In today's Hoboken Reporter online edition:
In a town where the first Jewish mayor was elected last November, an act of graffiti that police are labeling a bias crime occurred some time before Wednesday morning, according to a police report.
According to the report, filed Wednesday, an unknown person spray-painted the word “JEW” with an arrow pointing toward a second-floor window of a four-story brick residential building in central Hoboken.
The incident was labeled “criminal mischief” and a bias incident in the report.
My first thought was the vandal meant to write 'CHEW' in which case the incident should be labeled "bad spelling". Do you think so? Maybe not. Maybe he (or she) meant to write 'JEW on that wall. Letting everyone know there was a Jew in the building. How thoughtful.
It's nice to be recognized.
Another Jew occupies an office over at 94 Washington Street. I hear she's been attracting the same kind of attention. Though it hasn't moved beyond the hateful ops on internet message boards to the walls of City Hall.
Yet.
Hoboken's first Jewish mayor, Dawn Zimmer
Bad spelling and hate are common friends. There was a show at the Met years ago of unusual baseball memorabilia. Among the items was a piece of hate mail sent to Henry Aaron as he closed in on Babe Ruth's homerun record.
ReplyDeleteSpelling, grammar, all a fiasco. But the hate came through load and clear. Whenever I see film of Aaron circling the bases and with the guy running up behind him as he nears third, I always wonder. What was he thinking; did the thought cross his mind. Now, Aaron couldn've flattened the guy, but still.
He will always be the homerun champ to me. Bonds, no way.
Also the first woman and first Dawn.
ReplyDelete