Where Is The Love?

It was a typical day at Somers High School and I was in my second period English class when another student blurts out that there is a swastika etched into their desk. I didn’t catch on to what they said but it was my teacher’s reaction that made me realize what just happened. She was upset, confused about what to do next, but because she is so incredible, she immediately reported it to administration.

Things like this; we hear about it all of the time and it pains me. It sometimes feels like it becomes a routine event that occurs in our county. I don’t do anything about it because I don’t want to address it or have it gain any power because it doesn’t need power or recognition but, to be honest with you all: I’m so TIRED.

I’m so tired of people drawing these symbols that once represented a group that did terrible terrible things to minority groups and killed millions of people. I am tired of having to explain to myself why I carry my Judaism on the forefront of my heart and why Judaism and Israel are the two things I talk about most often

I am tired of the miseducation, I am tired of the lack of empathy, sympathy, and just general understanding that has become amongst teens and some adults. I am tired of seeing a swastika popping up in school bathrooms, desks in classrooms, and even chairs in the library and we are unable to identify who has done it or why they do it.

Are kids just silly enough to do this as a joke? Or is this another hate crime that has come upon us? Why is it that with ALL of the education that we give, the Human Rights projects in History class, the reading of books like Night and Anne Frank’s Diary in English classes, that we have students who are committing these acts.

I preach about being loving and caring and empathetic and how that is supposed to counteract the hate. But at this point, in all honesty, I AM SO STICKIN’ TIRED OF IT ALL.

Today in class, I felt helpless, hopeless, voiceless, and overall …less…

Ladies and Gentleman, it is 2019 and we need to step up our game here. Swastikas and any other symbol that was related or relatively related to a past or present hate group should not be written on school property, let alone writing on school property period.  

I am sorry that I have come onto the blog today with such negativity yet this moment struck me more than the ones before it ever had and I had to write it out.

I love you all so so deeply. Thank you for reading.