Laurie,
I was, quite frankly, dismayed by
what you wrote regarding “the Knockout Game.”
I have great respect for you and fully
expect that you will be an excellent addition to the city council, but I would
be neglectful if I didn’t point out that some
of your comments were downright counter-productive. Expressing, as you have, a
sympathy for those who hold the success of the Jewish community in contempt—as
a success “not their own”—almost rings as an apology for those who are
committing violent crimes as a response to their resentment. Identifying
members of the community as “Jewish landlords” is a stereotype with profound negative
connotations.
As you state later in your
letter, if one person attacks another, regardless of the motivation, there is
no justification for such an action. That, Laurie, should be the only message. The
race of the attacker is as unimportant as the race of the attacked.
While the sociologists busy themselves
analyzing and ruminating over social trends, our jobs as elected officials
should be to protect the victims and protect the community, not ascribe motivation to criminals.
Respectfully,
Dov Hikind
No comments:
Post a Comment