#prejudice

#prejudice

Since the October 7, 2023, attack on Jewish residents of Israel, there has been both a rise in concern about antisemitism, its sometimes violent outcomes, and an increase in antisemitic sentiment being expressed publicly. Those who hold strong anti-Jewish views have been emboldened to share those views in public spaces, especially on college campuses, on social media, and in podcast interviews.

Hate is a way of externalizing vulnerability by blaming it on others. The vast contagion of hate congeals into prejudice and rigid ideology.

"In Portland Shakespeare Project's current staging of the play, the words are barely out of Portia's mouth before we hear offstage drunken laughter that emphasizes her xenophobia and provides a potent reminder that Merchant may be called a comedy, but this version is intent on grappling with the prejudices displayed by its characters."

Fear of the unfamiliar is an evolutionary instinct that no longer serves us. Social conditioning reinforces this fear, limiting growth and understanding. Exposure, self-reflection, and embracing change are vital for overcoming fear of difference.

That so few of the 600 recommendations to tackle racism have been implemented is all the more disappointing given that ways forward are well understood.