Blatant Racism and Judgmentalism

Guest Post by HSM

Every store I went to today (other than the Jewish ones (and that’s a rant in and of itself)) had signs saying they accept donations for Haiti. In Canada the Canadian government is matching every donation dollar for dollar.

I am sick to my stomach and deeply ashamed of a fellow co-religionist. I was standing in line at the Walmart waiting to pay for my items, and chatting with the lady behind me, a member of the tribe. I don’t know her personally, but recognized her from “around”. When it was my turn to pay, I asked the cashier to please add a 10 dollar donation to the Red Cross to go to Haiti. The cashier thanked me very much. The MoT that was behind me came up to me and in a loud stage whisper said in a scathing tone “do you really want to give all your money to the schvartzers when there are Jews starving here at home?”

I was just so shocked and stunned that I couldn’t even think of an adequate retort. The racism shouldn’t really shock me. Unfortunately that’s something that many people in the community suffer from, and it sickens and saddens me. My children get their mouths washed out with soap if they ever say derogatory terms like that, for any ethnic group. By now, they know better. Unfortunately, a lot of their classmates do not. That being said, we are all Hashem’s creations. We are all God’s children. How dare someone say one person’s life is worth more than that of another? What ever happened to “whoever saves one life it’s as if he has saved the world?” Are people that close minded and tunnel-visioned that they don’t see this terrible Haitian disaster for what it really is – a colossal tragedy on an unimaginable scale? How can anyone judge another person for where and how they decide to give their charity? How does this woman know that I don’t support the local Jewish poor? How does she know anything about me? How can she fail to be moved by the human suffering over there? Fine, if she doesn’t want to donate, that’s totally her prerogative, but to criticize someone else?

I am beyond angry.

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