Michael Douglas finds Judaism and faces anti-Semitism

[cali]

Last summer our family went to Southern Europe on holiday. During our stay at a hotel, our son Dylan went to the swimming pool. A short time later he came running back to the room, upset. A man at the pool had started hurling insults at him.

My first instinct was to ask, “Were you misbehaving?”

“No,” Dylan told me through his tears.

I stared at him. And suddenly I had an awful realization of what might have caused the man's outrage: Dylan was wearing a Star of David.

After calming him down, I went to the pool and asked the attendants to point out the man who had yelled at him. We talked. It was not a pleasant discussion. Afterward, I sat down with my son and said: “Dylan, you just had your first taste of anti-Semitism.”

<snip>

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0315-douglas-anti-semitism-20150315-story.html

[cali]

2. bye bye

yes, wearing a star of david is exactly like wearing a swastika. Moron.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. You are a fucking moron. I hope you don't get banned immediately so I can slap you around.

How the fuck is the Star of David a hate symbol?

[kydo]

9. That was my question too and then it became a name removed poster.

I too was wondering when the star of David became a symbol of hate. I totally get why many see the cross as an odd symbol as it is the instrument that was used to put people to death in an extremely cruel way. I even get the point on both sides of the swastika, before Nazi it was just a crooked cross after Nazi it represents the Nazis, and they were vile people. But the star of David ... I am still wondering where the idea that that means hate comes from. Well other then logical expectation, which is the poster, (a one name removed), is whacked in the head and apparently thinks all those Jews proudly displayed their little yellow stars of David on their ways to concentration camps and their deaths as a awesome means of showing hate toward their killers the Nazis. Which for me means name removed would be better of seeking mental help rather then spreading the warped ideas on the internets.

But that's just me.....

[Codeine]

4. Looks like DU is getting a little taste of it as well.

Not altogether new, I suppose. Assjackets.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. The irony is that moron's name was David or at least his screen name was.

BTW, Christians wear the Star Of David and hold him in high esteem as they believe Jesus is a descendant of him.

[MineralMan]

6. MIRT bait that one is.

It drops in regularly for an extremely brief stay.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. Killed an interesting discussion...

It is a testament to the power of anti-semitism that someone as thoroughly assimilated as Michael Douglas can feel the sting of it.

[mucifer]

8. I'm 50 years old and born and raised Jewish and almost never

have I had run ins with antisemitism. It's probably been less than 5 times in my life. Of course I'm not counting hearing someone stupid on the radio.

I feel that Muslims suffer from discrimination much more than we Jews do here in the USA.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. You must have led a charmed existence.

My mom was Jewish. My dad wasn't and since I didn't fit the stereotype of how anti-semites or latent anti-semites think a Jew looks or acts I have heard lots of anti-semitic remarks. I can recount the ones I remember if you desire. I can start with the most recent ones and work my way back, the last two were right here in liberal Los Angeles.

[mucifer]

12. I think it also depends on what you consider antisemitism

I'm not a zionist. Many Jews believe saying things against Israel is anti-Semitic, I don't unless it's a statement against all Jews.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

18. Done

From the most recent backward and none were about Israel and remember the person making the remark had no idea I was Jewish.

1) I was riding the Orange Line from Woodland Hills to North Hollywood and we were going through Studio City which is a tony Los Angles suburb. The woman, sitting next to me, was on her cell phone and told the person she was talking to that she was going through "Jewtown."

2) Los Angeles libraries used to be closed on Sundays. I was talking to this woman and told her in Orlando where I am from the libraries were open on Sunday. She said that was because the Jews were powerful there.

3) My business partner and I went to meet with an executive at a Central Florida Chamber Of Commerce. He told us it would be hard to do business with his members because their names ended with precious metals and they were tight with their money.

4) My friend used to manage a small motel...One day we were sitting in his room next to the office and the tv was on and there was a story about some guy who killed his mother in law. He said "fucking Jew".

5) I was in the office with one of my professors and she went on a riff about JAPS, i.e Jewish American Princesses, at American University (AU) who were driven to campus in limos but she called it AJew instead of AU

6) Another professor called the magazine The New Republic The Jew Republic

7) In one of my jobs there was a dispute over payment and my boss blamed the fact they were dilatory in paying on their Jewishness.

8) I worked for a magazine and one of my co-workers called one of the articles "screaming Jewish liberal rhetoric".

9) When I was in college the subject of Hitler came up in non-classroom conversation. My interlocutor said "too bad Hitler couldn't finish the job."

[cali]

11. statistically, anti-Muslim incidents in the U.S.

are mercifully rare. I believe that's true of anti-semitic events too. But I agree that bias/discrimination against Muslims is much more prevalent. However, it's actually other groups that suffer more:

<snip>

The good news is that more than 13 years after the 9/11 terror attacks, anti-Muslim violence remains a rare phenomenon in Western democracies. In the United States, for example, the FBI tallied 165 anti-Muslim hate-crime offenses in 2013, or about one-tenth the number of offenses targeting gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgender people. Only about one-third of anti-Muslim crimes involved violent attacks on people.

<snip>

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/01/will-this-time-be-different/384322/

[DemocratSinceBirth]

13. All prejudice is wrong

But I don't understand when someone cites a incident of prejudice to one group someone invariably brings up that some other group is the victim of prejudice too...

It would be like instructing Michael Douglas to tell his son who was the target of anti-semitism that other groups are targets of prejudice too...

[geek tragedy]

15. that's because you live in the US instead of Europe. nt

[cali]

17. like flies to shit, you little anti-semites, can't resist.

[cyberswede]

20. lol - yeah - someone peed in his oatmeal this morning

I do wish they'd get some original material, though.

[Behind the Aegis]

23. Very true.

Most of the time, it is much more subtle. What a treat this was.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. Yo, Name Removed

Go piss up a rope.

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Some interesting responses.

It was as if the experience in the article needed to be duplicated. Fortunately, most are aware of this, others, not so much.

[e-cigdub]

24. my boyfreind

My boyfriend of 5 years (this September) is jewish he actually has dual citizenship. Im persian so were both essentially middle eastern. Although ironically im lighter skinned then he is. We both of roman noses (middle eastern trait?) not really sure but we always joke how our kids are so lucky were both gay cause if were able to have kids we would feel so bad for our son/daughter.

Anyway not to get off topic but since being with him iv become extremely sensitive of "jew" jokes.. believe me i made my share of them in high school but its funny how i have changed. We both live in california and are hoping to get married this year. Were going to paris then israel for our honeymoon and also to visit his family (he has family in both so its awesome!!) but he actually wanted to go to iran so i could show him where i grew up.

the sad reality is and he doesn't really understand is that if we both went to iran they would hang us by our necks before we got out of the airport.. 2 non muslims (one ex muslim) a jew.. both gay.. in iran? not going to go over well.. but to get back to topic.. jokes about jews in a deragatory way is ANTI SEMTISM.. when you or a friend are being frugal and someone sais dont be such a jew.. thats anti semetism. that is NOT funny to me.