Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

I have ancestors who as near as I can figure through genealogical records have come from Scotland and Ireland and before that can be traced back to either Judah or Manasseh, Asher and Gad.I mean, everyone has had to come from four different men and their wives that came out of that flood alive. Eight. New beginnings.

Anyway, the middle of the month of March holds a great attraction for me. March madness, St. Patricks Day, the official start of spring, a birthday, Irish-American Heritage Month, among many others.

Today is actually National I Want You To Be Happy Day. So if youre stressed, dont worry, be happy. You now have a reason to celebrate the season.

In the coming weeks, however we will hit the motherload of all eclipses. First of all, March 16 is NATIONAL EVERYTHING YOU DO IS RIGHT DAY. And when youre right, youre right. March 17 is NATIONAL CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE DAY. March 18 is NATIONAL SLOPPY JOE DAY because there isnt any corned beef left from the previous day. Second, its leading up to a weekend with excuses to party during the week. Third, both Sloppy Joe Day and the NCAA Div. 1 Mens Basketball Tournament occur at the same time. More people take these days off as NATIONAL FAKE AN ILLNESS DUE TO THE NCAA TOURNAMENT DAY. Muffled cough. Yeah, I have a tickle in my throat today and probably will be progressing into bronchitis by the 18th.

Come Monday, my voice will be gone, I will have had a serious lack of sleep and it all lends itself well to the whole sickness faade.

About a billion people will be hovering with slumped shoulders over their NCAA bracket sheets that are already covered with nacho cheese, adult beverage stains and crumpled over and over again, so that by Sunday night, second and third copies will have to be reprinted.

By Saturday night, one week after you have received an extra hour of daylight each day, the weekend is in full swing, and there really should be a I think you need a designated driver day. Cant all-caps it as it has yet to make national status.

So, living now in southeastern Wyoming or Cowboy Land as Ive heard it referred to by those living outside of the state, how is it celebrated here? I found out with a little research that the holiday is HUGE among the Irish cowboys.

Since we all like to follow suit as dictated by the motherland, I assume the joints shall be rockin with the upcoming holiday. Especially Kelleys Bar in Guernsey which sports the national symbol of Ireland.

I can remember St. Pattys days of yore and all the different places Ive encountered the holiday. Scotland becomes very festive even though they dont particularly care for the Irish a lot. But, Ireland does have a holiday named for an Irish Apostle who was born in Scotland. Aye. Patrick.

Chicago. A distant memory where the entire city goes green and my favorite place to celebrate. They dye the Chicago River green, the fish become green for a few days, the beer is green, the clovers are out in force and at many Karaoke bars, the only song that you can pick to sing is Oh Danny Boy. At first, its pretty redundant until the green beer kicks in and then, with a plate of corn beef and cabbage, you find the song becoming more sentimental as the night goes on and your hash is salted by tears.

They say that drinking on New Years Eve is amateur night compared to the drinking that occurs on St. Pattys month in Chicago. Yeah, Im pretty sure they dont have a day, but the whole month to celebrate.

Fun facts about St. Pattys Day

So, whatever your passion this weekend, whether it be basketball, beer, beef or beautiful weather, I would like to remind you that St. Patricks Day is usually notorious for a guest appearance by Mother Nature who brings Jack Frost and a freezing pant-load of snow. Be careful out there, and best of the luck o the Irish which means,a positive look at a bad situation.

From experience? My bracket starts out well and then it leans on the stick and sends me into a nosedive, which is why I always call my bracket, luck o the Irish and smile politely as the 103rd person is singing Oh Danny Boy, at Fados Irish Pub. In Chicago.

This year I will be doing a traditional Irish lunch in Guernsey at Services for Seniors and will be performing an afternoon luncheon concert for the seniors! Oh to be sure, tis goin to be a pleasure to sing Oh Danny Boy.

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Himself wants to know, will you be celebratin' the luck o' the Oirish this particular year? - Platte County Record Times

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

On Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021, Dr. Emily Colbert Cairns, associate professor at Salve Regina University, delivered a lecture titled La Santa Esther: Esther Among the Crypto-Jews of the Americas. The event was part of the Crisis and Hope: YU Voices lecture series and covered material found in Dr. Cairns chapter in Esther in America, published by the Zahava and Moshael Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought, and her book, Esther in Early Modern Iberia and the Sephardic Diaspora: Queen of the Conversas. The online lecture was attended by 50 Yeshiva University students and community members.

Dr. Cairns talk looked at the different ways Christians and crypto-JewsJews who pretended to be Christians in public but practiced their true faith in privateviewed the Book of Esther during the era of the Spanish Inquisition. The Christian perspective was illustrated through a set of 16th-century tapestries that told the story of Esther. The tapestries, which served as a sort of Bible for illiterate Christians, focus on the vastness and luxury of the empire and the power of the king. Even when Esther does appear, she is below the king, who is larger and more centered. Dr. Cairns also pointed out that the Fast of Esther is missing from the tapestries, replaced by more feasting and displays of King Ahasuerus bounty.

The crypto-Jewish perspective, which is told through the journals of Isabel and Leonor de Carvajal, tells a very different story. The journal is a collection of notes passed between the sisters while they were on trial for practicing Judaism. To them, Esthers hidden identity and adaptability was an inspiration and showed that one could succeed in living a double life. Isabel herself emulated Esther by fasting just as the Persian queen did, as it was one of the few ways she could display her Judaism without being questioned (fasting was also common among Christians). However, the sisters also self-flagellated and built an altar in their home, showing a conflation of Christian and Jewish customs among crypto-Jews.

Dr. Cairns noted that crypto-Jewish society was matriarchal. As the men were involved in commerce and spent long periods of time away from home, it fell on the women to pass along the tradition to their children. This was yet another display of the adaptability that Esther inspired in crypto-Jewish women, as it was historically uncommon for them to be involved in Jewish education.

Previous Crisis and Hope speakers included Stanley Mirvis, Elissa Bemporad and Scott Ellsworth. For a full listing of our past events along with recordings, please check out Crisis and Hope: YU Voices.

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La Santa Esther: Esther Among the Crypto-Jews of the Americas - Yu News

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

Red Sox infield prospect Triston Casas returned to Fort Myers on Thursday night and is currently undergoing the intake process before reporting back to the Fenway South complex.

Casas, the top prospect in Bostons farm system according to Baseball America, had been in Boston for a non-baseball-related medical issue.

With Casas, were getting closer, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Saturday morning. Hes actually here in Fort Myers. Hes not here in the facility, still going through intake and all that stuff. But we feel confident that, hopefully, he can join the team over the course of the week. So things are trending in the right direction.

Casas, who turned 21 in January, is currently one of 34 non-roster invitees at major-league spring training. The left-handed hitting, right-handed throwing corner infielder was originally selected by Boston in the first round of the 2018 amateur draft out of American Heritage High School in Plantation, Fla.

The specific reason as to why Casas was in Boston is unclear, but the fact that he was there to be evaluated for a non-baseball medical issue caused quite the stir in regards to thinking about the Florida natives long-term outlook.

As of now, theres a lot of people involved in this situation, said Cora. And people are feeling better the last few days. So hopefully, like I said, if you see him joining the team, thats a good sign. The fact that hes here already is a positive step and hoping that he can join us. I think a lot of people are feeling better the last few days.

With no minor-league baseball last year, Casas is coming off a 2020 season in which he spent time at both the Red Sox alternate training site in Pawtucket and fall instructional league in Fort Myers, where he was one of the more impressive position players in attendance.

The last time he saw any organized minor-league action, the 6-foot-4, 252 lb. infielder slashed .256/.350/.480 with 20 home runs and 81 RBI over 120 total games between Class-A Greenville and High-A Salem en route to being named Bostons 2019 minor league offensive Player of the Year.

Casas is slated to begin the 2021 minor-league season with Double-A Portland, but the hope is he will have the opportunity to get into some Grapefruit League games before then.

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Red Sox top prospect Triston Casas back in Fort Myers: The fact that hes here already is a positive step, Alex Cora says - Yardbarker

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

Hes been just about the busiest boxer in the game during the pandemic period, and I dont know of any pros that arent record builders for other guys whove had more fights in such a short span of time that Shinard Bunch has.

The welterweight who reps Trenton, NJ headlines tonight on an RDR card in Feasterville, PA, which you can watch on Fightnight Live, debuted a pro on April 27, 2019. He fought seven times in 19, going 6-1, dropping a six rounder to Paul Kroll. Bunch, now 21 years old, fought just five times in 2020, because COVID gummed up the works for everybody. So far in 2021, Bunch has gloved up three times, and hes bested Dieumerci Nzau, Charlie Dubray and then, on Feb. 12, 14-28-3 Ariel Vasquez in Florida.

The young man goes where the fights are breaking out, so its back up East for the Saturday night main event, that you can watch on the streaming platform FloSports, which requires a moderate subscription fee. Fightnight Live is pleased to establish a connection to FloSports,asubscription sports broadcaster and streaming service, born in 2006, based in Austin, Texas.

I chatted with a chill Bunch, because hed enjoyed his post weigh in chodown, on a pile of shrimp Alfredo.

Bunch (left) seems to be a guy on a run, with momentum, working in a very structured and contained frenzy. Trainer Chino Rivas, he tells me, is pretty much a godsend, because he so appreciates the amount of knowledge that hes soaked up.

This is our third fight or so, and man, I feel like everythings improved, my speed, my power, the way I move, the way I think in the ring, the adjustments I makein there, he stated.

Not only physically, but mentally, too.

That process, the sponging up of knowledge, he said, started on day one when he started with with Rivas.

The last two victims got stopped out in round one, but Shinard Bunch doesnt sound like hes gotten enamored with the quick dopamine hit that comes from the KO1 win.

We dont ever go in to make a quick hit, we just look for openings, he said.

And we dont take anybody lightly. These opponents are in the ring for reason.

Check out some Bunch, here he is taking care of things in his tenth pro fight:

Compare his progress, to how Shinard Bunch looked in his fourth pro tango, against Kevin Womack Jr. That face-off screened on Fightnight Live, on Oct. 4, 2019.

His Feasterville dancing partner in Feasterville, Krael, enters with a 17-17-3 record.

I can almost guarantee that with that record, he deserves to be better than .500. Krael gets invited to the party to put up a solid test, but hes not being pushed as an A sider with a high ceiling. The 27 year old who was born in Hawaii, and has made Vegas his residence, last gloved up on Oct. 9, 2020. Top tier prospect Elvis Rodriguez stopped him out in round three of their scheduled eight.

Ive watched like four of his fights, Bunch said. Hes definitely a worthy opponent. Hes been known to last, throws a lot of punches, he can move. And will I be thinking of how other guys, like Rodriguez, beat him? No, definitely not, we will fight our fight. Im not going in to impress anybody.

Krael can expect a strong and confident foe, who is aggressive, who is going to stalk him, very patiently. Hell need to be wary of both hands, Bunch has above average power. Punches might come at him straight, sweeping from the side, from underneath, or over the top, in a span of 10 seconds. Right hands to the body will probably score on Krael a good bit, and Krael shouldnt expect that Bunch will get flustered.

Some back story; Shinard Bunch was raised by his mom, in Brooklyn, East NY. He picked up boxing young, after watching a Muhammad Ali DVD his mom bought, and worked with Zab Judahs dad, Yoel Judah. His family moved to Trenton, NJ, when he was 13, and he found a gym outlet in Jersey, and got back to grind. Props to him, Trenton features plenty of lures to help take you off a righteous path.

Get thishe had 406 amateur fights. And did he ever just get bored of that, I wondered? Did I get sick of it? Plenty of times! But never as a pro. As an amateur Id be fighting every week, sometimes two times a day! But then Id come back to itits something I really wanted to do, because I knew boxing would leave me far some day. Where? The promised land! The ultimate goal is a world championship, and the only thing also Im looking forward to is making sure my family is alright.

Bunch has three kids of his own, and a step-daughter hes folded in, as well as five sisters and two brothers.

Fortunately, COVID hasnt clamped down on Shinard Bunch, he shared. It didnt take too long, 8 weeks or so, before he started seeing bad numbers in his region. So Ive been staying away from people, taking a lot of precautions, in the gym, wiping everything down, he said, talking about that Lysol life. At first I didnt take it very seriously, but then I started seeing the numbers of dead. I knew it was not something to be playing with. Pretty impressive, this guy hasnt been afraid to keep grinding, working and traveling some to get fights, but hes been on message with his hygiene and distancing, and stayed virus free.

Its still early in the year, Id probably like to fight 7-8 more times this year, Bunch said. He does a fight, then studies what he did right, and wrong, and looks to improve with each outing.

The card kicks off at 7:30 PM ET, on FloSports.

The young man simply sounds like he has his head screwed on just-right-tight. I expect he continues the momo and elongates Kraels bad run.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Shinard Bunch 140 1/2 Cameron Krael 141 1/4

Rashiem Jefferson Jr. 130 Darel Harris 130

Nahir Albright 136 3/4 William Parra Smith 133 3/4

Edgar Joe Cortes 117 1/2 Michael Stoute 117.3

Nasir Mickens 129 3/4 Nathan Benichou 129 1/2

Promoter: RDR Promotions

1st Bell: 7:30 PM Stream: Flo Combat

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In a year, we maybe get a title, USBA or something, get to No. 15, and after that start raising the stakes, start looking at bigger fights, Shinard Bunch said, in closing. Well move slowwell, some might not call it slow, but for me, its a good pace, its something I love to do. Down the line, anybody in my class or level, Terence Crawford, Gervonta Davis, Teofimo, Devin HaneyI keep working, stay focused, the skys the limit.

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Busiest Boxer in America Shinard Bunch Headlines Tonight On FIGHTNIGHT LIVE Card - NYFights

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

Then, in 1988, as the Soviets prepared to depart and it became clear that Kabul could fall to the mujahedeen, the museum staff hid some of the most important objects in government facilities closer to the center of town. The Bactrian Hoard, a collection of 2,000-year-old jewelry and weapons, was stashed in the depths of the presidential palace. The museums staff kept its secret for the next decade, successfully safeguarding the finest treasures. But there wasnt enough space to move the remainder of the museums collection, including the Islamic wing.

One morning, Saifi and the others woke to a pillar of smoke rising in the distance. Fighting had broken out between two rival groups, and the museum was hit by rocket fire. An inferno raged on the top floor; in the galleries, metal and wood were reduced to heat, light and ash; stone cracked and shattered.

Not everything was destroyed in the blaze. Afterward, fighters in the area began stealing from the museum. They went for the low-hanging fruit, said Jolyon Leslie, who was working for the United Nations in Kabul. The museums coin collection, the remains of the Islamic gallery, and its remarkable Begram Ivories, delicate and portable, were all taken. At first, it was opportunistic: ragged, hungry men stumbling off with what they could carry. Leslie recalled driving past street sellers flogging items fresh from the museum, displayed among vegetables on a sheet of newspaper in the mud. My God, thats a Buddha, that isnt an onion, he realized. Hed stop and pay the equivalent of a few dollars, and take them for safekeeping.

But as time went on, the looting became more organized. Leslie was part of a group that tried to preserve what it could at the museum by welding iron bars onto the windows. The thieves came back with crowbars. One night, two massive schist reliefs in the entrance hall, which had seemed too heavy to remove, disappeared, presumably by truck. There were anecdotal reports that the mujahedeen were in cahoots with Pakistani dealers, Leslie said. Certainly, many of the museums looted artifacts turned up for sale across the border in Peshawar.

During the war, almost 100 Ghazni marbles, including the Hamburg panel, disappeared from the governments possession. The pieces that were missing were the big, complete pieces, Rugiadi told me. Though we cannot be certain, it seems probable that the Hamburg marble ended up on the black market in Pakistan, which was awash with Afghan antiquities. During the 90s, commanders and other wartime entrepreneurs invested in heavy machinery and labor to systematically excavate the richest sites. Thats when you have the looting of sites across the whole country, Simpson, the curator at the British Museum, said.

As tragic as the looting of the museum was, such illicit excavations were worse in an important sense, because they destroyed the archaeological record. At least we know something about the original site of the Ghazni marbles. But each illegal dig meant that information about the past was lost forever. Shorn of their connection to their sites of discovery, a rich stream of antiquities crossed Afghanistans borders, destined for world markets, many via the Persian Gulf, where the mujahedeen had well-established connections with wealthy patrons of the jihad.

According to the Italian database, the al-Sabah Collection in Kuwait holds four of the Ghazni panels taken from the Afghan government collection; others have ended up at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization and the Islamic Art Museum Malaysia. The Sharjah Museum did not respond to a request for comment. Eric Delpont, director of the Paris museum, said that its panel was acquired from Hotel Drouot in 2003, and that the museum was unaware that it came from the Afghan government collection, believing it to be from a mausoleum in the Ghaznavid capital. Salam Kaoukji, the collection manager at al-Sabah, said that she was aware of their panels provenance but that she didnt know if there were plans for restitution, adding that it was up to the governments of Kuwait and Afghanistan to decide.

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How One Looted Artifact Tells the Story of Modern Afghanistan - The New York Times

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

(The Center Square) A Republican congresswoman is defending her state lawmaker husband from what she says are attacks full of lies about the Jan. 6 capitol riots. Illinois Democrats are demanding an investigation.

Hundreds of thousands of people were in Washington D.C. Jan. 6 when the U.S. Congress was certifying the presidential election. A riot then ensued at the capitol building. Hundreds of people face criminal charges because of the violence and trespassing.

Video and other images on social media show state Rep. Chris Miller, R-Oakland, was in Washington D.C. Jan. 6 attending rallies. Pictures also show a truck purportedly owned by Miller with a decal for a group called The Three Percenters.

State Rep. Bob Morgan, D-Deerfield, filed House Resolution 132 condemning Miller and claims he violated his oath of office. It has the support of 35 other Democrats, including House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside.

Miller participated, and publicly promoted his role, in a rally that led to a violent insurrection of the Capitol of the United States of America, which resulted in the death of United States citizens, including members of law enforcement, the resolution says. Miller has continued to publicly support The Three Percenters, a para-military, anti-government hate group identified by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center as having the goal of overthrowing the United States government through violent revolutionary tactics.

Miller couldn't be reached for comment.

U.S. Rep. Mary Miller, R-Oakland, told WMAY Wednesday her husband was nowhere near the riot, and they do not condone violence.

He attended with constituents the rally, Miller said. It never crossed his mind once to be violent. We dont advocate violence. We stand for rule of law and anybody that was violent or broke the law should be arrested and prosecuted, but he had nothing to do with that.

In an interview, Morgan said that will be for the Legislative Inspector General to determine.

Ill let the inspector general look into exactly what role Representative Miller did or didnt have on Jan. 6 and I think at this point were beyond any number of explanations or excuses that weve heard over the last month and a half, Morgan said.

The Millers rhetoric has to be put in check, Morgan insisted.

If we dont take actions to make sure that doesnt get repeated, Im sure Congresswoman Miller will be at the next rally and Representative Miller will continue to talk about others as terrorists or the enemy, Morgan said.

The congresswoman said Morgans resolution is the latest in a series of increased targeting from Democrats.

The attack is not just on him or on me, but its on all of my colleagues, we are all getting vile, vile messages and death threats, Miller said. Theyre misrepresenting and lying about us, taking things out of context.

Its not just elected Republicans Miller said Democrats are going after.

Their goal is to scare conservative Christians, especially, to be quiet and dont get involved, Miller said. And I can say they may be coming for us today but theyll be coming for you tomorrow. And I want to tell everybody to grow a backbone and get involved and speak up.

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

Racially motivated harassment of Asian Americans is a longstanding issue in the U.S., but in the year since COVID-19 entered the country, incidents have been on the rise.

What has contributed to the surge in racism and hate crimes towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and how can the issue be addressed?

PBS NewsHours Amna Nawaz, AAPI activist Helen Zia and Rise founder Amanda Nguyen took your questions and discussed the history of AAPI hate crimes and how communities are responding now.

Watch the discussion in the player above.

Several studies point to the connection between hateful rhetoric and increased hate-motivated actions, and advocates and experts point to the way former President Donald Trump spoke about the COVID-19 virus as a direct contributor to the increased crime. But under the new Biden administration, the hate incidents have continued, prompting leaders and advocates to actively call for coalition building, better incident tracking and increased education about AAPI communities.

Between mid-March and the end of 2020, Stop AAPI Hate, a project run by a coalition of organizations, received 2,808 reports of racism and discrimination against Asian Americans. The Anti-Defamation League has tracked dozens of incidents in detail, from anti-Asian verbal harassment on New Yorks subway to racist signs in California and New Mexico.

In 2021, the incidents have only continued. On Tuesday, a man of Malaysian descent was reportedly attacked in a New York City subway station. This month, police there arrested a suspect in the violent assault of an Asian American woman outside a Queens bakery. In Southern California, an Asian American teachers aide waiting for a bus was attacked, ending up with a severed finger.

READ MORE: Words matter as Asian American leaders urge action against hate crimes

In the Bay Area, which has one of the highest concentrations of Asian Americans in the country, law enforcement arrested a suspect in early February in connection with assaults on three elderly individuals. The Alameda County District Attorney in Oakland is creating a special response unit focused on anti-Asian American crimes. In nearby San Francisco, prosecutors have charged a suspect in the fatal Jan. 28 assault of 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee, an immigrant from Thailand. The suspect pled not guilty to charges of murder and elder abuse.

The anti-Asian hate has generated condemnations across the country, as community leaders and public officials including Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi call for increased awareness. President Joe Biden issued an official memorandum within a week of taking office that condemned the rhetoric and acknowledged the harm on AAPI communities must be addressed. Bidens memo addresses political leaders role in promoting xenophobic rhetoric through referencing the pandemic by its geographic origin, as Trump and others mimicking his framing of the virus so often did.

As a result of the uptick in hate, many Asian Americans feel a fog of terror, Nguyen says. When people walk out the door, they dont know if theyre going to get attacked and from where theyre going to get attacked, Nguyen said. If you hear these stories theyre in grocery stores, theyre people walking on the street, theyre people living their daily lives.

In order for people to recognize the full humanity and dignity of Asian Americans, more stories need to be told in a responsible manner, Nguyen said, because stories are empathy machines. Silence is violence, she said. In order for us to be treated as human, people need to speak us into the consciousness of this country.

Zia said many important stories are missing because parts of the community have tried to disappear from the public during the pandemic because of fears of violence. People are scared to go to the doctors, get tested for COVID-19 or get vaccines, she said. This is a terrible situation of a community thats been driven underground by fear of real attacks that are happening, said Zia, author of Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People.

Zia says that part of the problem is the invisibility of Asian American communities and lack of understanding of the racism they have faced. Its part of the systemic racism of depriving all Americans including Asian Americans of our own history, Zia said. I call it missing in history.

Zia points to problematic and popular depictions of people of Asian descent. Many are cartoon-like and portrayed as subhuman, animalistic or enemy invaders.

The absence of accurate knowledge about AAPI history, Zia said, keeps people fighting with each other instead of coming together to ensure that no one is demeaned or attacked.

Nyugen said she is still waiting for elected officials to take more explicit, concrete action to address anti-Asian hate. When you other a group of people, there is a higher chance of violence towards that group of people, Nguyen said.

To help combat the problem, Nguyen said, the most powerful tool we all have is our voice. Even if structural places have locked us out, we have platforms now, in the 21st century, to make our voices heard. So please speak up

In order for there to be true peace, one must hold up a light to the darkest corners of our experience, Nguyen added. In order for us to heal as a nation we must learn, we must acknowledge where we are at now, and then together working cross-community, were able to move forward into a more equitable future.

Its important to not just compare issues across communities, but rather work together in solidarity, activists say. Justice is a fabric that has threads from all different communities, Nguyen said.

The violence and harassment are part of structural, systematic erasure of AAPI people, Nguyen said. Though task forces and memos are good first steps, they cannot undo centuries of omission and erasure of Asian Americans, she added.

In order for us to truly tackle the root of this problem, it must be done in all of the places that hold the keys to telling our stories, Nguyen said. That includes teaching AAPI history, covering these communities in the news and telling their stories in Hollywood. The problem is invisibility, therefore the solution has to be informed, thoughtful visibility.

Zia says there have been many historical examples of solidarity between Asian Americans fighting alongside Black Americans, Latino Americans and Indigenous Americans, as well as for issues like womens rights and against homophobia.

Zia says while task forces addressing anti-Asian hate are steps forward, there has to be more widespread understanding that these are issues that didnt start yesterday. Otherwise itll be just acts to put band-aids on a much larger issue.

Zia believes that real change can be made through education. Schools should teach the reality of what America looks like today.

Very sadly its taking seeing videos of 84-year-old and 90-year-old people getting knocked down and killed. Thats what now is bringing attention to what has been a longstanding problem, Zia said.

WATCH: Author Charles Yu on using satire to point out Asian American stereotypes

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How to address the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes - PBS NewsHour

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

By ERIN ROLLroll@montclairlocal.news

Montclair has a reputation for being a diverse and welcoming community.

But, the panelists at a March 4 town hall on eliminating hate and discrimination said, not even Montclair is immune to bias incidents, or the threat of white nationalism.

The town hall, Confronting Hate in Our Communities, was hosted and moderated by Mayor Sean Spiller.

We have been on a slow, but steady climb toward Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.s mountaintop, Spiller said in a statement released ahead of the town hall. While we have made much progress in the pursuit of justice and equality, we have a long way to go. We must confront history, but also rise to this moment in history. Hate lurks in the shadows everywhere, including here in Montclair,

The presenters at the panel were law enforcement officials, elected officials and advocates at the county, state and local levels.

In May of 2020, residents and law enforcement began finding stickers for the white nationalist group Patriot Front. Police found the stickers were mainly appearing at locations in the vicinity of Porter Park, near Harrison Avenue and Orange Road. Residents also reported seeing the stickers at the corner of Valley Road and Claremont Avenue, near the corners of Warren Place and Gates Avenue on Harrison Avenue, and near the corner of Myrtle Avenue and Orange Road.

What theyre trying to do is get noticed, Montclair Police Lt. Tyrone Williams said. Theyre trying to increase membership. Theyre trying to recruit.

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes the organization as an image-obsessed organization that rehabilitated the explicitly fascist agenda of Vanguard America with garish patriotism. Patriot Front focuses on theatrical rhetoric and activism that can be easily distributed as propaganda for its chapters across the country.

The same SPLC report describes Vanguard America as a neo-Nazi group that was involved in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., on Aug. 12, 2017.

Its a multi-racial, multicultural town. We tolerate everything, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Romesh Sukhdeo, a Montclair resident, said. I was surprised to see these stickers were appearing.

Sukhdeo said the stickers were the work of a small, small group of people, and that it was important for authorities and residents to be aware of what was happening.

Scott Richman of the Anti-Defamation League said there were 11 reported bias incidents in Montclair last year, and 10 were white supremacy-based.

Nationally, incidents have been on the rise for several years, he said, but the riot at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 where crowds stormed into the building and five people were fatally injured was a moment that was extremely troubling.

This isnt something that came out of the blue. This is something thats been on the horizon, Detective Izzy Chaudhry of the Division of Criminal Justice said. Over the past five years, deepening divisions in the country began to ferment, with a rise in white nationalism and white supremacy.

If there is a silver lining, Richman said, it is that seeing what happened at the Capitol galvanized many people to take action.

Denalerie Johnson-Faniel, Law and Public Safetys director of outreach and community relations for the Civil Rights Division in the Office of the Attorney General, said there have been two pandemics ongoing. One is the COVID-19 pandemic; the other is the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 and systemic racism have had on Black and brown people, she said.

Johnson-Faniel said the Civil Rights Division has seen bias incidents more than double in recent years, and that there have been many cases involving youth harassment and extremism among young people.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens said bias incidents can be very difficult to investigate. He added, however, that Essex County is fortunate to not have experienced as many bias incidents as other areas of the country.

In response to a question on whether Essex County was experiencing a spate of bias crimes against Asian Americans, as have been seen in New York, San Francisco and other areas, Stephens said there has not yet been a documented increase, but the prosecutors office has been examining incident reports to see if any trends exist. The office has also been engaging in outreach in Asian and Asian American communities, he said, to encourage people to report any incidents they witness or experience.

Detective Weldon Powell, from the state Division of Criminal Justice, seconded that bias crimes can be difficult to investigate, but said the DCJ noted takes all incidents very seriously. It is helpful, he said, that all of the law enforcement officials on the panel know each other and their respective agencies. Furthermore, he said, that evenings panel was not the end of the conversation, but part of an ongoing dialogue, and a chance to share information.

County Commissioner Brendan Gill, a Montclair resident, said that for elected officials, it is crucial to speak out against hate speech and bias incidents. He also said it was important to focus on civics, and get more people engaged in the government process, as well as to educate all those involved on how to recognize bias incidents. At the county level, he said, there has been an effort to improve anti-bias training for county employees.

We pride ourselves on being a tolerant community, Gill said. Its part of the fabric and history of our township.

He said political speech does need to be protected, but people need to recognize that there are things, such as hate speech, on which there can be no disagreement. And Montclair still has its own issues with systemic racism, he said.

What I believe is, hate is oftentimes taught, its learned, he said. Youre not born with it innately.

Sukhdeo recalled when he and his family moved to Montclair in 1975 when he was a child, and he started attending Bradford School.

And the kids were calling me burnt toast. And it was really pissing me off. He told his mother about the bullying. They were probably raised that way, he recalled her saying to him.

He now has two elementary school-age children in the Montclair schools. It was encouraging, he said, that Black History Month was being fully embraced by the schools, including by his childrens white classmates, and that it wasnt a token celebration.

I think the way our kids are being raised in Montclair is the right way, he said.

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One thing leaders say multicultural Montclair won't tolerate: Hate - Montclair Local

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

By Tom Kampert / Surprise

A lot have been written about both organizations, most of it wrong. Lets start with the Oath Keepers. If you believe the media, they are a right-wing, white supremacist, anti-government militia. If you listen to the Southern Poverty Law Center, they are all of the above plus they are a hate group.

If you really want the truth, do your own research. The Southern Poverty Law Center is itself a hate group in that they hate anything conservative, so I would rule them out as a source of accurate information and most of the media as well, print or broadcast.

The Oath Keepers is an association of like-minded people who, at some point in their life, took an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. Veterans, police officers, active-duty military are what makes up their membership. They are not a militia. They are not white supremacist. Their membership is made up of all races. They are not anti-government. Their message is that there is no expiration date on their oath. That they will always honor it. They expect the same from government officials, both appointed and elected.

Does that sound sinister to anyone? Is that the reason for the media and their own government to slander and libel them? Has standing up for the Constitution now become un-American? I suggest, that if one has any doubts about who and what the Oath Keepers are, that you visit their web page and read their bylaws. Read what they stand for yourself. Its obvious that the media as well as the Southern Poverty Law Center has not done so.

As a veteran myself, I, too, am an Oath Keeper. I love my country and the oath I took many years ago will only expire when I do. Dont believe the lies being told by the media. They have an agenda and if the lies benefit that agenda, so be it. Find the truth for yourself. You will find it quite different from what you are being told.

Now lets take a look at the Three Percenters. The name is based mostly on the idea that only 3% of the colonists supported the revolution. That 3% of the colonists were responsible for overthrowing the British Crown and defeating what at that time was the most powerful military force in the world.

If the facts were known, more than likely that number is far from accurate. But thats not important because in todays world the term Three Percenter has nothing to do with quantity of persons available to take on an opposing force. The Three Percenter is an individual who has stated that he will take up arms, if required, to uphold and protect our Constitution. That, I would argue, is the duty of any American patriot. The Constitution is the law of the land so how can defending it be called subversive or anti-American?

According to the Anti Defamation League, the Three Percenters are anti-government extremists. Not true. They, like the Oath Keepers, only demand that the government operate within the confines of the Constitution as written. That our Constitutional Republic be preserved at all cost. That it remains a government of the people for the people. Does that sound extreme? Does that sound like its an un-American anti-government movement?

Some think that the mere idea of taking up arms against the government, for any reason, is an act of treason. To those who do, I would suggest they read the Declaration of Independence. One has only to look at the events of the day to understand why we need the Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters. They remind us that we the people are supposed to be in charge. That the governments job is to protect our rights, not attempt to alter them. That power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The Oath Keepers and the Three Percenters have instilled fear in many in our government, and well it should. There is an ongoing unconstitutional assault being carried out against our rights. The First and Second Amendments are under attack on a daily basis. They want to remove our ability to receive or communicate accurate information.

We have witnessed that just recently with social media like Facebook, Twitter and others. The Second Amendment is under attack as well. A multitude of bills promoting unconstitutional gun control legislation have been submitted. They know what the Second Amendment is all about. They want it gone!

Instead of demonizing the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters, we should be thankful that we still have people who love their country and are willing to stand up for what is good and what is right, even in the face of lies and attack from their own government. Im old enough to remember some of what happened in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s and Im seeing it resurfacing here. Only Instead of persecuting Jews, they persecute anyone who questions them or has an opposing viewpoint.

Its time to wake up America. Time to fight back.

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Kampert: Who are the Oath Keepers, Three Percenters? - Your Valley

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Posted By admin on March 7, 2021

I recently attended the extraordinary Combat Anti-Semitism Movement Annual Summit organized by CAM (Combat Anti-Semitism Movement), a global interfaith coalition of grassroots activists, thinkers and diplomats working to create a more inclusive future and to eradicate Jew-hatred. CAM honored former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo with its first Global Leadership Award.CAMs breadth and diversity in culture, religious participation, generational inclusion, and its honoring of people working for this cause was a grateful breath of fresh air amid the present political polarization and growing incidents of antisemitic attacks.The events clear overall outcome was a well-established understanding of Israels importance as an indispensable security ally and partner for the US, and vice-versa. The innovation was in acknowledging the extraordinary beneficial potential of the Abraham Accords to the peace process.In these times of exploding antisemitism, including anti-Zionism, the Abraham Accords are a strong additional branch to the framework addressing the regions overall security needs.When he received the award, Pompeo showed what happens when people really committed to see results, allow themselves to bring creativity to an old unfruitful process. Lasting for more than 70 years, despite multiple attempts and independent of the composition of both Israeli and American governments, this on-going immovableness has cost many lives, pitted countries, religions and whole regions against each other. It has left the youth of so many countries hopeless and vulnerable to be recruited for violence.Additional optimism, which exuded from the words of Ambassador Omar Hilale, Moroccos Permanent Representative to the UN and from several other presenters such as Fiyaz Mughal OBE, founder and director of the interfaith organization Faith Matters and Ambassador Dennis Ross must become contagious. All countries searching for peace in the region and the world must open themselves up to this extraordinary change that brings long-term enmities to an end. It is important to let fresh air come in.For the first time, there is a major movement of Muslims not only ready to stop being antisemitic but to combat antisemitism. Let us marvel at the willingness of the ministry of education in Morocco to introduce Hebrew classes in its primary schools and universities. It is a completely ironic that some Muslim and Arab countries are taking these incredible initiatives while the educational system in California is struggling to ensure that its diversity program does not teach antisemitic myths.

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The new face of combating antisemitism - comment - The Jerusalem Post

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