So here’s the run down for everyone who missed it. Sally Swift wrote about being almost in the way of a shooter in Philadelphia. Sally is Jewish and said she often goes to the theater with her family on Non-Jewish holidays (this is kind of common knowledge, to me, - that Jews eat Chinese and go to the movies on, say, Christmas- but perhaps amazeballs to others. Who knows.)

She was NOT at the theater where the shooter was in Philadelphia. YaY! Sally reflects on a near miss and many other things.

Rwnutter makes a comment basically saying that because she was in a movie theater and is Jewish she should expect extermination because the Jews run Hollywood and porn and all sex trafficking. You can go over to his blog and see all of his vile , paranoid and ugly “evidence”. I won’t link it – we’re all aware of how the internet works and now you have two names to click on. I’d read Sally’s piece first, personally, and then read the comment and then click on rw and read his really horrible diatribe. Or don’t – trust me on this – it’s vile. Ok, go ahead – he’ll get more hits but maybe you feel like arguing with crazy people.

Just after rwnuts makes his blanket anti-Semitic comment Fusun A comes in to make a very ambiguous comment that, to many, reads as if she supports the nutter. If she was say me, or perhaps you (I don’t know you, you might be great) maybe this blatant insensitivity would be overlooked. But Fusus has a history of just being really rude for no particular reason, and this is a situation where a Jewish person is being told to look in the mirror because the Jews are responsible for all evil in the world ever.

Bad form on the part of Fusun – but here we are, with an essay about almost being in a theater with a shooter, in response to an open call, and anti Semitic insults have already been hurled, and it looks like Fusun is agreeing.

What would you do? I think I would try to talk to the person who is offended, and her friends who are equally offended, and explain what I meant to say. In fact, I have completely put my foot directly into my mouth in comments and swallowed, only to spit up many apologies. What would you do?

I’m sure I am not alone in the effort of apologizing online – in fact, I bet we all have taken down a post or made an apology in comments when we know we have let our idea of being right blur the fact that we aren’t. I know that feeling well – hubris – or as I prefer, extreme fluffiness. Huffy puffy fluffiness, and don’t talk me down.

But I DO retreat, come down, regroup – and…here’s the thing – I would not have the fluffiness or the hubris to write a blog about forgiveness in the midst of something I knew I was part of. Because no. It would never occur to me, in the midst of something that is shaking the community to the core  - vile anti semitic insults followed by a blog portraying Jews as pornographers and part of sexual slavery – I just wouldn’t climb up on my platform and give blanket forgiveness due to my big (or small) <3.

And that’s the problem. It’s not cliques, it’s not ganging up, it’s not popularity, it’s not love or hate. It’s Sally Swift’s blog about her experience, and a comment that many agree is one of the most vile and upsetting comments ever, ever, ever in the fucking history of OS. Followed by Fusun, who was probably misinterpreted to some extent, basically defending a part of the comment. But what was the purpose of that? To seem enlightened? I would give her that grace if she wasn’t wandering around ad hoc attacking people for no reason.

And NO MATTER WHAT! Defend away, but at least address the blatant and ugly anti Semitism as well.

Fusun chose to write a blog about forgiveness, cleverly titled “Forgiveness”. I accept that English is her second language and, unlike her, will not go after all of the spelling and grammar hiccups or mistakes.

I am still offended that she would add to a very hurt and suffering community by making herself some strange martyr. I have no need or desire for her forgiveness. A great writer would have addressed the pain at hand – anti-semitism, in full bloom, and asked her readers to rise up against the horror in our midst.

Instead she forgives us. Well, lady, you can take that and plant it anywhere you want. You need to ask for our forgiveness.

The sad part is that this is not what I wanted to write today – but it has to be said.

Meanwhile, the person spreading his vile beliefs is likely rubbing his hands in glee. Utter fail.

Next time let’s not forgive the person who wanted exactly this to happen..