Words uttered by our leaders matter – stop stereotyping

Trenton City Council President Kathy McBride said during an executive session of the Trenton City Council on September 5 that a Jewish lawyer representing the city in a personal injury claim was “able to wait her out and Jew her down” to settle the case at a lower amount. She refers to Vivian Soto, who filed a lawsuit for an injury that occurred on October 2016 when she tripped over a downed tree on a city sidewalk.

McBride’s initial defense was “I am not at privilege to speak about anything at executive session per the law that governs executive sessions. It was an executive session and by the law I am not privy to speak on that per the law. “She subsequently apologized twelve days later on September 17 after her remarks were condemned from both near and far. “I apologize to the community at large because in my position you cannot make anyone feel insulted or you cannot be insensitive to any ethnic backgrounds, so I am apologizing to the community at large.” She added that her anti-Semitic remark “was not made to offend or insult anyone.”

As bad as Ms. McBride’s initial comments were, follow-up comments made by South Ward Councilman George Muschal and West Ward Councilwoman Robin Vaughn in defense of McBride were far more offensive and far more anti-Semitic than the original utterances. Muschal called McBride’s anti-Semitic comment a “statement of speech” and added “you know, it’s like a car dealer. They wanted $5,000, you Jew ‘em down to $4,000. It’s nothing vicious. The expression has been said millions of times.”

According to Vaughn, “I believe her comment ‘Jew down’ was more in reference to negotiating, not ‘I hate Jews.’ Inappropriate in today’s PC culture absolutely, but to Jew someone down is a verb and is not anti-anything or indicative of hating Jewish people.” Really, that’s what she said.

Councilman Muschal and Councilwoman Vaughn have both issued apologies for their vile anti-Semitic statements. So why am I still writing about what occurred? Isn’t it time to move on? Not without making a few observations and comments that I believe need to be said and are consistent with the words of former head of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjold: “Never for the sake of peace or quiet deny your own experience or conviction.”

As much as I was heartened by the many elected official who spoke out I found it very telling that Councilman Santiago Rodriquez and Councilwoman Marge Caldwell-Wilson were largely silent. It would appear that their desire not to break ranks with Council President McBride in her ongoing battle with Mayor Reed Gusciora was more important than speaking out about the biased comments she made. Their silence was deafening and very disturbing. Their misplaced loyalty shows how deep the dislike for the Mayor is among some members of the Council. No wonder so little gets done in Trenton. The level of mistrust between the Mayor and the majority of the Council is enormous.

I was incredibly impressed with the conduct of attorney Peter Cohen, the long-time City employee who the “Jew down” comment was directed toward. He is an example of everything that is good about unsung public employees who day in and day out do their jobs in a diligent, conscientious manner. Mr. Cohen handled himself with dignity throughout what must have been a difficult personal situation in which he knew how offensive the use of the term “Jew down” was to members of his faith because it directly relates to the incorrect age-old anti-Semitic trope that all Jews are greedy, cheap or prone to hoard money.

I was also very impressed with Trenton Redevelopment attorney Stuart Platt, who decided to walk away from his firm’s $25,000 contact with the city because of the council president’s shameful anti-Semitic remarks. He put his money where his mouth is and I respect his action.

Likewise, I was really impressed with various letters to the editor that appeared in Trenton newspapers from Trenton residents. I took to heart a sentence in Alma Burman’s letter to The Trentonian of September 18: “And if these are the types of statements Trenton City Council members are comfortable accepting, and comfortable excusing, what other statements are being made behind closed doors? Think about that for minute.”

Ms. Burman’s words remind me of the immortal words of Pastor Martin Moeller:

“First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.’’

I have my doubts as to whether Council President McBride, Councilwoman Vaughn and Councilman Muschal really understand how hurtful their statements were to Jewish people. It hurt me to my core.

I’d urge the Mayor Gusciora to try and spearhead an ecumenical community-wide discussion on the unremitting nature of stereotypes and why they are so insidious. The goal should be to make it clear that stereotyping is nothing more than ignorant, oversimplified generalizations about groups of people based on religion, race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation. When we employ them we are unfairly reinforcing prejudices because you are not taking individuals’ differences into account.

Irwin Stoolmacher is president of the Stoolmacher Consulting Group, a fundraising and strategic planning firm that works with nonprofit agencies that serve the truly needy among us.