A swastika was painted on a door that my son must go through to get to his work at a DC hotel. He is the only Israeli, and the only Jew to work there. There is no doubt that the swastika was put there so he would see it, or that it was put there by a co-worker, as hotel guests have no access to that area. Hotel management offered apologies, painted over the symbol of hate and opened an investigation. They are not at fault here.
I am disgusted and sad. There are two ways to react to this. I can stay home, sit on my hands and wallow. Or I can use this incident as fuel for action. Anti-semitism is on the rise again all over the world, even in the United States. It tends to flourish in times of uncertainty and anguish, as do other forms of intolerance. I truly believe that the sitting president exacerbates the divisions among people, and fans the flames of intolerance and hatred of “the other”. He has been doing it for decades: practicing housing discrimination against African Americans in the 70s, calling African countries “shit holes”, describing Latinos looking for a better life here as murderers and rapists, equating the torch bearing neo-Nazis marching in Charlottesville with peaceful protesters. I could go on…
I do not oppose president Trump “just because of his personality or the fact that he won the presidency”. I oppose president Trump because of what he does. So I will stand with my black friends, who he encourages his supporters to harass at rallies. I will stand with my LGBTQ friends, who he is trying to remove from the military. I will stand with the women who claim he harassed them sexually. I will stand with my Latino friends who he considers less than fully human and separates from their children. I will stand with my Muslim friends who he would like to “send back” and prevent from entering the country. I will stand for reason and peacefully resist - not out of hatred for Trump voters, but out of love for those Trump would victimize. And there are many others like me. If you see us by the side of the road holding signs, please wave. We may disagree with you, but are animated by the same love of country.