OPINION & EDITORIAL
Cartoon anti-Semitic
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by Letters to the Editor
Friday, February 15, 2008
I am writing to express my astonishment after reading a comic in The Badger Herald (“BD Presents,” Feb. 13) that blatantly perpetuated anti-Semitic stereotypes. While I recognize everyone’s freedom of the press, I think it is inappropriate and hurtful to publish a comic with such deep-rooted and offensive stereotypes. As a Jewish student, and one of thousands at this university, I find that many students on this campus throw around stereotypes nonchalantly and without thinking. But the truth is that these stereotypes about Jews being “stingy bastards” and corrupting the media are far from true.
Furthermore, too many people these days take what they read or hear as fact. I’ve traveled around the world and been the first Jew that someone has met, and I’ve had these people check to see if I had horns — a common stereotype about Jews. Many readers of The Badger Herald may not know a lot of Jews and automatically take what they read in your publication as true. This is a scary reality, but it happens every day because people just don’t know better.
Finally, I find this incredibly hurtful because 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazi regime over half a century ago. This is one of the most devastating events of the 20th century, if not of history, and it was caused in part because people heard what lies Adolf Hitler was circulating about the Jews and automatically took them as fact. Six million innocent Jews were brutally gassed, shot and tortured just for being Jewish. Hitler jokes aren’t funny, and they certainly should not have a place in a comic strip.
This was a regime of hate, and it is pathetic to see that this same hate is circulating around a campus that I call home.
So please exercise some good taste and sensitivity, and stop the publication of such hurtful, nasty and untrue stereotypes.
Adina Fradkin
UW undergraduate
fradkin@wisc.edu
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 8:56am):
Sorry, but you'll have to get angry mobs a burning and a murdering before anyone will worry about cartoons. Death threats will also be needed.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 9:53am):
Adina, you certainly have my sympathy and support. Unfortunately, Madison is a town where liberals seldom practice what they preach. They talks about human rights violations by Israel against Palestinians out of one side of their mouths, then bash Jews out of the other.
I remember riding in a cab once when the driver turned and said "Hey, I don't mean to give you a hard time because you're Jewish or nothing, but I just think Israel should be punished for with sanctions for the way they're persecuting the Palestinians." I asked him why he brought that up out of the blue and he replied "Hey, I'm not trying to hassle you or nothing! Man, you can't even criticize Israel without being labeled an anti-Semite anymore!" I asked him "What if I weren't Jewish? Would you say anything to me at all about it?" He said "Look, I didn't mean to ruin your day. I just stated an opinion, okay?" then I asked him how he felt that I, of all people, might be a potential audience for his unsolicited commentary. He replied "Well, I picked you up in front of that Hillel place, I just thought you might be...never mind." He finally gave himself away right there. Then I informed him that I'm not Jewish, but now I can see what blatant anti-Semitism Jews here in Madison put up with every day.
I called the cab company and complained about it. It's doubtful they'll do anything about it, since Madison seems to tolerate that kind of harassment.
Next year I will be transferring out of state. If there's one thing I don't need, it's "University of Wisconsin" at the top of my diploma. I'll never be able to get a job after graduating from a school in a city that openly fosters hatred under the guise of tolerance. Madison liberals are among the most hateful people I've ever met. Time and again they prove to be hypocrites. Nothing they could say or do at this point will change my opinion of them. I became disgusted with the brazen hatred conservative spew out a long time ago, but liberals have become equally disgusting. It's like "Hey, let's have another Holocaust, just for the hell of it."
Count me out. I grew up knowing different about Jews. I don't need some scuzzy hippy or redneck frat boy telling me how to think. God only knows what they're really up to.
Go to hell, Madison. The world is better off without you.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 10:31am):
Although the comic wasn't that funny, it certainly was not agreeing with the statements of the character in the 2nd panel. I *do* think it was guilty of ironically employing a stereotype for nothing deeper than a a cheap laugh at the person saying it, which seems in bad taste. But that concern is completely absent from your criticism, which doesn't allow even the ironic anti-semitism in, say, The Producers.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:30pm):
tell us how you really feel, 9:53!
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:42pm):
Obviously all people in Madison are anti-semitic liberals... way to not stereotype an entire diverse group of people in your argument about anti-semitism. I really doubt the people making cheap jokes about Jews are the same ones that have strong, well-formed opinions (rather than emotional, racist ones) about the situation in Israel/Palestine. Moreover, those most active in supporting Palestine (ISO, CAN, etc) would take offense at you labeling them as "liberals."
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 2:45pm):
I hate all of you so much
Not because of any sort of, you know, racial bias. But because of how incredibly foolish you all are.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 3:09pm):
Just a couple quick questions addressing that real long comment above here...
is Madison really at the top of your list for 'cities the world is better off without'?
Do you really want to express such a hatred for an entire city of people in this way?
And when you find your magical place where bigotry and racism are non-existant and for once humanity can demonstrate some sort of mutual respect for each other... could you give me a call?
I really enjoyed to watch your hatred stem from a small group of people to a university to an entire city.
I don't even want to start on the logical flaws in your response. So I will suffice to say that apparently your hypocrisy knows no bounds.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 11:28pm):
Hey come on, people. Just because you're liberals doesn't mean you're incapable of hating. Remember the rants against white males back in the 90's? It seemed like every single liberal in Madison back then was bashing white males. Then when Brokeback Mountain hit the theaters liberals were bashing heterosexual males. The list goes on.
Not all the world's anti-Semites are right-wing extremists. Do some research and you'll be surprised just how many historical figures you've read about, even admired, advocated violence toward Jews. I'd also like to point out that Barack Obama seems to be in cahoots with the Nation of Islam. Hillary Clinton has been enjoying considerable support from the Latino community through the endorsement she received from La Raza. And I thought Ron Paul was the only candidate involved with hate groups!
I grew up being a liberal myself. Nowadays, I'm not so sure which side of the fence is the good side.
Anonymous (February 15, 2008 @ 11:37pm):
9:53, You and Adina Fradkin certainly have my support. Liberals here in Madison seem to be under the erroneous impression that they can never be wrong, that they're always the good guys. And when you stand up to them and tell them they're wrong, they go on the defensive and act like they're the victims. Cowardice doesn't get any more self-evident than that.
Anonymous (February 16, 2008 @ 12:14pm):
3:09, why is it that you poor liberals go on the defensive every time someone disagrees with you? You spend a whole day shooting off your mouth, then when someone stands up to you, you start crying that you are being persecuted. I think liberals are just a bunch of babies. What a bunch of losers!
Anonymous (February 16, 2008 @ 12:25pm):
Poor liberals. Payback's a bitch, ain't it?
Anonymous (February 17, 2008 @ 12:07pm):
If you don't want certain cartoons, this is what you need to do?
For the seventh straight night, Muslim thugs are rioting in the streets of Denmark, torching cars and businesses. Hundreds of cars and a number of schools have been vandalized or burned in the past week.
Anonymous (February 17, 2008 @ 9:03pm):
"If you don't want certain cartoons, this is what you need to do?"
Are you asking us to do this, or telling us?
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 9:38am):
@9:53 :
I don't get it, stating that you don't like how Israel treats Palestinians is "bashing Jews"?
Who's guilty of generalizing here? A taxi driver offers an unsolicited opinion and it kicks off this train of thought?! Another Holocaust?! You're right, the UW doesn't need to have its name associated with a person of such illogical thinking as yours.
Anonymous (February 18, 2008 @ 1:02pm):
to the MADISON HATER. MAdison is a great city. Young ,open and fresh. I actually think you are probably jewish and thats why the taxi driver hit a bone with you. FACE it. Israel is a foreign nation. it is not the USA no matter how much aid we give it and every American has a right to critisize its actions, ESPECIALLY since we give it so much $$ and military equipment. AND the jewish state does privelege one group-= JEWS. it is NOT a democracy to me. How can it be a democracy when it gives special rights to one group of people. GIVE ME A BREAK.
Anonymous (February 20, 2008 @ 9:25am):
A comment from Israel:
I saw the cartoon on a blog and I have to agree with 10:31 -- the character in panel 2 is expressing opinions that the cartoonist considers so repulsive that in panel 4 he calls him "Adolf". Antisemitism, if anything, is the butt of the joke (though basically the joke is just an old pun, juice/Jews).
That said, the extensive debate on whether Madison is an antisemitic town, how Israel treats the Palestinians, etc. shows something of the way in which any mention of Jews brings a torrent of attack and defense, generally coming from people to whom and for whom "the Jews" have never done a thing. This can only make Jews nervous, knowing that such deep feelings are held in places they can know nothing about and generally can do nothing about -- and knowing that within living memory some of the most civilized nations in the world acted on these feelings and decided that the Jews should be exterminated, and did their best to accomplish that; and knowing, moreover, that there are still people (and entire nations) in the world who wish to continue the process -- and that if we defend ourselves, we are considered imperialists, racists, fascists, and every other political obscenity. Is there any other people whose "right to exist" is a subject for debate?
Ms. Fradkin, I think, recognizes the cartoonist's intention, and I am sorry if the cartoonist has suffered any unpleasantness because of it. But her point is a good one: think of how touchy you would be if you were faced with perfectly public plans for your destruction, and the only thing that the nice people of the world had to say about it was that they, of course, are not involved. You might indeed think that Hitler jokes are not funny. Including The Producers.
(Prof.) David Schaps
Department of Classical Studies
Bar-Ilan University
Ramat-Gan, Israel
(and incidentally, I have a black hat, a [white, by now] beard, and sidelocks -- unlike most Israelis).
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