Times of social strife demand inspection and introspection
Trenton and state officials seem ready to ride an eternity their high and mighty horse about an anti-Jewish phrase used by President Kathy McBride then gained credence by council members Robin Vaughn and George Muschal.
Mayor Reed Gusciora released a statement that said council members were “learning their words do matter, and their words have an impact and their words were offensive. We can only hope that it was a learning experience for them and that they realize these kinds of comments cannot be made in any discourse, public or private.”
A learning experience for them? For them? Man, if everybody in the freaking universe did not learn something about this then heaven help us.
All 12 house members from New Jersey — 11 Democrats and one Republican condemned McBride’s anti-Semitic stereotype. Wonder if any house members have dabbled in anti-Semitic action or used the N-word. Some present themselves as political paragons of virtue enjoying the high life while 40 million Americans fend off poverty.
Politicians should take a vow of poverty, monogamy or perhaps even celibacy instead of being neck-deep in junkets and trinkets, plus, influenced by whatever fills their goblets and gullets.
By the way, words and no words matter. North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson and At-large Councilman Santiago Rodriguez said nothing. Fights against racism, bigotry, gender bias and other forms of discrimination gain no victories with fence-sitters.
Silence matters. In many instances, keeping quiet means culpability. Certainly, at the end of the day, actions and even inaction speak louder than words.
Case in point, if Mayor Gusciora receives information about the serious deterioration on the 100 block of Walnut Ave. and takes no action, then his negligence warrants criticism.
Should his inaction gain description as avoidance, discriminatory or bias? If Ms. McBride voted in favor of awarding a contract to Jewish-American attorney Steven Platt and as he noted (before tendering his resignation) helped establish Hanukkah in city celebrations then those actions count for President McBride. Plus, the longtime assistant city attorney said he did not believe McBride meant her comments maliciously.
Hold up here. Platt claims an absence of malice and voiced aforementioned instances of McBride actions allow for alternate conclusions. Evan Bernstein, New York/New Jersey regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, countered McBride.
“Anti-Semitic tropes about Jews and money are not just ‘statements of speech,’” Bernstein said in a statement.
“Instead, they play on deeply painful myths about the Jewish community that have a long and troubling history. The words that our community leaders choose to use, and therefore allow to become normalized, are incredibly powerful and resonate deeply in our communities.”
Actions, as well.