The ‘knock-out’ game is one that has taken over many urban areas. Young African American men will select a victim and the objective is to hit them so hard, it knocks them out. The victim is caught completely off guard and is left alone, passed out on the street. This extremely violent game has become an issue in some New York City neighborhoods, because it appears the teens are targeting only Jewish Americans.
This week a city councilwoman decided to speak out about the crimes against many members of the Jewish community in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood. She pointed to the success of the community as a trigger for this aggression.
Although the councilwoman, Laurie Cumbo said she “admire[s] the Jewish community immensely” for its work ethic, black teens may see it differently. She continued to say,
“While I personally regard this level of tenacity, I also recognize that for others, the accomplishments of the Jewish community triggers feelings of resentment, and a sense that Jewish success is not also their success,” Cumbo, who was recently elected, wrote in a letter. Chief among the issues causing resentment against Jews could stem from hostility towards Jewish landlords, she added. Cumbo, who is black, said that she was looking to “offer possible insight as to how young African American/Caribbean teens” think and how it can lead to the attacks.
Does the councilwoman not understand that those statements are exactly what led to the murder of 6 million Jews during the Holocaust? How completely insensitive does one have to be in order to understand how extremely inappropriate that is to say? Not only is this hurtful, but she has now spread this idea that is just simply false. Empathizing with the perpetrators is a dangerous precedent to start, and one must tread lightly when discussing this topic. Hate crimes are hate crimes, no matter what the cause.