As shocking as it may seem, the devastation and horror of World War II ended nearly 70 years ago. The world has changed considerably in the decades that followed, but recent events remind us just how fresh some of the wounds of that era remain. A deranged man went into a Jewish Community Center near Kansas City with the intent of killing Jews just prior to the start of Passover. He opened fire, killing three people — none happened to be Jewish — before shouting “Heil Hitler” after police had him in custody.
Aside from the terrifying reminder that white supremacists continue to target Jews in our own country, many saw news last week that sounded all too familiar. Pamphlets were distributed in eastern Ukraine ordering all Jewish people to register with the government or face losing their citizenship. Many called into question the origin of the pamphlets, and as of this writing, no one is exactly sure who is responsible. One thing is sure: Nearly 70 years after six million Jewish people met their end at the hands of Hitler and the Nazis, anti-Semitism is alive and well.
After the Holocaust, Jewish people defiantly said, “Never again,” but here we are: Almost 15 years into the 21st century, we’re still dealing with anti-Semitism on the front page of the newspaper.
Regardless of the origin of the pamphlets — many do not believe they came from a government entity — we should not ignore the fact that Jewish people remain targets of hatred throughout the world, and no matter what tragedy strikes, there are some who will not stop until they eradicate the world of Jewish people.
What we need to realize is that even in our interconnected world, some human beings still want to do horrible things to others, and even in our interconnected world, many of us ignore the signs. We can brush off the pamphlets in Ukraine as nothing more than a small group trying to push the tension there beyond the breaking point, but we have a responsibility to acknowledge that racism, anti-Semitism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of hatred exist.
We can ignore it or call it a symptom of another time. But those who would simply say it’s nothing more than a platitude spouted by leftist politicians need to look no further than recent headlines to prove that fallacy wrong.
For the good of humanity, it’s up to our generation to end the stupidity that’s plagued humanity. If someone looks, acts or believes something different than us, we still have a difficult time processing the fact that they are made of flesh and blood, not unlike ourselves.
No group of human beings is superior due to its race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. On the other hand, the superior human beings are those who understand that while we might be different, we should respect, honor and applaud our differences, not make offensive remarks, call on others to register with the government or resort to violence.
Last week, I discussed Hank Aaron and how he felt about racism today. Unsurprisingly, his remarks created a firestorm, and what was the response from some? Vitriolic filth spewed forth from the mouths of petty individuals incapable of respecting someone simply based on the color of his skin.
Just like in the 1970s, Aaron and the Atlanta Braves received hate mail that included racial slur after racial slur.
Say what you want about liberals or the media pushing the idea that hatred still exists and that it’s nothing more than a figment of our imaginations, but day after day, we see evidence that points to the contrary. Hatred and fear are very much alive in 2014, and after centuries of hatred, isn’t it about time that we stood up and did something about it?
[Joel Mendelson is a UF graduate student in political campaigning. His column appears on Mondays. A version of this column ran on page 7 on 4/21/2014 under the headline "Anti-Semitism in Kansas, Ukraine proves hatred alive and well"]
