I'm Sad, Sick and So So Tired

A few days ago, I saw that Leslie Jones of SNL and Ghostbusters fame was attacked on social media. Many messages sent her way were criticisms of her role as Patty in the new GB. Some bashed her comedy or place in the film - or its existence at all.

But a shocking number of "people" chose to attack her very being. As if her race has anything to do with feminism or the movie in any specific way, besides the director wanting to mirror the original cast's racial makeup. The things they said were beyond ignorant, and they were fuelled by hate.

(Side note, so glad Milo is gone. Can we get rid of the rest of the "provocateurs" please? Pretty-please?)

Last night, Ape and I watched part of Trump's formal acceptance of the RNC candidacy for President. At one point, he mentioned protecting "LGBTQ" and the pained way it came out didn't fill me with any sense of caring. In fact, I noted the line was part of a commitment to protect all citizens, so he wasn't going out of his way for anyone in particular.

Nevermind his newly-minted VP Pence's horrid stances on LGBT and women's issues.

Today, woke up to some post-Convention fallout. Laura Silverman tweeted about hugging Muslim, LGBTQ, POC and Jewish friends. The responses, frankly, shocked me.

Look, I'm not stupid, and I grew up with casual racism from my childhood bestie's dad, and from my FIL today. Lots of homophobia as well.

What I didn't expect, and what I'm still confused by, is so much hatred for Jews in particular.

Please don't get me wrong - I'm against hate speech, racial and ethnic slurs, and genocidal threats against anyone. But for whatever reason (Catholic privilege?) I never dealt with racism against Jews. Watching _School Ties_ and the abuse Brendan Fraser's Jewish student endures, I cringed but thought I was watching history. Or at least, that the attitudes in the film were presently-in-1992 limited to outliers.

So today, in 2016, I was stunned to see "person" after "person" spew unconscionable bile towards Laura and Jews the world over. Don't worry, Muslims, they didn't forget you - there were plenty of anti-Muslim / Islamophobic comments.

This is probably going to make me sound REALLY ignorant, but the part I'm trying to get my brain around is why Jews are such targets. Blacks? "Affirmative Action takes from me; my grandparents used to own people like you" Muslims (and non-Christians in general these days)? "Terrorists; financers of terror; religion of peace my butt!"

But what's going on with anti-Semitism, and why is it STILL so prevalent? I hear the Jew-jokes on South Park and I know they're based on attitudes of the past. Or so I thought.

Seriously, sincerely and please - help me understand. I don't like seeing any bigotry or hate, but I'm flummoxed as to why Jews are still targets.