Post by natuppe35 on Nov 16, 2011 17:28:51 GMT -5
Throughout the development of American society, religious tolerance has greatly expanded due to the protections under the first amendment of the US Constitution and many movements of societal reform. Despite the increase in the acceptance of different beliefs, acts of hate towards certain religious sectors are still evident in the modern world. The US is supposed to be a place for varying groups to openly express their values; deriving from the reason of the Puritans to escape religious persecution in England. The influence of the Puritans on the current interactions between different religious groups is apparent in the recent anti-Semitic vandalism that occurred in the Jewish section of Midwood, Brooklyn. Such slander and violence towards the Jewish religion reflect the dangers of not conforming to the consensus of Christianity, the dominant religion in the US, which makes Jews targets for animosity.
The actions that attack the Jewish community demonstrate how even though the US is a place for religious freedom, not all religions are welcomed by all citizens. Many anti-Semitic slurs and swastikas were written on the neighborhood benches in Midwood and three cars that belonged to nearby residents were set ablaze. The swastikas in Midwood caused even more pain for the numerous Holocaust survivors living in the community; reminding them of their terrible experiences. The vandalism included an emblem of “KKK” marked on a car. It would appear reasonable to assume that due to the sense of freedom of religion brought by the Puritans, disagreements between religions would not exist in the US. However, Puritans sought religious freedom only for themselves and did not permit people with differing beliefs to live among them. The current society of the US obviously has not successfully eliminated the prejudice that was engrained in the Puritan community. Even after years of discriminating against Jews and the Holocaust, some Americans still resist the establishment of the Jewish religion in the US.
In the US, the majority of people are Christians which makes Jews ostracized from the consensus of the major religion. The dangers of opposing the norm in society are equal to those during the domination of the Puritans in early American society. People like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were exiled from the Puritan religion due to their contrasting ideas. Mayor Bloomberg’s defines New York City and the US as “‘the freest city in the freest country of the world’” though Jews still cannot find peace from harassment and hatred (Harris, 2011). These actions should make people question the extent to which Americans truly tolerate others because it is the wide-spread belief that equal rights and freedom make the US superior. We continue to exclude those who do not fit the ideals of the “perfect American citizen” and make examples of people who challenge the widely-received ideology. The violence towards Jews in Brooklyn shows the use of fear to suppress diverse ideologies and these people sought to make an example of Jews to display threats other groups may face that resist the consensus; similar to the Puritans’ use of fear to contain and manage their society.
In American society, acts of hate against groups that do not conform to the consensus continue to occur and the intolerant views of the Puritans have an impact on the way we treat people separate from our beliefs. Although only a small percentage of Americans is perceived to support such hate crimes, the fact that anti-Semitism is prevalent in society reflects the few improvements made to foster toleration. It is important for our society to learn from these recent attacks against Jews to change and instill ideals of tolerance on the younger generations of society.
Word Count: 612
www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/nyregion/marching-after-anti-semitic-vandalism-in-brooklyn.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=brooklyn%20&st=cse
The actions that attack the Jewish community demonstrate how even though the US is a place for religious freedom, not all religions are welcomed by all citizens. Many anti-Semitic slurs and swastikas were written on the neighborhood benches in Midwood and three cars that belonged to nearby residents were set ablaze. The swastikas in Midwood caused even more pain for the numerous Holocaust survivors living in the community; reminding them of their terrible experiences. The vandalism included an emblem of “KKK” marked on a car. It would appear reasonable to assume that due to the sense of freedom of religion brought by the Puritans, disagreements between religions would not exist in the US. However, Puritans sought religious freedom only for themselves and did not permit people with differing beliefs to live among them. The current society of the US obviously has not successfully eliminated the prejudice that was engrained in the Puritan community. Even after years of discriminating against Jews and the Holocaust, some Americans still resist the establishment of the Jewish religion in the US.
In the US, the majority of people are Christians which makes Jews ostracized from the consensus of the major religion. The dangers of opposing the norm in society are equal to those during the domination of the Puritans in early American society. People like Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were exiled from the Puritan religion due to their contrasting ideas. Mayor Bloomberg’s defines New York City and the US as “‘the freest city in the freest country of the world’” though Jews still cannot find peace from harassment and hatred (Harris, 2011). These actions should make people question the extent to which Americans truly tolerate others because it is the wide-spread belief that equal rights and freedom make the US superior. We continue to exclude those who do not fit the ideals of the “perfect American citizen” and make examples of people who challenge the widely-received ideology. The violence towards Jews in Brooklyn shows the use of fear to suppress diverse ideologies and these people sought to make an example of Jews to display threats other groups may face that resist the consensus; similar to the Puritans’ use of fear to contain and manage their society.
In American society, acts of hate against groups that do not conform to the consensus continue to occur and the intolerant views of the Puritans have an impact on the way we treat people separate from our beliefs. Although only a small percentage of Americans is perceived to support such hate crimes, the fact that anti-Semitism is prevalent in society reflects the few improvements made to foster toleration. It is important for our society to learn from these recent attacks against Jews to change and instill ideals of tolerance on the younger generations of society.
Word Count: 612
www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/nyregion/marching-after-anti-semitic-vandalism-in-brooklyn.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=brooklyn%20&st=cse