Patriots owner Robert Kraft launches antisemitism campaign Any chance this will do any good?
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No.
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Sadly, I agree. There is so much hate that seems to be acceptable these days.
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I hope yes. Otherwise one can argue that any other campaigns for racial equality, LGBT, etc are pointless as well.
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I doubt it. I even see antisemitism on this board. When I first started looking at colleges and took a match quiz, Brandeis University was one of the schools that came up. I think I have read most Brandeis threads on this board, and this nonsectarian university is almost always labeled Jewish, too Jewish… People ask if they should consider it if they aren’t Jewish… I’ve never seen the same type of comments or questions about schools like Georgetown or Notre Dame which are actually affiliated with the Catholic Church. I think it’s safe to say that the dismissal and occasional derision of this academically excellent R1 university is likely due to antisemitism.
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My H saw a blue square ad on tv this morning & said that it was very powerful. But the ad is preaching to the choir in our house. I agree that it won’t change the views of those who hold hatred in their hearts. However, I do hope that maybe, just maybe, those who don’t hate will actually begin to speak up when hatred is spewed.
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I don’t think it will help either though the National Council of Jewish Women had an instagram post including the blue square, showing the blue square as taking up 2.4% of the post—one corner—the same percentage of Jews in the US. It came across more powerfully that way.
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The second part of the message is that although Jews are only 2.4% of the population, they are the recipients of 55% of the hate crimes. If that isn’t powerful, it should be.
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Yes, I agree. It should be! I believe that people have been steadily influenced by subtle antisemitism all along to think that this is somehow not a big deal.
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FWIW I have seen numerous posts asking if Notre Dame, Georgetown, or other schools are too Catholic. It never bothered me. If a Catholic culture is problematic for some applicants, it is best they know ahead of time. I have known plenty of Jewish and Muslim students who have attended both, but I recognize they are not for everyone.
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I sometimes wonder if campaigns like this might make those who have a propensity towards such crimes more likely to act on their feelings. Perhaps by pointing out the frequency of the behavior it gives legitimacy to their feelings and actions by confirming they’re not alone. It does make the people who aren’t anti semetic feel better and gives them a venue to show that. That said there is a reason people are anti semetic, anti - Islamic, anti - gay etc. I’m guessing that many who are could not give you a personal, defined reason for their feelings it’s what they’ve learned and internalized. You can make the violence and discrimination illegal but changing attitudes is far more difficult. I think it’s personal and takes time. Kind of like dealing with addiction.
No.
There’s definitely the chance that this campaign could have a boomerang effect and as @lvvcsf suggests legitimize antisemitic attitudes for some people. But it’s definitely better to have other voices in the conversation besides celebrities and athletes promoting bigoted and inaccurate viewpoints.
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But, maybe it will make clear who they are. Belichick apparently put the pin in a location on his shirt where no one would see it, and blamed it on his boss for why he even had to wear it. Not surprising at all.
Given the huge increase in antisemitic incidents, I don’t believe this will legitimize attitudes. But, let them say they don’t support Jews and why they don’t.
Where did you see that info about Belechick essentially hiding the pin and being required to wear it? That is so disturbing, yet I can’t find a single report about it, which is even more disturbing.
I wish ad campaigns were effective against the scourge of anti-semitism but I don’t expect this campaign to do much. People who hold anti-semitic views aren’t going to change their retrograde thinking because of some ad campaign.
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I believe it was mentioned on sports radio. I will confirm. (So, it’s anecdotal.)
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There certainly are such comments/questions on cc. (along with Boston College)
But to answer the question, I’m hopeful, but skeptical, that the blue square will have an impact.
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Thanks for sharing. It’s a very strong ad.
Unfortunately, it won’t change minds.
People have to blame someone for their shortcomings - so they blame the Jews or other ethnic or other groups/people - since they don’t want to blame themselves for being utter losers.
I hope this doesn’t boomerang. It certainly is a powerful message and it’s wonderful somebody so high profile and respected is looking to make such an impact.
As for the Brandeis comment - I agree with the poster. No one calls Tulane Jewish and it has a higher % of Jewish students than Brandeis. Or Barnard or WUSTL or BInghamton to throw in a public. That other students (Jewish, Muslim, etc.) may attend a Jesuit or Catholic school is not relevant. Their mission is backed in their religion whereas a Brandeis is not.
I would never make the comment that a Gtown or Nova or BC or ND or Fairfield or Salve Regina and the list goes on and on - they are not too Jesuit or too Catholic. While they admit all kids, their affiliation is their affiliation and they should celebrate that and look to fulfill their mission.
So it is, in many ways, it is blind antisemitism when a comment like that is made (if it’s has in fact, been made) but truthfully it’s like moreso made out of ignorance then antisemitism or hate.
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How to change attitudes? This is the million dollar question. We have voices in the public square stating that we can’t even talk about how bigotry affects people in our society. If we can’t take a good, hard, honest look through the eyes of the “other,” if we dismiss the fact that bigotry and bias are impacting lives, I don’t know how we can even begin to change attitudes.
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