Bieganski are Poles just whiny or is there really a
double standard?
The previous three blog posts talk about Marian
Marzynski's PBS Frontline documentary "Shtetl," my essay in response
to it, and Tikkun Magazine's Rabbi Michael Lerner's response to my essay.
One has to ask, is there really such a thing as stereotyping
of Poles, or are Poles just whiners?
Yes, there really is such a thing as stereotyping of
Poles. Yes, this stereotype distorts Holocaust, World War II, and immigration
history, and, thus, it is of concern to any decent, informed person.
Yes, Poles are treated very much differently than members
of other ethnic groups. That Poles are treated very much differently than
members of other ethnic groups is demonstrated in chapter two of "Bieganski."
In the previous blog posts, linked above, I report on
Rabbi Michael Lerner's response to stereotyping of Poles. In Rabbi Lerner's
response, Poles deserve to be stereotyped, and Poles must prove their
innocence. Further, Poles must do this in soundbites – they are allowed,
maximum, a few thousand words.
How does Rabbi Lerner react – and how do others who share
his worldview react – when members of other ethnic groups are stereotyped?
Chapter two of "Bieganski" quotes Rabbi Lerner
extensively.
In November, 1993, Khalid Abdul Muhammad, of the Nation
of Islam, made a virulently
anti-Semitic speech at Kean College in New Jersey. His speech occurred
during extensive tensions between African Americans and Jews. For example,
there had been a riot in Crown Heights in 1991, sometimes labeled a pogrom,
when a crowed of African Americans shouted "Kill the Jews." Yankel
Rosenbaum was stabbed to death. Another man, mistaken to be a Jew, was also
killed.
Some asked, is anti-Semitism a problem among African
Americans?
As chapter two of "Bieganski" shows, Rabbi
Michael Lerner was one of the many Jewish Americans who rushed forward to
prevent any stereotyping of African Americans. Below is a very short excerpt
from longer and more detailed comments found in chapter two of
"Bieganski."
***Excerpt from "Bieganski" below***
Michael Lerner also suggested that Jews were using
accusations of anti-Semitism among African Americans, in this case as "an
excuse to deny our own racism toward blacks" and as "justification
for some Americans to declare themselves 'disillusioned with the
oppressed'" and to cut social programs for the poor…This trend of Jews as
participants in, rather than victims of, black-Jewish relations veered into
victim blaming. Blaming Jews for the anti-Semitism of blacks goes back at least
to Michael Lerner's 1969 manifesto in Judaism,
where he wrote: "black anti-Semitism ... is ... a tremendous disgrace to
Jews, for this is ... rooted in the concrete fact of oppression by Jews of
blacks in the ghetto. In short, this anti-Semitism is in part an earned
anti-Semitism" (Lerner 475 1969). Lerner was ready with similar
accusations to explain anti-Semitism among African Americans in 1994:
"Jewish neoconservatives at Commentary
and neoliberals at the New Republic
have led the assault on affirmative action;" and Jews have "delighted
in the prospect of throwing black women and children off welfare as soon as
possible"
***End excerpt from "Bieganski."***
Around this same time, "Michael Lerner asked
President Bush and the congress to cut off economic and political support to
Poland"
Is there a double standard when it comes to Poles? Yes,
there manifestly is.
Again, this four-part series of blog posts makes the following
points:
Poles are stereotyped.
Poles face a Sisyphean task when confronting
stereotyping.
The stereotyping of Poles distorts Holocaust, World War
II, and immigration history and is, thus, of concern to any decent person.
Polonia's best course of action is not to blame anyone.
What we should do is outlined here.
I have invited Rabbi Michael Lerner to respond to this
series of blog posts and I welcome and will post any response from him or from
his representative. I have also invited Prof. Michael Steinlauf, whose students
appear` in "Shtetl." I would invite Marian Marzynski but I have no
contact information for him.
I know I keep saying this, but it keeps being true. Doesn't your powerful post above go to show that we - the children of Adam - have learnt nothing at all from this constant memorialising of WW2?
ReplyDeleteWe still "uber" and "unter" people. Some groups of people have PC-protection, but some do not. Yet the most basic lesson we could have learnt from WW2 is not to do this.
Which brings me back to the wisdom of our Creator, the true God, who has taught us that love "does not keep account of the injury".
What has been the result of this constant keeping account of certain injuries?
Nothing good, as far as I can see.