This post isn’t funny.
I’ve covered “Jewdar” in a couple recent posts, rather jokingly noting advertisers on Facebook trying to target people based on their religion, an option not available to these advertisers so it leads to some funny situations, and some tongue in cheek musings about it all.
For the second time in a month, I’ve come across another form of targeting based on religion: anti-Semitic comments on Flickr photos.
The first time, I reported the user to Flickr and deleted the alert about it. I see no record of the comment so it seems like Flickr deleted it. I have no record of it, something I regret now.
This time, I’m doing something differently: I’m sharing it. I can’t just wish anti-Semitism away, just like I can’t wish away sexism or racism or any other kind of discrimination or prejudicial hatred. I can expose this though. I can’t say I have a grand plan for why, but by getting this out in the open, and perhaps hearing what others have encountered, down the road something fruitful will come out of it.
Note: if you’re easily offended, stop reading here. I’m posting the comment below in text and in screenshots.
High Line Park – New York City – July 09 on Flickr – Photo Sharing!.png by davidberkowitz on Aviary.
 
Here’s what “Mike Schatzel” shared with me:
High Line Park – New York City – July 09
mikeschatzel said (8 hours ago):
Hey you are Jewish arent you? HAHAHA now thats funny…not because of your huge shnoz but because if you didnt shave you would resemble a retarded wookie…nice smile. No wonder your wife looks the way she does…hey look at me, I am wearing a Twitter shirt and i am Jewish…hahaha youre a jew? Hey look at me I am jewish and afraid of ovens!!!
Here’s the link to the photo. Note that Flickr may remove the comment at any time.
Here’s the screenshot of the email I received with the offending comment:
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Here’s the comment as it appears on Flickr:
If you’ve encountered this before, or have anything at all to add here, I welcome hearing it, and I’m sure some others will too.
UPDATE August 4, 2009: The same poster struck again, with the same username no less. His account was apparently deleted by Flickr, finally.
mikeschatzel [deleted] says:
2009 bitch…you a dirty heeb too? I hate Jews…they are all just more retarded forms of wookie’s…with money, that they use to turn off electricity to ovens out of fear…fear bitch!
People reacted to this story.
Show comments Hide commentsHow sad – and I don’t know if it’s made worse by the fact that the user doesn’t have anything to his flickr account. Really, is this account solely set up to demonize people?
🙁 so sorry you have to be the victim of such ignorance. Hurray for the Internet, giving a voice to people who have nothing of value to say..
Wow. I haven’t encountered it, but I’m inclined to find ways to resolve it, one broken kneecap at a time. Grrrrr.
Not on flickr, but there’s a little known twitter related web site that has come up with the objective of bringing all kinds of bigotry. It is called “sponsor a loser” (i dont want to link to them but you can with a .com after those 3 words.) I got a @ message on twitter from this web site that you can see there. I did not want to bring attention to it and thought I’ll just ignore it, but your tweet made me share my exp. Worse, it invites people to say hateful things anonymously about people.
I don’t use flickr but I’ve encountered antisemitism when joining Pro-Jewish or Zionist groups on Facebook. Nothing as terrible as this, but enough to stop me from joining groups or broadcasting my religious and political beliefs in public forums, for the most part. This is sad – more so for the people posting these comments, than for the recipients.
After a while you develop an immunity and, if anything, pity, for these people. They are publicly exhibiting blatant racism on a social platform, directed at a thought leader w/in the social media space – attacking you on your own turf w/o any reason or provocation – they’re only making themselves looks stupid. I’d suggest ousting them, but that would only stoke the coals – just let them look like the ignoratti they are, no one is buying their crap.
It’s terrible and disappointing to see this kind of thing anywhere, even moreso on a place like Flickr that is usually such a fun, positive community.
It also demonstrates that social communities are just like any community – you get all types of people and all types of behavior, good and bad.
Wow, I’m so sorry this happened, that is really sad. No one deserves to be disrespected like that, but especially you. You’re one the good guys.
I have a sick sense of humor but this truely scares the **** out of me. I am Jewish and am now afraid to let the world know. It’s horrible that I may have to hide like so many of my ancestors because of biggots like this fellow. He is probably the most lonely, sad person and no Jewish man deserves this kind of treatment. What should we do about it David? Be our voice!
Starting to speak out here… I welcome other ideas for what to do with this but will post updates as they arise.
I have an idea…let’s find this P.O.S. Nobody should put our people down…I actually think I know where to find this guy…that is what I do, I find people…should I find him and…?
I'm in the business of fighting ignorance, not inciting violence, and this is one guy I'm in no rush to find.
That’s pretty sad! You gotta feel sorry for such Einsteins. “Ignorance is the pre-cursor to stupidity!”
Its really annoying…. person who cannot appreciate!!!!!