This past Wednesday Washington D.C., a global icon of Western democracy and freedom, was the latest setting for yet another tragic display of wanton hatred and sadly, death.
Stephen T. Johns, or "Big John" as security guard was affectionately known by colleagues for his warmth and friendliness, gave his life to protect the lives of the men, women and children at the U.S. Holocaust Museum, a national landmark paying tribute to the greatest tragedy in the history of the Jewish People. A modern day Nazi, aroused his evil instincts to fire up the flames of the sub-human nature that brought us the Holocaust almost 70 years ago.
But that inhumane nature if far from history. It is clearly alive today. How do we respond?
In addition to the security measures, infrastructure and promotion of mutual respect between all of humanity, incidents such as this, in the heart of Washington D.C., calls on our inner conscience to define the essence of our approach to hatred, racism, aantisemitism, even as it rears its ugly head in the capital of one of the Jewish People's strongest allies.
We don't teach our children to tolerate...that means we don't really like them but will deal with them anyways (kinda like that neighbor who keeps bothering you but you have to deal with her - so you tolerate her crazy antics).
Instead, we teach them to accept people for who they are. Besides a threat to their health or well being - we should always be able to look at a fellow Human and accept them being that they too are a creation of G-d and therefore play a unique and powerful role in the divine story.