(Jewish Group) This couldn't happen anywhere: How coverage of the shooting failed Highland Park

[Behind the Aegis]

The first moments after finding out about a shooting in my hometown felt like living in slow motion. My hands shook as I saw “Highland Park” trending on Twitter. When I found out why, I desperately tried to call my wife, whose parents still live there.

Then I tried calling her parents, waiting shakily for them to pick up, knowing that the shooter was still out there. Upon hearing that they were on their way to the parade when the shooting occurred thanks to my mother in law’s tennis class, I held my wife as she cried. We broke the story to our daughter, and I held her for an hour as we talked it out while her mother took a break to go cry and speak to her parents more.

When the police identified the alleged shooter, I felt a familiar feeling deep in my bones. Like the thousands of Jews who live and have lived in Highland Park, I immediately had the thought: What if this is about us? It was a feeling that I couldn’t shake.

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The editor didn’t see the angle: He felt that the world sees Jews as white, and had trouble understanding why it was problematic for the town to be described in that way. Without “more” than the suspect having visited a synagogue, he said, there wasn’t enough to call out the media.

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Long article but sums up how Jews are looked upon by many in the US, including the left.

[mucifer]

1. I grew up near Highland Park and know it well. Have relatives there. My first thoughts when I turned

on the car radio driving to my patient's home was that it was a hate crime against us.

But, that said, dead is dead. Latinos died there and white people died there. They deserve to be honored, too. It seems this day it wasn't about us. But, who knows about the next time.

[Behind the Aegis]

2. The Jewish angle was ignored.

I know this often doesn't concern you, but it is very concerning when the diversity of the Jews is overlooked or outright ignored and it should be called out when it happens.

[mucifer]

3. When I heard about the memorials at first they were all announced at churches and not at synagogues

Sometimes because of anti semitism the community asks that things not be publicized.

For example a few years ago a friend told me about anti semitic graffiti at her temple on the north side of Chicago. It was a decision of the synagogue to NOT publicize it.

Sometimes that happens.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. And sometimes people go out of their way to minimize anti-Semitism.

They will draw their swords for the slightest offense against other groups, but when it comes to Jews...nothing.