrel Hill in Pittsburgh
- vote as if you are gay
- vote as if you are trangender
- vote as if you are Black
- vote as if you are Latino
- vote as if you are a member of the free press
- vote as if you are not afraid of huddled masses yearning to breathe free
Most importantly, vote as if the heart and the very soul of this nation depends on your vote.
BECAUSE IT DOES.
The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week
Hang it. It's almost over.
Susan,
ReplyDeleteI will tell my Sholom friends what you said, "Vote as if the heart and soul of this nation depends on your vote." Thank you very much. Lorraine
FYI: The more correct term is transgender. Transsexual is somewhat out of date and implies that a surgery gender confirmation surgery has taken place, something that many transgender people opt not (or cannot afford) to have.
ReplyDeleteFrom the GLAAD Media Reference Guide:
"Transsexual (adj.)
An older term that originated in the medical and psychological communities. Still preferred by some people who have permanently changed - or seek to change - their bodies through medical interventions, including but not limited to hormones and/or surgeries. Unlike transgender, transsexual is not an umbrella term. Many transgender people do not identify as transsexual and prefer the word transgender. It is best to ask which term a person prefers. If preferred, use as an adjective: transsexual woman or transsexual man."
Thank you. I struggled with that one. Correction has been made.
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