UNCIVIL
An editorial in the Vancouver Sun this morning contains disturbing information.
In the wonderful world of hate crimes, nobody is more targeted more often than Jews.
There are only about 300,000 of us in all of Canada.
Less than one per cent of the Canadian population.
Were the 25th ethnic group out of 25.
Yet we suffer more hate crimes than blacks, gays, Muslims and presumably alley cats put together.
I have a neighbor who is a wonderful old man. Much accomplished and very creative.
I've always been very fond of him.
Until about a year and a half ago when he told me about what "the Hebrews are doing to the Palestinians."
The Hebrews.
It wasn't since I was a kid in the north end of Winnipeg that I heard the phrase, "dirty Hebe."
I told my neighbor that I was shocked by his comment and that this expression showed an appalling ignorance of many things, including history, ancient and modern.
I can barely say Hello these days as I pass him in the street.
And the numbers of hate crimes against all peoples and groups is on the rise.
2 comments:
I remember an older relative of mine referring to people of Asian decent as "Asiatics" He also referred to African Canadians as "Negroes".
Although these words are old fashioned and fallen out of favour - they were not meant as slurs or derogatory statements. It was perfectly easy to update him on the preferred terms.
Notwithstanding his old fashioned language - his comments and questions were otherwise non-inflammatory.
I actually have sympathy for your neighbour in this situation (as you described it). He mentioned that he had sympathy for Palestinians (many who have been displaced from their land and have had their own homes overtaken by their Isreali neighbours).
If he had denied the death of millions of Jewish people at the hands of the Nazis, called you a "dirty" anything or the "k" word - I would have been appalled too.
As you described it, he did none of these things.
Say "hello" to your neighbour - if he would even want to communicate with you when he would have to walk on eggshells if he brought up topics that might be sensitive to you.
Your all-too-clever superior comment was sooooo predictable.
Maybe you had to be there to hear the voice and see the body language.
This man was speaking from a position of ig-norance. That is, he knows not of where he speaks.
This is not an egg shells moment.
Post a Comment