Way back in the days when I was a wee lil’ undergraduate, I found myself facing 80 credits of coursework meant to ensure that I developed into a well-rounded, moderately well-adjusted adult. I got lucky, clicked with my first college history professor, and proceeded to take about a half-dozen of his courses. To my benefit, he taught classes in history, ethnic studies, and comparative religion.
One of Dr. X’s Jewish history courses, in particular, comes to mind these days. I had a class conflict and, as occasionally happens when enrollment must be maintained to avoid cancelling a course, Dr. X let me write a 20- or 30-page paper based on primary literature. I chose to examine the difference between “polite” anti-semitism and “violent” anti-semitism, with a particular focus on when one transitions to the other—when muttered insults and disdainful glances are replaced with beatings, rape and murder on a small or large scale.
It’s been over 15 years since that assignment, and some of the details are now vague. One thing that sticks with me, however, is that the transition is normally slow. Impolite jokes are not immediately followed by accusations of well-poisoning or pogroms. Once begun, however, the wave of intolerance has historically risen until it crested—whether the crest is “just” bad, or if it’s “very, very” bad.
This sort of triggered cycle isn’t limited to anti-semitism, of course. You could easily argue that something very similar happens with anti-immigrant sentiment, anti-LGBT sentiment, racist sentiment, or any other sort of intolerance. That’s concerning, especially with the increase in open acts of intolerance during Trump’s campaign, and the further increase since he won the election. It’s pretty clear that the wave is rising—the veneer of decency and civilization is wearing thin in many places across the US.
Maybe 25-year-old me was an idiot, and read too much into some dusty old books. Maybe 40-year-old me is equally foolish for relying on what he thinks 25-year-old me read. Maybe 40-year-old me is a moron for imagining anyone will read this post. Maybe not.
Regardless, stay safe. Protect each other. Take care of each other.