Ok, so here’s where the racism conversation gets really tricky and thorny. A player with the Philadelphia Eagles, DeSean Jackson, wrote some awful, anti-Semitic remarks, reiterating the incredibly tired trope of Jews controlling finances and seeking world domination. And there are lots of articles about how he hasn’t been condemned enough, and how outrageous it is that other players have come to his defense. One such article is this one:
https://www.inquirer.com/eagles/desean-jackson-eagles-malcolm-jenkins-fine-20200711.html
And I certainly agree that the comments are anti-Semitic and racist. There’s no excuse for them. My issue is, what does condemnation achieve? Don’t people just shut up, apologize... but continue holding those same beliefs? I’ve heard similarly upsetting comments about Jews in sports’ executive offices, or behind record labels in the music industry. It’s hard to hear. But we need to TALK about them. Ignoring them or trying to shout one another down does NO ONE any good.
One defender of Jackson’s, a fellow player named Malcolm Jenkins, wrote in his somewhat dismissive response: “Jewish people aren’t our problem, and we aren’t their problem.” And that actually makes me really sad. I think he was trying to say, “they don’t hate us, and we don’t hate them”... and maybe also “we’ve both got bigger enemies to deal with.” But it’s still sad, because I actually think it’s a Freudian slip. What he accidentally MEANT to say was, “we don’t care about one another.” And we SHOULD. We need to care, and we need to combine forces, because we do indeed have common enemies, and they benefit when we fight one another. And Jews and blacks have A LOT in common... not to mention the fact that there are quite a few Jews who ARE black!
So, why is it so hard to talk? Let’s get all the toxic stereotypes out on the table, so we can educate one another another and grow together. What do you think??? Ultimately, I think we all spend too much time talking, and not enough time listening. Well, this is just as good a moment as any. Let’s talk. Share your thoughts/comments here. Thanks!
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