Hatred and racism require an appropriate response

Your May 9, 2002 front page article about the neo-Nazi fliers left in Howell requires an appropriate response. Unfortunately some editors have misgivings about printing appropriate responses. A New York Times editorial reporting the surge of vicious anti-Semitism in France and then hiding the one inadequate reader response a week later on the bottom of the editorial page is a prime example.

Racist demagogues have always preferred to gang up on minorities and as cowards incite the populace to genocide. Some of the world media and political leaders prefer silence and gloss over a return of ancient hatreds.

For they prefer the example of World War II and previous centuries when the isolated Jews were helpless victims of deadly pogroms and easy pickings by bullies. They prefer a short-term public memory that forgets the genocide of Armenians, how Pakistan murdered a million of their fellow Muslims in Bangla-desh, and similar such attempts at widespread genocide against Africans and Kurds.

At best they don’t feel comfortable with victims who fight back. And the racists (in and out of the closet) are outraged and dread the sight of Jews with the means and capability to defend themselves.

As an American citizen, I cannot remain silent. As an American Jew, I cannot remain silent. As a World War II combat infantryman, I must not remain silent.

Malvin Shar

Freehold