[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 16 (Wednesday, February 23, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 23, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          FOR HUMANITY'S SAKE

  Mr. SIMON. Mr. President, the recent anti-Semitic remarks 
made on a college campus in New Jersey have received a great deal of 
attention. Racism, in whatever form it takes, should be attacked, and, 
unfortunately, it too often has not been attacked.
  While certain leaders in the African-American community have been 
recognized for their statements, less attention has come from many 
others who are less visible, who have stood up.
  I subscribe to the Chicago Defender, a newspaper that particularly 
serves the African-American community in the Chicago area. Recently, 
Walter Lowe, the editorial page editor of that newspaper, had a column 
titled ``For Humanity's Sake, We Must Oppose Anti-Semitism.''
  It was the kind of solid statement about what we should stand for as 
a people that deserves more attention.
  I am grateful to him for standing up.
  I am old enough to recall very well in the civil rights struggle that 
the white community generally most vocal in assisting that effort was 
not Lutheran, as I am, nor many other denominations, but the Jewish 
community. With the possible exemption of the Quakers and the 
Mennonites, in terms of percentages, the Jewish community probably 
stood up more than any other group.
  I ask to insert Walter Lee Lowe's column in the Record at this point.
  The column follows:

                      [From the Chicago-Defender]

            For Humanity's Sake We Must Oppose Anti-Semitism

                          (By Walter Lee Lowe)

       I really don't think anyone would be jumping to conclusions 
     in reasoning that the vandalism that damaged five Jewish 
     organizations in the Rogers Park section of Chicago on the 
     morning of Friday, Jan. 28, was a result of anti-Semitism. 
     The arson and other injuries to the edifices were enough to 
     anger any person who believes in equality, mutual respect, 
     fair play and human decency.
       It is truly unfortunate that there are individuals who are 
     willing to expend their energy bringing destruction to others 
     and their properties. Anti-Semitism is one of the most 
     reprehensible practices in human history. There are countless 
     instances in the past where Jews were the victims of 
     wholesale intimidation, injury and genocidal slaughter.
       These things must not be permitted to recur. They have 
     already claimed the lives of too many children and adults who 
     were innocent of crimes but were assaulted just because of 
     their religion. Such actions are, in the real world of the 
     global village, socially wrong and totally immoral. They 
     border on lunacy, no matter how educated or socially 
     prominent the perpetrator happens to be. That is just one of 
     the many reasons why people of good conscience must 
     vigorously oppose anti-Semitism.
       It is also a very humanitarian reason for taking a stand 
     against such bigotry.
       There is also a wholesomely selfish reason why decent 
     people should oppose anti-Semitism: the same fury, force, 
     hatred and violence that claims the lives and property of 
     Semites can also be directed against others just because of 
     their religion, race, sex, age, height, weight, creed, etc. 
     Jews and other Semites should not be harassed, attacked or 
     otherwise bothered. But that truth is also applicable to 
     Moslems, Christians, Bahai's, Hindus, Buddhists, Jehovah 
     Witnesses, any other members of the world's religions or 
     atheists.
       All deserve to live without the threat of violence hanging 
     over their or their loved ones' heads. People who feel that 
     it is all right to use bigoted words, practices and even 
     violence against Jews and other Semites would be devastated 
     if the same abusive behavior was unfurled against them 
     because of their beliefs, race, gender, creed or other non-
     important characteristics. A person who sneaks through the 
     night and firebombs a Jewish building for what it represents, 
     is not only anti-Semitic but a coward. That type of mentality 
     claimed countless lives of Black people during the period of 
     lynching which occurred during and after the Reconstruction 
     Period. It is also the type of cowardice that permitted 
     various people in European countries to institute government-
     sponsored pogroms against Jews.
       These pogroms allowed non-Jewish individuals and government 
     officials to invade Jewish ghettos, destroy property, rape 
     women, murder children and adults and confiscate their hard-
     earned money.
       There is nothing wrong with disagreeing with Jews on 
     various issues. There is nothing wrong with arguing a given 
     point with a Jew. People disagree. People argue. Not only is 
     such non-violent interaction very human but it can also be 
     very healthy. Jews, African Americans, women, and other 
     groups who have been historically persecuted just because 
     they are who they are, do not for the most part, expect 
     special favors or special treatment from the world.
       They simply want to be treated like human beings. That is 
     not too much to ask.

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