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[WA]
Synagogues Defaced with Swastikas
The Seattle Times
/September 13, 2009
The Seattle Police Department Bias Crimes Unit is investigating the appearance of spray-painted swastikas on two synagogues and nearby sidewalks.
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on September 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
I have an idea that would cure any defacing of Public and/or Religious Properties that should have been enforced a few years ago – that is once the technology was discovered and found to be MOST effective. And that merely is:
to install cameras at all 4 corners of the structures.
I live near a high crime area; I also live within 1 mile of a Jewish District here in Chicago,where defacing and vandalism has occurred – especially around the Time of The High Holidays which is coming up, beginning this very weekend.
Blue Flashing Lights — hoisted up by the major intersections — 1 block south of the local police station will catch any thug or mugger and have them on video. What’s better than this and I am sure it would be John Walsh (America’s Most Wanted) approved.
If these cameras were simply installed on Shuls, Synagogues, Mosques, Churches, etc. that would immediately yield an IDENTIFICATION as to what hate group is defacing the Public Property. Behind bars for a few years would definitely help the Problem as well as make the world safer and more tolerable.
Perhaps Obama’s next Stimulus Package should be ear-marked for this Strategy.
Posted by:
ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Author: SKiN: How 10 Beloved Plush Toys Redefine Race (C)2009
Chicago, IL USA
eMailed: 9-17-9- 3:04 PM CST
on September 17th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Amen, Adrienne! What a good idea! Walking to shul on Rosh Hashanah morning to find swastikas on the front of the shul is chilling and it has happened here in Milwaukee, too.
Miriam in Milwaukee
on September 18th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Hi Miriam: Good to hear from you, Neighbor and I am so glad you liked the idea. It can’t really be THAT expensive posting those video cameras on 4 sides of a building. The technology is already there and has probably ‘been in place’ for at least a decade.
The best part is that it sends an immediate message to hate groups (whether they are anti-semetic; gay-bashers, etc.) that they will be caught immediately and tried. It’s that simple. Then, their ‘antics’ will subside, I’m sure.
Living in big cities like we do does offer a lot of benefits as they are very cultural for starters. I’ve been to Milwaukee on numerous occasions and it is a terrific city, but larger amounts of crime and hate crimes do exist – I guess it’s proportionate for the amount of residents. There’s probably a math equation posted on that somewhere. Sometimes it is just NOT safe to walk down a street.
I’ve solved that, too…for myself. Since I don’t drive, I bike and not only is it great exercise, but you can easily spot gangs, ne’er do wells, slugs, thugs and muggers and just avoid them. It’s too bad we live in a world where we’re pre-judged by the color of our skin and beliefs, but since it is that way, we’re lucky we live in the 21st Century where the technology is available to enforce a safer way of living!
You had mentioned that there were swastikas on a shul in your community. Did you happen to see that on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s website at:
Stand Strong Against Hate
Stop the racist backlash from infecting your community
there is a place where you can post these? There’s an entire USA Map that pinpoints where much of the activity is:
http://www.splcenter.org/cente...../index.jsp
Very interesting…very sad, too – but if we don’t individually stand up to it, it’s never going to go away!
Hey, thanks for writing, Mirian! Happy New Year.
Posted by: ASK
askoopersmith(at)hotmail(dot)com
9-18-9 – 1:55 PM Chicago Time
on September 18th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
This makes me think of a funny story from the late 90s. I was living in Dallas at the time. I am a Baha’i, and one night just before our Feast our local Baha’i center got vandalized with spray painted hate graffiti. What was so funny was that the graffiti showed these idiots had no idea who we were! So they just covered all their hate bases, using anti-Christian, anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim, anti-whatever! They even got in an anti-Buddhist slogan. LOL!
The Baha’is just all pitched in and happily painted it all over even before the cops got there. All that was left was photos for evidence.
on September 19th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hi Allen:
You write very well. Your story should be placed in an Tolerance Book — and perhaps some talented cartoonist could illustrate it – as I could see perfectly when you wrote it what was going on…
I live here in Chicago and Mayor Daley’s Graffiti Blaster’s Group immediately tells Chicagoans — folks in neighborhoods where there is heavy graffiti writings and tagging by opposing gangs that the owner (residential, commercial or religious) should paint over it — IMMEDIATELY – otherwise, it signifies to the ‘Bad Boys’ that they have ‘won.’ Meaning, they now have the upper hand. Sometimes, you need a Ph.D. just to figure out what the politics is behind all this hate, etc. But I kind of knew what they meant!
Have you visited the Baha’i Temple on Sheridan Road in Wilmette, IL? It is so awesome. Architecturally-wise, it is quite similar to how I depict the Taj Mahal in India. It’s an awesome group and I’ll tell you, Allen, when I was there 2 summers ago with a Friend and there were more different Nationalities of Folks there than probably at the United Nation for the day. I kid you not. Now, isn’t that how the world should really be?
Thanks for writing, Allen – you’ve reminded me of a nice experience. I think I’ll go there visit again soon!
Best Wishes,
ASK: Adrienne Sioux Koopersmith
Author: SKiN: How 10 Beloved Plush Toys Redefine Race (C)2009
Chicago, IL USA
Posted: 9-19-9 – 4:38 PM CST
on September 20th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
“Jewish District”
hoo boy.
on September 21st, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Thank you for your kind words, Adrienne.
I have visited the “Mother Temple of the West” twice, once in 2003 and another time in 2008. It really should be a place where every hatemonger should visit (as long as they remain respectful) at least once, just to see if it is possible for that individual to learn from the example. The Baha’is are a very diverse group and love one another, not despite the differences, but BECAUSE of the differences. We glory in the idea that God has made us all different.
Heck, they even put up with an old redneck descended Texan like me! :^)