'Tis the Season...Isn't It?
Sat., December 22, 11:43 AM
As you know, I am an inveterate radio fan. That means local, commercial radio — I've gotta do a story about that sometime. I've written about our local station as well as how I try to catch the Osgood Files a couple of times each day. Very often included with the Osgood programs are messages from David A. Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee. Sometimes I agree with Harris, sometimes I don't, and that is, after all, my prerogative. However, the piece from the preceding week is appropriate to the season, and so I'm passing it on to you.
AJC Radio Message: Let's Remember Our Common Humanity
December 19, 2007 — New York
Earlier this month, according to news reports, a group of ten young people verbally assaulted three Jews. The incident took place on a New York subway.
They used anti-Semitic language.
When one responded, he was attacked.
A passenger, Hassan Askari, tried to help. He's a Muslim from Bangladesh.
The rowdy group then turned on him.
The police arrested the ten young people.
Meanwhile, the young Jew suffered a fractured nose and the young Muslim a black eye.
The incident itself was despicable. There can be no place in our society for hate crimes.
But there was a silver lining — Hassan Askari's response. A stranger to the victims and of a different faith, he rushed to their aid.
We can all learn from his example.
During this holiday season, as we celebrate our diverse religious traditions, let's remember our common humanity. And let's recall that each of us, as Hassan Askari demonstrated, ought to be our brother's keeper.
That's more than a silver lining; it's a ray of light. May the thoughtful actions of individuals save us from the mindless reflexes of mobs.
Today, December 22, is the U.D.'s birthday, so I am generally aware of what happened on this day. This year, for the first time, Lady Bird Johnson's name is absent from the list of birthdays. I always admired the way she managed to accomplish so much, a very strong woman, without losing the grace of a southern lady. Forty years ago, she was unique; I think she was a role model to thousands of women who don't even realize it.
It's Gene Rayburn's birthday too. Now that my cable company has chosen to move the Game Show Network out of our reach, I miss him more than ever… Oh, wait, that's a whole other post.
