An ugly thing happened at a high school basketball game in a suburb of Boston on Friday night.
It occurred at a division title game between the all-boys Catholic Memorial School and the public Newton North High School, which has a large Jewish community of students. The game was held at Newton South High School, where an estimated 100 young men sitting in the student section cheering for Catholic Memorial shouted, “You killed Jesus, you killed Jesus,” according to several witnesses who asked not to be identified. Most of those chanting fans wore red shirts as a display of support for their team. Some of the witnesses, who were Jewish, said they found the chant alarming.
One spectator who was shaken by the events — and who asked not to be identified — is a native of Skokie, Illinois, where in the mid-1970s, a controversy erupted when neo-Nazis wanted to march through the heavily Jewish town. Skokie officials tried to stop it but lost the case in court. This spectator, whose parents are survivors of World War II concentration camps, said, “I can’t believe it,” she said. “I just can’t believe it.”
Nothing like religion to bring people together, don't you think?
Alarming? Holy shit I find it disgusting and the whole batch of these thugs need to be disciplined HARSHLY.
ReplyDeleteThat would solve little. 4:15
DeleteDisgusting.
ReplyDeleteBut I've actually faced that in reverse. When I was working in NJ, the engineer with whom I worked, was Jewish. On one of the days leading to Easter weekend, I went to the door to let George know I was there (we carpooled). His daughter answered the door. Instead of saying good morning or anything pleasant, she said, "And I suppose you think we killed Jesus, too!)
What I said stunned her so much it was weeks before she could face me. I said, "As an atheist, I really don't care, but anybody who knows that story should recognize that your god ORDERED it done so no human should claim he was murdered by anyone."
When she finally spoke with me, she apologized profusely.
It is obvious to me that the stud kids in the article above were ignorant of that point of view.
She shouldn't have said that and your response is a good one, but it's not really the reverse situation.
DeleteLeland, you're talking about what is a hurt response by ONE CHILD. CHILD! who likely had endured just such taunts. Hardly comparable.
DeleteAnd how is a jewish girl charging me - who she thought was christian - NOT the opposite of a christian charging a jew?
DeleteI would hardly call a girl of 20 a CHILD!
DeleteBecause Christians are the power group who have systematically destroyed Jews for centuries. Suck it up, Leland. You may not be a member of the power group now, but all she knew was that you weren't a Jew. The reason I just don't care about your experience is that the experience Gryphen is writing about isn't about you. It's about what happened to a group of Jewish students. That had not one fucking thing to do with you.
Delete8:57, I never said it did have anything to do with me. On the other hand I thought having had a similar, but decidedly opposite happening, might be of interest and add depth to the story of intolerance. That IS what happens here after all. And my getting slapped this way - with someone assuming I was talking about LITTLE girls, for instance - merely reinforces the intolerance being displayed by ALL religious groups and many individuals
DeletePeople adding comments they felt were somehow related to whatever posting Gryphen had made at the time is VERY common here. It was not I who added the negative feedback. Now you are trying to bring it down on me? Screw you.
YOU, too, are assuming. She and her father - in fact, her entire family - knew I was atheist, so once again someone is assuming and becoming the first three letters.
Do yourself a favor: NEVER ASSUME!
I'm the one who said it's not the opposite.
DeleteFirst, you never said she was 20, and since this story is about kids, yes, I assumed she was a teenager.
My assumption was based on the fact that I was the only Jewish kid in my school and my family was one of the only Jewish families in our town that was largely made up of Catholics. I was told by a number of kids over the years that Jews killed Jesus. It can get to you after a while.
It's not the opposite because the idea that Jews killed Jesus has been used for centuries to spark and justify violence against Jews. It's a very specific expression of bigotry.
Someone asking if you are a bigot is a personal affront, but it's not the opposite of accusing Jews of killing Jesus.
And, as I wrote, she shouldn't have said it and you gave a great response.
My guess is that she was half joking (especially now knowing that she's aware you're an atheist), but the tone of your response made her slink away realize it's not a joke she should be making.
1:38, thank you. I can accept your explanation except for the assumption she was a child and I can even understand why you did.
DeleteBut I still say it was essentially the same because it was just another example of hatred and intolerance displayed by another person. And in my opinion, she didn't accuse me of being a bigot. She included me in the disgustingly large group of idiots who make the charge that the jews killed jesus.
And as far as the centuries in which that hatred has been spewed, it is nothing compared to the violence, fear and hatred perpetrated against atheists. THAT has been going on for millennia! It is still a death penalty offense in some countries.
And BOTH OF THEM are disgusting reactions based on ignorance and religious indoctrination.
Glad to see the Boston area is as classy as they ever were, relative to race. I worked in the Boston area late 70's, early 80's when escorted buses were still carrying students from South Boston under police guard for fear of attack.
ReplyDeleteBoston is vas racist a city as any in our country,and religion and ethnicity, is at its core.
Just watched Spotlight last night.
ReplyDeleteBoston.
Not my cup of tea.
Actually it's a very interesting city, but biased as hell. It is historic, after all,
Deleteencompassing good and bad.
hat's what churches do, they preach separatism and hate. And quite obviously the school officials did nothing, nor did the parents of the students in question.
ReplyDeleteRead the Globe article. What Gryphen posted was pretty incomplete. There are a large swath of non-fundy churches that actually do social justice pretty well.
DeleteThis is another example of Trump's horrible tactics. He is pitting American against American. It is time to stop this monster in its tracks.
ReplyDeleteNow it's "the pledge" by a raising of right hands -- what's next? wearing red shirts? (they've already got the red hats).
DeleteThe Boston Globe has a more compelte article: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/12/catholic-memorial-students-chant-anti-semitic-taunts-newton-basketball-game/SYNt0ozzZm84DiRoSmMRMM/story.html
ReplyDeleteO/T CNN Host On Interviewing Trump: 'He Was Evil And His Mouth Was Filthy'
ReplyDeleteIt was fascinating watching CNN's David Gergen swoon about discussing his time with Donald Trump, the man, not the politician. He had the kind of one on one, good old boy relationship that would make most men jealous. After CNN host Ashleigh Banfield listened to Gergen's schoolboy infatuation of the billionaire, she imparted to the audience a very different kind of experience she with the former host of Celebrity Apprentice.
Digby caught this Friday:
David Gergen was on with CNN's Ashleigh Banfield this morning talking about Trump and saying that we need to see him more as a three dimensional figure. He says that people say he's delightful in person but very, very tough to do business with. Gergen said he'd had him into one of his classes and said "he mesmerized me" and said it was apparent to him that the public Trump is just "a theatrical persona." Ok.
Banfield also knows him and said this:
He was delightful to me personally for years until the one time I asked him a tough question and he turned into a viper. And he was evil and his mouth was filthy. And it was a real telling moment. It was frightening. I mean I truly was frightened and I was taken aback by it.
Gergen then said, "we need to know the complexity of the man."
Donald Trump, the viper! I doubt Trump would have pulled that on a male interviewer and Banfield didn't mince words at all.
Trump terrified her.
When we hear stories like this we understand why Trump has been glorifying beating up and punching out protesters at his rallies.
Let me explain the complexity of Donald Trump to Gergen. He's a very gregarious man until you hurt his fee fees a little bit. Then, watch out.
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/03/cnn-host-interviewing-trump-he-was-evil
Imagine how he would handle a recalcitrant Congress or a court ruling that went against his administration or a newspaper editorial critical of something he had done or said. Donald Trump should never be allowed to insides the gates of the White House. He is not a mentally healthy man.
DeleteBeaglemom
a newspaper editorial critical of something he had done
DeleteIt will never happen because Herr Trump will have already taken away the freedom of the press and only propaganda will be allowed.
Yes, he needs a complete psychiatric evaluation and possible a long stay in the psych ward.
David Gergen is a Repiglican.Not too surprising he'd suck up to Trump.He has always struck me as not very bright and gullible.
DeleteO/T Donald Trump Threatens To Send 'Disruptors' To Sabotage Bernie's Events
ReplyDelete.... On Sunday, Trump signaled to his legion of followers that it might be time to express their anger by becoming "disruptors" at Sanders' events.
"Bernie Sanders is lying when he says his disruptors aren't told to go to my events," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Be careful Bernie, or my supporters will go to yours!".....
http://crooksandliars.com/2016/03/donald-trump-threatens-send-disruptors
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This is not going to end well.
Trump's bullies fall into two categories. Old disgruntled white people who won't stay up past 8 p.m. They will be far too afraid to go anywhere they aren't in at least a 95% majority.
DeleteThen there are the white supremacists, AKA skinheads. They will be pretty easy to spot and will be attacking primarily people of color. And women.
You know what will happen to Trump supporters at Bernie rallies? Likely, many will be engaged in conversation. They won't be part of a mob; somehow, they may begin to think. And then they won't be Trump supporters anymore.
DeleteI'd be careful with that plan, Donnieboy.
OK, he really, really has to be working for Bill :)
DeleteTrump is insane.He has multiple personality disorders.The attention he is getting from his followers is feeding his meglomania and he is becoming more and more out of control. He is exceedingly dangerous.
DeleteHey I'm Catholic and a tradition of the church I was raised in was to respect and pray for the Jewish people who were God's chosen.
ReplyDeleteWhat these idiots don't realize and/or accept is that Jesus WAS a JEW. And if he HAD NOT died they wouldn't have a religion to begin with.
Not everyone is a believer which is fine, but if you're going to pretend to be one, get a frickin' clue about your own professed faith.
AMEN!
DeleteI've had Christians tell me they will "pray for me" (I'm Jewish). I don't know if you've ever thought about it, but it's actually a condescending and insulting statement. Maybe you mean it in a different way.
Deletejeezus the romans killed jesus but lets all blame the jews.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to forget the key happening which is used by the fools who claim the jews killed him. Pilate offered the crowd a choice: jesus or barabbas. It wasn't jesus.
DeleteMy son teaches at a (coed) Catholic school and this sort of behavior would certainly result in "consciousness raising", most likely some of it occurring at a synagogue, facilitated by an interfaith team. And followed up by community service.
ReplyDeleteBut as one commenter mentioned, this is nothing new at sporting events. In the early 1990s my daughter's (largely Hispanic) soccer team was mercilessly heckled by PARENTS from the lily-white wealthy corners of our state. The difference is, it wasn't newsworthy.
Where were the teachers? The coaches? The administrators and staff supervisors.
DeleteThat should have been shut down immediately with the offenders getting an appropriate consequence.
Personally, if I were in charge of the public school kids, I would have gathered them up and walked out of the gymnasium. Forfeit be damned. It would make the paper and humiliate the Catholic School with their cowardly default win.
If there was a god and if there had been a Jesus (no hard data to support that that I have ever found) how could their existence be justified with the behavior exhibited on this planet?
ReplyDeleteTerrorists - violence against helpless youngsters brought into the world - ugliness toward one another - hatred and wars over all kinds of would-be prophets or religious idols. If there were deities who created all this why would they permit such atrocities and pain on the helpless?
I am an agnostic and do not subscribe to the fairy tale books (the filthiest of which is the Old Testament) and do not believe that there is anyone who really has the answers or 'has seen' anything that supports the fairy tales.
And what would their motive be? Jesus, (if there was one) was Jewish. The last supper was a Passover meal. These kids were carefully taught this hatred somewhere, either in school or at home.
ReplyDeleteI suppose they lost the game and couldn't lose gracefully.