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Wow, this thread has started me doing some research about this issue in my own country Australia, which does have quite a few similarities to Canada.
I have only just learnt that Australia's most famous military commander, Sir John Monash, planned the Battle of Amiens, ended up Commander of the Australian troops in WW1, had 300,000 people attend his funeral and is pictured on our $100 banknotes. He was not only Jewish but his parents were German and spoke German at home.
I already knew that two of our Governor Generals as well as numerous other leaders were and are Jewish. The Jewish community here has always had an influence way out of proportion to its size.
I imagine they have had some issues with discrimination but they have always been a remarkably successful sector here.
I am not sure why anyone would be surprised about this?
This topic just reminds me in general of how so many people are exceptionally hypocritical. I am seriously not directing this to anyone specifically.
For example they only care about racism or persecution when it is happening directly to them and will turn around and be racist and persecute someone else when it suits them.
I have met lots of people that are come from historically persecuted groups. The are very vocal about protecting their rights or the rights of members of their own cultural, religious, ethnic group but will turn around and be racist, discriminatory and persecute other groups.
They are just unable to make that connection that everyone matters.
Thankfully there is still a percentage of the population that gets that and is able to consider the bigger picture.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,036,872 times
Reputation: 28903
Here’s a story. This happened in the late 1990s.
I was in the pharmacy getting shampoo. When I got up to the cash register, nobody was behind the cash. There was, however, a huge bag of diapers and other baby paraphernalia on the counter. The cashier arrived and I said that I didn’t know who that stuff belonged to. She pushed the diapers aside and put out her hand to take my shampoo.
While she was giving me my change, the diaper owner showed up with a few other baby items and I could tell that she was upset. She was pushing her stuff closer and closer to the register and huffing a bit, nostrils flared. Okay. Whatever. She has a baby; she probably doesn’t get enough sleep.
You know how it is, ladies, when you get your change. You have to put it in your wallet. Then you have to put your wallet in your purse. And then you have to pick up your bag of whatever you bought. It’s a bit of a production. So I put my change in my wallet, put my wallet in my purse, but now the angry mama is between me and my bag of shampoo. I had to reach around her and over her stuff to get mine. Whatever. Life is short.
And then, as if we were in mid-conversation—which she might have been, in her head—she said, “But it’s okay for you to butt in line, right, you f’in bltch?”
Whoa.
I asked her if she kissed her baby with that mouth and started for the door.
Interestingly, there was a black guy (yes, it’s important for me to specify his race here) at the door watching this and holding the door open for me. When I was just a few steps away from him, the mad mama called out “Have a nice day, little Jewish girl.”
I stopped in my tracks. Then I turned on my heel and walked back to her. I said, “What’s up? Are you a Nazi? I came to the register, your stuff was here but you weren’t, and now you’re calling me names? Maybe you’re in a bad mood but…” And then she called me “little Jewish girl” again.
What I didn’t notice was that the guy—the black guy—who had been holding the door open for me was now standing next to me at the register with this very angry woman. He said to me, “Want me to take care of her for you?” I don’t know what he was implying but I burst out laughing. I told him that it wasn’t worth his time.
I understood why he did what he did. I was Jewish. He was black. He understood what it was like to be persecuted.
Anyway, he and I walked out together to the parking lot. His parting line to me was “That whole thing was crazy. Besides, you look Italian.” Ha! (Which is funny in itself because Judaism is a religion, being Italian is an ethnicity, and there are plenty of Italian Jews. But that wasn’t the point.)
I am not sure why anyone would be surprised about this?
This topic just reminds me in general of how so many people are exceptionally hypocritical. I am seriously not directing this to anyone specifically.
For example they only care about racism or persecution when it is happening directly to them and will turn around and be racist and persecute someone else when it suits them.
I have met lots of people that are come from historically persecuted groups. The are very vocal about protecting their rights or the rights of members of their own cultural, religious, ethnic group but will turn around and be racist, discriminatory and persecute other groups.
They are just unable to make that connection that everyone matters.
Thankfully there is still a percentage of the population that gets that and is able to consider the bigger picture.
Here’s a story. This happened in the late 1990s.
I was in the pharmacy getting shampoo. When I got up to the cash register, nobody was behind the cash. There was, however, a huge bag of diapers and other baby paraphernalia on the counter. The cashier arrived and I said that I didn’t know who that stuff belonged to. She pushed the diapers aside and put out her hand to take my shampoo.
While she was giving me my change, the diaper owner showed up with a few other baby items and I could tell that she was upset. She was pushing her stuff closer and closer to the register and huffing a bit, nostrils flared. Okay. Whatever. She has a baby; she probably doesn’t get enough sleep.
You know how it is, ladies, when you get your change. You have to put it in your wallet. Then you have to put your wallet in your purse. And then you have to pick up your bag of whatever you bought. It’s a bit of a production. So I put my change in my wallet, put my wallet in my purse, but now the angry mama is between me and my bag of shampoo. I had to reach around her and over her stuff to get mine. Whatever. Life is short.
And then, as if we were in mid-conversation—which she might have been, in her head—she said, “But it’s okay for you to butt in line, right, you f’in bltch?â€
Whoa.
I asked her if she kissed her baby with that mouth and started for the door.
Interestingly, there was a black guy (yes, it’s important for me to specify his race here) at the door watching this and holding the door open for me. When I was just a few steps away from him, the mad mama called out “Have a nice day, little Jewish girl.â€
I stopped in my tracks. Then I turned on my heel and walked back to her. I said, “What’s up? Are you a Nazi? I came to the register, your stuff was here but you weren’t, and now you’re calling me names? Maybe you’re in a bad mood but…†And then she called me “little Jewish girl†again.
What I didn’t notice was that the guy—the black guy—who had been holding the door open for me was now standing next to me at the register with this very angry woman. He said to me, “Want me to take care of her for you?†I don’t know what he was implying but I burst out laughing. I told him that it wasn’t worth his time.
I understood why he did what he did. I was Jewish. He was black. He understood what it was like to be persecuted.
Anyway, he and I walked out together to the parking lot. His parting line to me was “That whole thing was crazy. Besides, you look Italian.†Ha! (Which is funny in itself because Judaism is a religion, being Italian is an ethnicity, and there are plenty of Italian Jews. But that wasn’t the point.)
I was in the pharmacy getting shampoo. When I got up to the cash register, nobody was behind the cash. There was, however, a huge bag of diapers and other baby paraphernalia on the counter. The cashier arrived and I said that I didn’t know who that stuff belonged to. She pushed the diapers aside and put out her hand to take my shampoo.
While she was giving me my change, the diaper owner showed up with a few other baby items and I could tell that she was upset. She was pushing her stuff closer and closer to the register and huffing a bit, nostrils flared. Okay. Whatever. She has a baby; she probably doesn’t get enough sleep.
You know how it is, ladies, when you get your change. You have to put it in your wallet. Then you have to put your wallet in your purse. And then you have to pick up your bag of whatever you bought. It’s a bit of a production. So I put my change in my wallet, put my wallet in my purse, but now the angry mama is between me and my bag of shampoo. I had to reach around her and over her stuff to get mine. Whatever. Life is short.
And then, as if we were in mid-conversation—which she might have been, in her head—she said, “But it’s okay for you to butt in line, right, you f’in bltch?”
Whoa.
I asked her if she kissed her baby with that mouth and started for the door.
Interestingly, there was a black guy (yes, it’s important for me to specify his race here) at the door watching this and holding the door open for me. When I was just a few steps away from him, the mad mama called out “Have a nice day, little Jewish girl.”
I stopped in my tracks. Then I turned on my heel and walked back to her. I said, “What’s up? Are you a Nazi? I came to the register, your stuff was here but you weren’t, and now you’re calling me names? Maybe you’re in a bad mood but…” And then she called me “little Jewish girl” again.
What I didn’t notice was that the guy—the black guy—who had been holding the door open for me was now standing next to me at the register with this very angry woman. He said to me, “Want me to take care of her for you?” I don’t know what he was implying but I burst out laughing. I told him that it wasn’t worth his time.
I understood why he did what he did. I was Jewish. He was black. He understood what it was like to be persecuted.
Anyway, he and I walked out together to the parking lot. His parting line to me was “That whole thing was crazy. Besides, you look Italian.” Ha! (Which is funny in itself because Judaism is a religion, being Italian is an ethnicity, and there are plenty of Italian Jews. But that wasn’t the point.)
This stuff happens regardless of what colour or ethnicity you are. I live in Toronto in the hub of multiculturalism and no one is a saint in this area. I have had Jewish people be very openly racist to me and towards me. It does not mean that all people from any background are victims or not being actively racist and discriminatory towards other people.
I have heard racist/ discriminatory comments from all groups of people about all other groups of people living in this city. It is called ignorance. However on a happier note I have heard people from the same cultural group as the person being racist or being discriminatory step up and stand up for the person being targeted. To me that is what counts most. There are always going to be bad apples in any group of people regardless how they are identified. That does not define the entire group. What is more important is that there are more people willing to say hey ... what you are doing is not okay and it harms all of us.
Realistically for all we know maybe this lady at some point in her life was being discriminated against or mistreated by someone who was Jewish and then decided to assume all Jewish people were like that. This 100% does not make it okay.
This is one of the challenges I see in places that are multicultural. When any group starts to have the us vs them attitude or we or our culture is better then them attitude. I think it is really important that these mentalities get shut down. People need to show case their cultures in an inclusive way. For example I think the city of Toronto does a good job of these by having different enthic/ cultural events all over the city is public high traffic spaces so more people are exposed to the culture traditions of other groups in the city.
I am always pleased when I see people from other cultures eating in different ethnic restaurants in the city.
Regarding the new mom thing and the line thing. I drives me nuts when people leave the line then expect everyone to wait for them. Being a new mom is used as an excuse way too often. Yes I am a women with a child and saying this. Being a new mom does not mean you can get a free pass at being a psycho.
I think that's a huge oversimplification of the situation.
Over the years, many Jews did willingly self-segregate for various aspects of life. Admitting that isn't being an apologist for anti-Semitism.
Yeah, like because they were not allowed to own land...and MANY other things like that. Sorta kept them having to figure out other ways to make a living.....
The Irony is that the modern world favored those other ways......as opposed to the farmer or landowner....but, hey, history marches on.
Location: Montreal -> CT -> MA -> Montreal -> Ottawa
17,330 posts, read 33,036,872 times
Reputation: 28903
Quote:
Originally Posted by klmrocks
This stuff happens regardless of what colour or ethnicity you are. I live in Toronto in the hub of multiculturalism and no one is a saint in this area. I have had Jewish people be very openly racist to me and towards me. It does not mean that all people from any background are victims or not being actively racist and discriminatory towards other people.
True. I never said otherwise. We are certainly not perfect.
And this took place in Montreal, a city known for being multicultural.
Quote:
Realistically for all we know maybe this lady at some point in her life was being discriminated against or mistreated by someone who was Jewish and then decided to assume all Jewish people were like that. This 100% does not make it okay.
Could be. If that's the case, she was perpetuating the cycle. Sucks to be her.
Quote:
Regarding the new mom thing and the line thing. I drives me nuts when people leave the line then expect everyone to wait for them. Being a new mom is used as an excuse way too often. Yes I am a women with a child and saying this. Being a new mom does not mean you can get a free pass at being a psycho.
Right on! It's called "putting yourself in someone else's shoes."
It's also called good karma. I've helped moms bring their stuff to their car, helped them with the classic door/stroller battle, etc. And that's also called "do unto others as you'd have them do unto you." It's also called respect.
You're a good egg, KLM.
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