Yeah, the shooting this morning at the North Hollywood synagogue was terrible news. It looks like a hate crime. I wish it hadn't happened. I wish those hate crimes would never happen. Ever.
But before we get all hysterical and try to turn this into a "disturbing new trend", let's keep a few biases in mind.
First, the media. Reporters love trends. It makes their work look more important. Not all, but many of them like to cobble together similar events to convey the impression of a "trend". Sometimes they're accurate; more often than not, it's hype.
Then there are the fundraisers. They live for the crisis. You can bet that the professional letter writers at the ADL and other similar organizations are now cranking out the "We can't be silent any longer!" appeals. It gets our juices flowing. It plays to our fears. It raises a lot of money.
So yes, let's hate this terrible hate crime. Let's be vigilant. Let's try to prevent it from happening again.
But let's also remember that every day, there are millions of hate crime opportunities in this country that never happen. And that despite any alarmist talk you may hear, America in 2009 is not Berlin in 1936 or even Casablanca in 1967.
That's why I was happy to see Federation president John Fishel's statement this morning: "There's a fine line between being alert and prepared, but not giving in to excessive anxiety and panic."
Alarmism is a sign of weakness, and in this country, thank God, Jews are anything but weak.
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