WashingtonPost.com's blog The Sleuth reported last week on antisemitism and racism erupting in Tennessee's Democratic Representative Steve Cohen's campaign for reelection."If you thought race was an uncomfortable issue in the Democratic presidential primary, wait 'til you get a load of what's going on in the Democratic primary in the Memphis area's 9th District of Tennessee, where a shockingly worded flier paints Jewish Rep. Steven Cohen (D-Tenn.) as a Jesus hater.
"Memphis Congressman Steve Cohen and the JEWS HATE Jesus," blares the flier, which Cohen himself received in the mail --inducing gasps -- last week."
Reports filed by Massachusetts' newspapers and television conglomerates have also recently covered cases of antisemitism occurring in suburban communities north of Boston. One particular hate crime reported February 12, 2008 by The Swampscott Reporter details the findings of antisemitic slogans in a Middle School/Junior High School bathroom.
Swampscott Middle School administrators are investigating an incident of
anti-Semitic graffiti, specifically drawings of swastikas, found last Friday in
a school bathroom.
A letter was sent home to the entire school community on Monday, notifying
people of the incident and the steps the school is taking to
investigate.
“We are pleased with the initial response by the school as it sends a
message that behavior like this will not be tolerated,” said Robert O. Trestan,
Eastern state civil rights counsel for the ADL.
Trestan also said he has been in contact with both school and police
officials to discuss the incident in greater detail and “a possible role for
ADL’s anti-bias education program in the Swampscott public schools.”
Like the hate fliers that were spread throughout Representative Cohen's District, this hate crime was done annonymously, and as of press time suspects had not been named.
3 comments:
Nice entry. And it has graphics!
Steve
It disgusts me that in this day and age so much racism, and animosity towards diversity still exist. I had a similar instance happen in my highschool. I dont know if you had graduated or not yet Daryl, but someone wrote a bunch of hate words in the boys bathroom, and a handwriting analyst came in and analyzed the suspects. The bathroom was than heavily monitored for the rest of the year and there was someone sitting at the door of the bathroom at all times. Actions like that end up effecting everyone, not just the victims and the one held responsible.
I had similar things happen in my high school too. Sometimes I think kids draw swastikas and hateful things just for the shock value, to show friends how risky they are, or other stupid reasons that are not actually racist. They don't realize the effect it has when other people see it.
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