I don’t know why I am still amazed by how people view events. I would have thought there were no real surprises remaining.
The Jan. 6 invaders were only “tourists.” We live in a society where people see or do not see what they prefer. If you want it to be so, then it is. We “hope” things will turn out well but we don’t take the necessary actions to have the best chance that it will.
Now we have heard that the hostage event at a Texas synagogue was “not necessarily linked to the Jewish community.” Also, that it “may have been a coincidence” or “a one in a million chance he would have picked Beth Israel.”
Only if there were a million synagogues in the area. If this was not aimed at Jews, there were museums, gas stations, fast food restaurants, shopping malls, churches, liquor stores and any number of other possible targets. But by some amazing twist of fate he chose a synagogue.
It is what it is, not what we would like it to be. Antisemitism, the oldest hatred, is alive and well and very real. It is fed by not being challenged widely or vigorously enough and by people simply wishing it wasn’t still doing so well. If we deny the truth and avoid confronting the problems we face, there will never be improvement.
We cannot continue to pretend that antisemitism and racism are no longer a fundamental part of our society. They will not go away on their own. We must banish them by vigilance and uncompromising opposition.
David Sloviter
Amherst
