It is time for us to stand up for who we are and not just who we want to be.
Only a week and a half after a shocking act of violence and hate where a heavily armed man attacked the Sons of Jacob Synagogue in Belleville, news emerged yesterday and flyers with clear and disgusting anti-Semitic language were being circulated in the same part of the city.
Condemnation on social media for the person or people responsible has been swift, with many people using the specific words “This is not who we are” or “This is not who we are as a city”.
In response to that, I cautiously say “that remains to be seen”.
That’s not what most of us want Belleville to be, but that element exists in some dimly-lit corners where they print flyers and then distribute them in the dead of night, knowing exactly how offensive they are even after the shocking events of September 20th.
They spread hatred as if it was another election flyer, and wait to see how we react and what we will say, and who else might find the language of antisemitism appealing.
There is a battle going on right now for the soul of the city. It’s being waged online at all hours of the day and night, but also in coffee-shops and around dinner tables, at work and in quiet moments away from the spotlight.
If we want a better Belleville, we need to speak up and fight for it right now, because that is how we will show who we really are to the world, and to ourselves.
I’m Paul Martin and that’s what I see looking Beyond the Headlines.
