PLATFORM : Hate in the Suburbs

At first I thought that David Duke was a passing fancy of the idiosyncrasies of Louisiana politics. What unnerves me is that he is running in the GOP (presidential) primaries and may have many potential fellow-travelers.

Every Saturday, I walk home from synagogue dressed in the traditional Sabbath attire. The local walkers, bike riders and even the cops on the beat greet me with a smile. On more than a few occasions young white men, of high school and college age, have hollered anti-Semitic remarks from passing cars. These are the kids of upper-middle-class Southern California homes. They carry the same hostility toward (anyone) who looks different from Duke and his klan.

Classes in ethnic and cultural contrasts need to be set up in high schools. Education is the key to understanding. Face-to-face meetings with these kids, who are almost adults, will give them the opportunity to appreciate diversity.