Excuses and xenophobia

To the editor:

Another superb letter from Frank Sterle Jr., this time critical of anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim bigots using the Israel-Hamas war as an excuse for their hatred. 

There is truly no good reason for any bigotry, but there are many reasons to reject all of it. In this world, it's hard to find good friends. Many never find a good spouse. It doesn't help if you limit who you choose from. Same goes for finding people you can trust and if you're an employer, good and bad employees come from all groups.

Hating people because of what country their family originated from is equally stupid. It can be especially irrational if you're hating people from Russia and China when you can be dealing with those who came here because they didn't like living under those governments.

Not to mention all governments, certainly including ours, are far from perfect. Are you going to hate everybody?

Idiots were using Covid as an excuse to hate Chinese people who lived here and had nothing to do with bringing it here.

Then there are some who support bigotry because they benefit from it. If you're a white, male gentile, you'll certainly find it easier to get a better job if all other groups, including women, have been eliminated from your competition.

Some people refer to those in their own ethnic, religious or racial group as their "own kind." I consider decent people, whether or not they are white and Jewish like me, to be my own kind. I consider scum, whether or not they are white and Jewish like me, to not be my own kind.

I'm convinced that if there is a heaven and a hell, they are both integrated.

Richard Warren