By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

This is America: An armed, masked group marched in Columbus, OH, holding flags with swastikas on them. This is America: Members of the Black population have received text notifications that they have been “selected” to pick cotton “at the nearest plantation.” This is America: Members of the Hispanic community have received text messages notifying them that they have been picked for “deportation.” This is America: Members of the LGBTQ community have received text notifications telling them to report to “re-educations camps.” This is America. 

These attacks have two things in common: they are fueled by hate, and those sending the texts or marching strove to be anonymous. The texts came from burner phones so it’s difficult, if not impossible, to determine who sent them. The marchers covered their faces. The police did detain a few of them, but, so far, no one’s identity has been released. Hate and secrecy: that is how our feelings of safety are undermined. 

But this is also America: The FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice are searching for those who sent the texts to members of the Black, Hispanic and LGBTQ communities. The governor of Ohio and city officials in Columbus condemned the marchers. I’m sure that somewhere people are applauding their actions and laughing about how scared members of these minority groups are, but that support does not reflect every American. 

If you are expecting me to blame these actions on the recent presidential election, I am not going to do that. President-elect Trump did not invent racism or antisemitism. He did not invent LGBTQ hatred. Yes, he has been known to offer fuel to those who despise those groups, but they already felt this way. More important, what really fuels their hatred is fear: the fear of an unknown world where every race and ethnicity are given equal respect, where everyone’s sexuality is recognized, where all are celebrated. That world is scary because it’s different from the world in which they grew up and in which they felt safe. Scaring others makes them feel safe and powerful, when, in reality, it just shows how insecure they really are about their place in the world.

How do we change this? While I hope our educational system could help, the battles over the minds of American children continue as people seek to restrict what children learn about American history, including actions of which our nation should not be proud. What they don’t realize is learning about our past makes us stronger. It also helps fuel what does make us great: the continuing work to make the ideal of the American dream ring true for everyone. That is equal treatment under the law, equal opportunity for advancement and equal ability to pursue happiness. Only when these are true for everyone living within our borders will our nation truly be great.