(NAME-MCE) Pennies of Hate

[Carrie Stewart]

Warren, I am so sorry this happened to you.  How hurtful!  Thank you for
sharing your story.
 
I had never heard the term "Jew 'em down" until I moved to Texas.  I was on
the phone once on a solicitation call and the woman was selling a coupon
book.  She was convincing me how the business owners would honor the coupons
and I wouldn't have to "jew 'em down".  I listened politely and at the end
asked if she would like some feedback and she said yes.  I told her I
thought she generally did a very good job,  then I asked her why she had
chosen to use that particular phrase, and she replied in a horrified way, "I
didn't mean to do say that, I'm so sorry."
 
Obviously in your incident, this act was intentional, but my experience
reiterated how unconscious anti-Semitism, racism, homophobia and sexism
often are.  It also affirmed that I could make a small difference with one
person by speaking up with compassion and re-affirmed my commitment to be an
ally.
 
In solidarity,
 
Carrie
 
Carrie L. Stewart, M.C.I.S.
Owner/Principal
One World Consulting
OneWorld at swbell.net
512-350-9030 (O/M)
Gathering People ~ Finding Common Ground
 
From: name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org [mailto:name-mce-bounces at nameorg.org] On
Behalf Of Blumenfeld, Warren [C I]
Sent: Saturday, September 26, 2009 10:34 AM
To: name-mce at nameorg.org
Subject: (NAME-MCE) Pennies of Hate
 
Pennies of Hate
By Warren J. Blumenfeld
 
            The history and symbolism of the little copper penny transcends
its face value. Musicians write songs about "Pennies from Heaven." Shinny
new pennies are beautiful things to behold. Rare old collectable pennies
bring high prices and pride for their owners. The symbolic history of the
penny also possesses a down side.
            On the evening of Thursday, September 24, I was walking home
after enjoying a wonderful meal on Main Street in Ames with my out-of-town
friend who was passing through on his way back to New York State. As we
walked west down Lincoln Way directly in front of the Iowa Department of
Transportation building, a passing automobile slowed by our side and flung
small objects at us hitting our right sides. Stunned, we looked on the
ground and found pennies, as the cars rolled by us. 
            I do not believe that what occurred on Thursday evening was a
random act, but rather, was a cowardly act of blatant anti-Semitism, for it
is generally known on our campus and throughout the community that I am both
Jewish and gay. As the passers by pelted pennies at us, I was transported
back in time to my middle school years when students tossed pennies at me
while yelling: "Go ahead Jew, pick them up, you cheap Jew." From these
stereotypes also come the expression, "Don't Jew me down," which I often
hear from others to this very day. 
A hate crime is one in which a person or group of people target others
primarily based on their social identities - race, ethnicity, nationality,
religion, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, socioeconomic class,
disability, linguistic background, age, and others - for the purpose of
bullying, harassing, humiliating, intimidating, or physically injuring.
These are referred to as "hate" or "bias-related" crimes since they stem
from perpetrators' prejudice toward an entire group of people, and they
target individuals who they perceive as representing that group. By
targeting one, they in fact target a group, and add to the collective
consciousness of a people. 
            If any person has concerns with my ideas and perspectives, I am
willing to discuss these with anyone, any time and any place. If, however,
anyone hates me because of my social identities, then I challenge you to do
your homework, to do your personal work in overcoming your prejudices. For
in the final analysis, your biased conditioning compromises your integrity
and your basic humanity, and this hurts you more than it does me. 
In addition, whenever anyone of us is demeaned, we are all diminished.
Therefore, we all have a responsibility, indeed, an opportunity to eradicate
hate crimes in all of its forms, to speak up and end the silence against the
hate. For there is no such thing here as an "innocent bystander."
 
Dr. Warren J. Blumenfeld
Department of Curriculum & Instruction
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-3192
Office Phone: (515) 294-5931
Office Fax:     (515) 294-6206
Home Phone: (515) 232-8230

 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: winmail.dat
Type: application/ms-tnef
Size: 14046 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mail.nameorg.org/pipermail/name-mce_nameorg.org/attachments/20090928/f98b88b0/attachment-0001.bin>