Protesters and Demonstrations: Waking the Sleeping Giant

Paris, France

There is a sleeping giant that, if awakened, would generate hatred and death on a massive scale. This giant has always been around; coming and going in phases.  This giant is anti-Semitism, and was last awakened fully during the days of Hitler with his delusional conception of a “master race.”  Today, we stand at the edge of sounding the final alarm needed to wake this giant from its decade’s long nap.

Swastikas in England, synagogues attacked in Paris, thousands of protesters in Berlin shouting “Death to Jews”—the fire of hatred still burns in Europe.  Fueled by recent events in the Middle East, protesters are filling the streets in numerous cities aligning themselves in opposition to Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge.”

However, anti-Semitism is also waking up in the United States as well. Take for example the four student protesters who were seriously injured in Boston during a Pro-Israeli demonstration. Anti-Semitism is slowly waking up in the higher education system as well—it has been for years. I’ve experienced it myself: in class lectures on political boundaries in the Middle East, and woe to anyone who produces a pro-Israeli paper or interjects a factual pro-Israeli statement into a discussion. It has become “cool” to bash Israel and associate the State with apartheid. If you remind anyone that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East where over one million Arabs are citizens with voting rights, you will be quickly put down for your “lack of sympathy” for anyone who doesn’t believe the Jewish State has a right to exist.

The recent protests in Europe are a frightening reminder of our past—we’ve seen it before. Anti-Semitism is like a disease that spreads rapidly through ignorance and fear. The latest tactic used suggests that Israel is in the wrong for defending its citizens against Hamas with relatively few fatalities compared to the 400+ deaths in Gaza. Israel uses its defense system and the whole world cries “unfair!” Since when do we support terrorists? Since when do we allow terrorists to continuously fire rockets indiscriminately into civilian territory?  Answer: we usually don’t, and we should not in this crisis either.

There appears to be a media consensus that Jews around the world have no sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians in Gaza.That could not be further from the truth. The fact is the issues and circumstances surrounding Hamas and Israel are many and complex. Watching an hour long news program will not give you an adequate understanding of why Israel is using such “force” to weaken Hamas.  Sure, the number of innocents killed is minding boggling and sad on a level that most of us will never comprehend. I don’t think anyone wants to see innocent civilians die.

With media outlets like Al Jazeera, CNN, and others reporting from a “one story” prospective, it is easy to entice a hatred for Israel and the Jewish global population. Hence the pro-Palestinian demonstrations with shouts of “Death to Jews!,” and the trashy howl of “Hitler was right!”  For now these demonstrations are taking a strong foothold in Europe, especially in France, Berlin, and Turkey. The United States, when compared to the aforementioned countries, is relatively calm in regards to anti-Semitism. Again, we have seen this before. One thing remains certain: the propensity of Palestinian supporters to refer to Israel as ‘Nazis’ is a sad indictment on the acceptability of anti-Semitism.

Should Europe allow “Operation Protective Edge” to be a catalyst in waking the sleeping giant, will we, the United States and America Jews, stand by quietly again?  What can we do to combat hatred of things people don’t understand?  The best thing we can do is continue living our lives. We must never give in to fear. Also we can provide truthful facts that people and media so often overlook. Take for example the following:

200,000 Syrians killed, 1/3 of them children and there were no demonstrations in Paris or London.

2,000 People, who don’t know Arabic, a week are being killed in Iraq by ISIS and there are no demonstrations in New York, Los Angeles or Berlin.

Hundreds of rockets weekly shot by Hamas into Israeli cities and no one demonstrates for the safety of Israeli kids.

Kurds murdered in the tens of thousands by Iraqi Arabs and no one in Europe paid attention.

But Israel tries to stop genocidal Hamas, and out comes the world carrying flags, rioting and attacking Jews in Paris and other cities as worldwide protests take place.

If these “protesters” and “demonstrators” cared about truth and people, they would have been out in the streets for all the above. Otherwise, they are simply anti-Semitic, narrow minded people living a sad and disreputable life. Seeing these people should make us realize the sleeping giant is already awake. Let’s just hope there is enough good in the world to stop it this time.

I was not expecting what was to come

(This is full of grammatical errors—just over them for now)

Today was a very long day. It began at 5 am.  By 5:30 a.m. I was off  to do my volunteer work at Princeton Community Hospital.  Volunteering is a great thing to do.  However, I was not expecting what was to come. I entered “PCH” at exactly 6am–a full hour from the scheduled time at 7 am (I was infact told 6am the night before).  No big deal; I asked if there was anything that needed to be done while I waited. I was taken to the chapel, and told to clean the carpet and the pews. After I had finished cleaning the carpets, I heard an elderly lady ask if she could enter the chapel to say a prayer.  I said “of course.”  I began to clean the other side of the pews as the elderly lady pulled out the kneeler and knelt down to pray. I decided to walk outside for a few moments to give her some privacy.  As I was about to exit the door of the chapel, she stopped me asking: ” young man, would you help me up?” I did, and we started talking.  We sat in pew facing the stain glass window of a dove.  She ended up telling me that she was there today to get her test results back on a tumor that was removed.  Cancer is a very scary thing; I’ve witnessed too many people die from it.  She explained  to me that she was all alone: her husband passed away 20 years ago, her daughter died in a car crash in 2010, and her son does not speak to her.  She wanted someone to be there with her when she heard her results read to her.  Obviously, this was a bit  to much for me, but how could I tell her no?  For a brief moment, there seemed to be a small glimmer of hope in her fading brown eyes as she waited for me to answer.  I told her yes, if thats what she wanted.  She then explained that she would have to wait until 10:30 a.m.  I informed her that I would be there until 12 (probably at the front desk), and she could have one of the nurses come get me. She was very thankful.  I finished cleaning the chapel, and left her there alone.  By this time, it was 8:15am. I went back to the font desk and did some basic cleanings: a wipe down of the desk, a quick sweep in front of the desk where the people walk, and through away some old file folders. I had a fairly easy job after that: to set behind the desk to greet and answer any questions that guest may have.  At about 10:15 a.m., a nurse came and got me, and took me to the waiting area where the elderly lady from earlier was sitting. At this point I was really nervous, but I thought to myself that my nervousness is nothing compared to what she is experienced.  I sat down beside her, and she immediately grabbed my hand.  We sat there for five or so minutes ( it seemed like an eternity) waiting for the doctor. Surprisingly, he arrived exactly at 10:30 am.   The news was not good. When he answered her last question, she immediately started to weep. I had no idea what to do, so I offered an embrace.  She placed her head on my shoulder and sobbed. After the doctor basically offered little hope, he left the room. She was still crying on my shoulder. She pulled away to get a tissue. I told her that I would leave the room so she could have some time alone to process what had just happened.  At this point, I was also a mess…what does one say in a time like this? I honestly had no idea what to do or say. I made the choice to go back down to the front desk. After about 30 minutes there, the elderly lady came up to the desk and thanked me. She expressed how much it meant to her to have someone there with her at that moment, and how much comfort it brought her to have some one to embrace her at such a time.  At that moment, I knew that my actions ( seemingly meaningless in my thoughts) had meant the world to her.  I learned that even our smallest actions can have a huge impact on others. I was very happy that I was able to bring her some comfort.  I left PCH at 11:55 a.m.   Not sure how to process all of this, I headed to the only place where I can clear my mind: nature.

I went back to Pipestem State Park. I hiked numerous trails and jogged/walked the entire length of the park ( from entrance to the Lodge) 3 times. I could not seem to shake the mental image of this elderly lady crying. During my final hike, on Lick Hollow Trail, I saw a deer picking at some grass. I was actually surprised that it was not running away. I stat down on a rock and just gazed at the deer. I thought about how it must feel to have a threat of death on you–to be hunted by others. I pulled out my phone to snap a photo. As I was reviewing the photo, i noticed that in the photo, the deer had looked directly at me.  I turned my gaze away from the photo back up to the deer only to realize it had already gone. In that moment, I realized that I had seen that elderly woman before. I had seen her a few times over the years at Sunday Mass. Now, I am not a very religious person, and I do not believe in signs and wonders. However, whether it was god, nature or just timing, I do believe I was right where I needed to be today.  At this point, I felt a lot better, but I was physically and emotionally drained: I had hiked/walked/jogged a total of 18.3+ miles today. I walked slowly back to my truck, and I felt the breeze on my face. It felt wonderful.  You know, its amazing how nature can affect our lives.

Here is my photo of the deer as referenced earlier:

I named it Javan--an ancient Greek name meaning "understanding."

Next week is Spring Break

(Sorry for typo’s; I am not proof reading this one)

Hi everyone,

This will be a short post because I am working on an essay that needs to be completed ASAP.  This will be my ten minute break. So it’s midterm week here at Concord. I must admit that the last few weeks have been a little crazy: the happenings last Thursday, then the snowfalls, and the tornado warnings. Add that to a difficult course load, and you get an interesting semester so far. It has been anything but boring.

Next week is Spring break. I had planned/hoped to enjoy the week at Yellow Stone National Park, but those plans fell through at the last minute. It seems I will be stuck here in WV for the break. That is not necessarily a bad thing; there are many outdoor activities to do here. I just hope the weather holds up. The only downfall about staying here during break is that I will have to go at it alone. I’d much rather go hiking or camping with someone else. Like I stated earlier; I’ll make the most of it.  There is so much “nature” here ; I hope I can take it all in, and enjoy it.

I have to make a trip to Hinton, WV (right down the way from Concord University) to the Summers County Public Library to pick up a book for my research project. I checked with them earlier today, and they have the needed book. Things did not go well the last time I visited Hinton, WV: I ended up getting a flat tire, and pulling off onto a one-way street facing the wrong direction. Oh, I cannot forget to mention getting rear-ended by the old lady in the parking lot of St. Patrick’s. Hopefully this visit will go better.

Ah, I almost forgot: I found out today that Concord University has an Environmental Law emphasis degree program! Why was I not made aware of this when I was a freshman?! This is definitely a program that Concord needs to push forward. Job outlooks in Environmental Law continue to rise annually.

Well it is time to get back to the essay. Hope you guys enjoyed my daily muse.

Scotty

P.S. : I almost forgot to mention this: I bought a pet fish. It’s a beta, and his name is Nembutsu “nem-boot-sue”. I’ll try posting a picture of him below.

This is exciting: my first blog post.

This is exciting: my first blog post! I suppose this would be an adequate time to introduce myself. My name is Scotty Hagerman. I am 22 years old. I was raised for the most part of my life in the small and loving town of War, West Virginia. I was a 2008 graduate of Big Creek High School. I am now a sophomore- junior at Concord University. During my tenure on the Campus Beautiful I have been through a few majors: History, Geography, English, and Political Science. My Pre-Law minor has remained the same from day one. As of now, I am once again majoring in History.  Although I respect political scientists, I quickly figured out that the field of politics, and the branches of government that it encompasses is not for me.  However, I do enjoy reading Machiavelli, Rousseau, Locke, and a few others. I still very much enjoy Geography. One of the reasons that I switched from Geography is because of the lack interest in that field here at Concord. That said, Concord University has stepped up its Geography program in the last few years. New professors are definitely bringing a new life into the program. I truly wish I could stick around another five years to see it. I’ve only had three Geography professors here at Concord and they each display a strictly unique and certain charisma in their professions as well a commitment for teaching undergraduate students.

Now for History and English. These are the majors that (along with Geography) I cannot seem to make up my mind with. Time is running out on that decision. All fields of History has always interested me. The same goes with the field of English. However, I have been able to narrow the English field down to a couple of favorites: Literature; the Enlightenment Era, and the Romantic Era; and Language; methods of teaching. The most intriguing element of the Enlightenment and Romantic eras are the philosophies that they contain. Most of these philosophies are deeply rooted in Eastern ideology. They exhibit a common theme: oneness with nature. Now for anyone who knows me, it is no secret that I am all about nature. I love it; I respect it. I am often known to be hiking, camping, or “exploring new areas” when ever my friends text me. And that’s how Geography comes back into the issue of choosing a major and actually sticking with it. I enjoy nature, and I enjoy working with nature. But for now, I am still a History major who loves English and Geography.

Since this is my first post, I will explain my purpose. The purpose of this blog is three-fold: to detail my research that I am working on, to give some insights into the daily life of a college student, and to discuss the happenings here at Concord University. I am undertaking a research project for my history class on Imperial Russia. Now this topic of History holds some personal importance for me. A little over two years ago, my family and I found a missing link in our family’s genealogy: a direct link to Russia.( I have an interesting genealogy: Polish, Italian, German, and Russian.)  For that reason, Russian history is important to me. I have over a year’s worth research from another class to add to my new research for this particular class.  For my actual research project I will be covering Imperial Russia at the time of its collapse as well as the major events the led to the end of Tsarists rule.  Undoubtedly, this will not be an easy task, for it is a very broad subject. However, to understand this time period accurately, I can not simply focus on only one factor. Instead, I will need to detail all of the important factors to create an understandable image of Tsarists Russia, and to explain, at length, why it collapsed. Now I know what most of you are thinking: “the peasants were starving and they revolted.” That concept is partly true, but there were many more contributing factors.

I think its time to end my first blog post. It has been fun for me, and I hope you have enjoyed it. I am not sure if I will post daily as my schedule and work load varies, so check back soon.

Feel free to look me up on the social networking sites:

twitter: @liberalyankee

facebook: facebook.com/srhagerman