A Stranger in a strange land
I often ask myself if someone can be numb to something and at the same time, shocked by it. After today, I answered my own question. Now, with tears slowly falling from my eyes, I am here to write some raw feelings. Warning, this post could be all over the place, because that's where my emotions are right now. At the beginning of summer the confirmation class at my temple focused on what it meant to them, to be a stranger in a strange land. As Jewish people, we are not new to this feeling. From our ancestors to now, we can find ourselves feeling alone in different settings. With the events happening in Charlottesville and over the world, I am focusing on what it means to be a stranger in a strange land. Not just for myself, but for others being targeted. Maya Angelou said, "Hate: it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but it has not solved one yet." Hate seems to be circulating many platforms, in many places, and it is absolutely heartbreaking.I am not one to lose hope, but I getting there. I am disappointed with what is going on, what people allow to happen, what people believe, and the actions humans are taking. Social media can be a blessing and curse. I was scrolling though posts today and came across multiple articles that lead me to a breakdown. The first being about a student that went to my high school marching with the neo nazis and white supremacists alongside like minded individuals. How? Why? It doesn't make sense. I walked the same halls as someone that hates so strongly. In Warrensburg, I am not as surprised when people like that come up (which typing that makes me want to scream), but Ladue. It had me at a loss for words. A second article that I came across was discussing how a Jewish synagogue in Charlottesville had Nazi's right outside as they prayed on Saturday morning. That is absolutely TERRIFYING. Not to mention they had to hire their own security guard that morning because the local PD refused to have an officer at their congregation that morning. There was talk that the people wanted to burn the temple. (I literally cannot hold back tears.) The support that the congregation received was great, but the face that this is happening, now, in 2017. Please take some time to think why? Who could be a catalyst for this hate? And how can "I" help make tomorrow better? To contribute to the readings, an article about a holocaust memorial in Boston being vandalized came up. A teenage boy decided to be a senseless POS and throw a rock at a glass panel, part of the memorial, which had numbers of the millions of Jews killed in the Holocaust. (and yes, that happened. Deniers of the holocaust, I cannot tolerate or even fathom that.) It is horrifying to hear of these acts. I am feeling a lot of confusion right now, but can't find the words to make it better. I can't even find strength for myself. To top it all off, I flashed back to my move in day this semester. I went out to lunch with a friend and walking to the restaurant I saw what look like a swastika on a pole. I just stopped for a moment in disbelief. I kept walking, I had no words. I went back to the same place tonight to see if maybe it had been removed (Cute, Erin. This is Warrensburg. There are hateful, cruel people here.) There it was (the photo at the top of the blog). I was livid, but tried to keep my calm because it's unlikely that anyone would know or care what it was doing there. The city hall will be hearing from me tomorrow to have that removed because I WILL NOT TOLERATE HATE. IT IS NOT OKAY. These are just a handful of things that I came across today, but people, this happens daily. People are strangers in strange lands often, and if you aren't the stranger, be a friend to the stranger. Advocate, stand up, and fight for what is right. I think one thing that upsets me the most are bystanders. If you witness a situation, remark, or anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Get help, or be the help.I need people who read this, to be asking the questions why? How? What can we do? What will you do to make tomorrow better? Please feel free to answer these questions in comments or just think them to yourself. At this point, I strongly believe it is going to have to be more than random acts of kindness. If you witness hate, stop it then and there. Be a voice for the voiceless and offer your heart to those whose are broken. Please love, spread it, be it, teach it. Thank you for reading this. -E
