Herbert Klein: “I find it particularly disturbing and offensive that anti-Semitism and bigotry should be on the rise again in a century…”

“I find it particularly disturbing and offensive that anti-Semitism and bigotry should be on the rise again in a century that witnessed the Holocaust, the most horrific period of genocidal anti-Semitism the world has ever seen. Yet, bias incidents and hate crimes have increased, and Congress must take a stand. We should condemn hateful and bigoted statements, whether directed against blacks, Jews, Catholics, or any group. I am particularly disturbed that this speech occurred in my own State of New Jersey, but more so that as a result of that, there was an increase of one-third in just 1 year in bias incidents. Now, I do not believe that the Kean College remarks represent the views of the majority of Americans. I truly believe that those who speak in the bigoted and hateful manner represent a small, albeit vocal, minority. The vast majority of Americans of all races, African-Americans, Anglo-Americans, Americans of all ethnicity, are good, caring people who believe they can work and live together in harmony. But that does not mean that we should not be eternally vigilant, because even one incident of bigotry or anti-Semitism or racism anywhere, is a cause for condemnation and vigilance.”