Tango-Tiger

Why Is Anti-Semitism Still Cool? What Meyers Leonard’s Slur Says About Attitudes Today



Let me be clear, I do not think that anti-Semitism cool. It is, however, more socially accepted and historically long lasting than any other type of hatred. Because of this, it can also shed some light on other “popular” hatreds that are trending today as well as how hatred in general has become a political and social tool.

It seems like we do this dance every few months, if not every few weeks. Someone “famous” will make an anti-Semitic comment and gain lots of media attention. I am not saying that the person does it for the media attention, but the two go together. The person will then apologize, declaring deep regret and a desire to learn from his or her Jewish brethren and sistren. A Jewish leader will then publicly “turn the other cheek” and help this poor soul see the light.

Everybody seems to win. The prodigal son comes back to the tolerant and multi-cultural fold. The Jewish community gets a chance to demonstrate grace and understanding—as well as the ability show how Jews could be tolerated if you only understood them. Society gets to mark itself a little higher on the scale of inclusion, since it called out a problem and then let it fix itself. But this is not a win-win-win. This is a recipe for reinforcing anti-Semitism and hatred in general. It turns social prejudice and reconciliation into a game, played by those who seek personal gain and status. It does not help society move forward, but rather it makes us keep spinning our wheels.

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