"Everyone knows it's TIME for America's first evil retarded teen cunt Congress kike!"
"Fire up the oven!"
"All would laugh with glee as they gang raped her and then bashed her bagel eating brains in."
Indiscriminate hatred. Pure evil. I woke up yesterday and today to hundreds of such vile messages. I was told to keep my mouth shut, that this wasn’t the time or place to speak out against anti-Semitism, that such messaging wouldn’t serve me well as a candidate three days away from the California congressional primary. I recognize the tragic reality that people are being killed, injured, and persecuted in horrific ways – and that an onslaught of threatening, derogatory, hate-filled emails, voicemails, tweets, and comments pales is comparison.
But here’s the thing: this is not about me. Sure, the hatred has now turned personal, targeting me because of the simple fact that my mother is Jewish, that I am Jewish. And yes, my personal email, cell phone, and social media handles were published in Neo-Nazi chatrooms alongside photos of me wearing the yellow JUDE star, a badge forced upon Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe, among other nauseating permutations of images.
This unspeakable vitriol goes far beyond anti-Semitism. It is not merely an attack on me or on one people, but rather an attack on any individual or group who is targeted because of faith, race, nationality, gender, ability, orientation or other arbitrary classification.
"Fish mouth detected. Cockroach eyes detected. Hormonal imbalance detected, probably a lesbian. Vampire Jew Christ-killer confirmed."
"With all the Negroe semen she swallows, how can she claim to be a vegan.”
"This “monster” (sorry real monsters, I’ve no wish to libel you, it’s only a figure of speech - I’ve added quotes for you guys) is Jew Obama."
I cannot and will not remain silent. I have never been much good at standing idly by in the face of injustice. I am not writing these words to spark an outpouring of sympathy, but rather to call attention to the fact that pointed, blatant hatred is rampant and on the uptick at this moment in history, particularly in the context of a fear-based election cycle. Those who know me can attest to the fact that I have spoken out time and time again when I have NOT been the one targeted. I am a citizen activist though and through – who refuses to give that shrug of inevitability.
Just because I cannot do everything does not mean I will not do something. So this is my something right here, right now: calling out hatred by name.
We must not stand silent in the face of hatred, violence, attacks, bullying, or oppression; we cannot recoil in fear; we cannot lose our sense of human dignity and respect. May we respond with a chorus of positive voices and powerful action. May we rise up and not only preach tolerance, but understanding and love.
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
