How Good People Behave In The Face Of Hateful Ugliness Against Some
A story from back in 1993, from SACompassion.net:
Hanukkah, the 8-day Jewish festival of lights, begins tonight at sundown. Jews all over the world light a menorah, a nine-candle candelabra, to commemorate a miracle during the time of the Macabee revolt in the 2nd Century BCE. In 1993 the 50 or so Jewish families in Billings, Montana followed this tradition, including the Schnitzer family.But this year was different. Billings had been experiencing a spate of hate crimes. A skinhead, part of what he considered to be an "Aryan Nation," threw a rock through the Schnitzer's son Isaac's window.
A police officer suggested that they not put up any Jewish symbols. Tammie Schnitzer, interviewed by the local newspaper, said, " "Maybe it's not wise to keep these symbols up," she said. "But how do you explain that to a child?"
The next morning a Christian woman, reading about the incident, imagined what it would be like to tell her children that it was too dangerous to put up a Christmas tree. And she had an inspiration. She went to her pastor and suggested that the children draw menorahs the next morning in Sunday school and that they put them in THEIR windows.
Some estimate that there were eventually 6,000 homes (in a city of 80,000) that displayed Menorahs. It was dangerous. Windows were smashed. Shots were fired into a Catholic school that had joined the campaign. Hateful graffiti was spray-painted on the sides of buildings. The police chief conceded that it was dangerous -- but it was MORE dangerous not to do it, he said. For every menorah that was torn down, ten went up in its place.
Something similar is now going on in Whitefish, Montana.
A story a gentleman told me while hitchhiking: that during WW II the Germans had ordered that every Jew in Holland put on one of those yellow star things. In the morning the king of Holland came out on his balcony wearing a yellow star. The next day fifteen million dutch were walking around with the stars. Teed off the Germans to no end...
kenmce at January 2, 2017 5:10 AM
Given the small size of that community (skinheads) a word from the police chief should tone that stuff down.
If it's an organized group police "harassment" will interfere w/business and that's not desired.
If it's just a few then the police know, generally, who it is. If it's copycats then that police attention will cause the real skinheads to get it stopped.
If it's real and organized might as well nip in the bud (thanks Barney).
If none of the above happens then look to the top political parties and replace them.
Not as productive as issuing parking/speeding tickets but sometimes your boss (the public) just gets involved.
Bob in Texas at January 2, 2017 5:33 AM
http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/02/story-curious-georges-great-escape-nazis/
Safe spaces and trigger warnings my a$$
"At dawn on June 12, 1940, H.A. and Margaret made their escape on the rainy Paris roads by bicycle. Their dangerous journey and narrow escape is nothing short of miraculous. The Reys traveled roughly 493 miles to Bayonne, France, close to the border of Spain.
Yet the borders had all been secured, and their lives rested in the hands of one man.
Aristides de Sousa Mendes was the Portuguese consul-general in Bayonne during World War II. Defying the Portuguese prime minister, Sousa Mendes ordered thousands upon thousands of visas and false documents to Jewish refugees. For the sake of “saving innocent lives,” Sousa Mendes later became the first diplomat to be honored by Israel as one of the Righteous Among Nations.
Bob in Texas at January 2, 2017 6:17 AM
Shhh - you might burst a liberal elite's bubble when you expose the compassion of those ignorant hicks in "fly-over" country.
charles at January 2, 2017 8:28 AM
My first question is, what on earth do skinheads have against Jews? They aren't even that religious.
Second, it is worth noting that anti-semitism is on the rise in Europe and even here in the US the number of recorded hate crimes against jews (per capita) is twice that against blacks and 3x that against muslims. according to the FBI.
cc at January 2, 2017 10:17 AM
Skinheads gonna hate no matter where they are. Montana is pretty white so Jews are one of the few options. Good on the people of Billings for not putting up with this horseshit.
And those scrawny white boys aren't as tough as they act. If the adults up there get involved this will fade away pretty quick. It's kind of like a rugby team doesn't need to call security to handle a problem. They just manage it themselves.
Canvasback at January 2, 2017 11:48 AM
I am reminded of this story from 2007:
Bullied student tickled pink by schoolmates' T-shirt campaign
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/bullied-student-tickled-pink-by-schoolmates-t-shirt-campaign-1.682221
I gather from Wikipedia that this has inspired an annual event, the International Day of Pink. But I remain most impressed by the original two students, who, without guidance, came up with a creative and effective response to another ugliness.
Brad R at January 2, 2017 5:02 PM
See if the Southern Poverty Law Center was what they claim to be, they'd be on this. But there's three problems: (1) Montana is sooooooo far away in flyover country; (2) it won't get them fawning coverage in the Washington Post, and (3) they don't care as long as it's white people being harassed.
Cousin Dave at January 3, 2017 6:37 AM
If you search on SPLC plus "montana," or "whitefish," you'll find more than one article at the SPLC website from last year alone.
I searched just now on SPLC, Montana, and Jews. Here's one article:
https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2016/03/08/prosecution-put-hold-man-accused-making-online-death-threats-montana
Prosecution Put on Hold for Man Accused of Making Online Death Threats in Montana
March 08, 2016
Bill Morlin
A county prosecutor in Montana says he will defer prosecution of a Michigan man arrested a year ago after making threats on Twitter to kill Jews and school children – once boasting of hopes to exceed the number killed at Sandy Hook in 2012...
(snip)
So maybe the SPLC just has enough on its plate right now without going after every single story.
(Keep in mind, too, that the Billings story is over 20 years old.)
lenona at January 3, 2017 9:20 AM
When pro-Palestinian terrorists hijacked Air France Flight 139 in Athens, they wound up in Entebbe, Uganda. There, they separated the Jewish and non-Jewish passengers. Several non-Jewish hostages opted to go with the separated Jewish hostages.
The non-Jewish hostages were later released. Captain Michel Bacos and his flight crew insisted on staying behind, saying that all the passengers were their responsibility. A Catholic nun also attempted to stay behind with the Jewish passengers, but was forced to leave.
The later Israeli raid to rescue the hostage is the stuff of legends.
Conan the Grammarian at January 4, 2017 8:20 AM
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