Denver Synagogue Vandalized(Passion of Christ Blamed)

9News .com (Denver) ^ | 3/6/2004 4:44:35 PM | Paola Farer

[woofie]

DENVER - A Denver synagogue was damaged with graffiti overnight. Swastikas were drawn on the synagogue on south Monaco Parkway.

The graffiti was in the doorway and across a sign. There were also several symbols drawn on the back wall of the building.

A holocaust survivor who saw the graffiti says it was almost too much to take. There was no official response available from the congregation Saturday, although several people who called 9NEWS to report the damage said that they blamed Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” for rekindling anti-Semitism.

Members of the congregation will gather Sunday morning to start cleaning off the graffiti.

[janette]

and MY PROOF IS: I raised 3 children, they are wonderful members of society (2 in Europe, 1 in USA)

[patriciaruth]

Well, you know we have a Constitutional requirement that our Presidents and Vice Presidents are native born Americans.

One's upbringing has a lot to do with one's perspective. No matter how much you love your adopted country, you will always have a German inside you, too.

One of my grandfathers was German and immigrated here as a young man. But about the only heritage left in me is pigheadedness and love of sauerkraut. And I remain in a Lutheran congregation, whereas my brother proudly claims the English side of his heritage and declares himself an Orthodox Druid if anyone asks.

[Cold Heat]

G'nite......I am done for this session.

I hope we can all work out these fears.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Yes, you are right. My dad and uncles and their friends, too, served in WWII fighting Japan and Hitler and Hitler's supporters among the local populace throughout Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Their cousin died in a major "friendly fire" accident among the Allies in Italy. My father in law was a prisoner of war of the Germans. Today, too, we need to remain vigilant that we and our neighbors don't abandon adherence to the qualities which have made this country unique and blessed. Please have some understanding for your Jewish neighbors. Anti-semitic acts are on the rise throughout the world, including in the U.S. The release of this movie at this time is perceived, I hope wrongly so, as one more sign of an ominous trend. Proud Christians and proud Jews share in the building, success, and noble legacy of this country and must remain unseparable friends - now more than ever, if that legacy is to endure and remain a beacon of freedom for the world.

[janette]

that is when someone puts his buiseness from Europe to the USA!!!!

[Commie Basher]

And this part makes me suspicious: "several people who called 9NEWS to report the damage said that they blamed Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ” for rekindling anti-Semitism." Maybe we need seek no further for the perpatrators.

There was a conservative book released in the 1990s, which documented that a certain percentage of "hate crimes" (racial and homophobic), especially those resulting in no serious injuries or property damage, are actually "inside jobs" meant to spark outraged media coverage.

Anyone recall the title of the book?

Have no idea about the origins of these attacks. There should be an investigation, open to all possibilities.

[patriciaruth]

I thought we would go there in 2000

Rings a bell. I seem to remember joining the NRA in late November 2000.

It will take a miracle to prevent another civil war, imho. Neither side of this cultural difference of opinion seems to be able to live and let live.

[patriciaruth]

You will find that there is a strong difference of opinion in the U.S. about what will strengthen a child. We were close to shooting each other over that difference of opinion in 2000.

It is not common sense.

And common sense is actually pretty uncommon in my experience.

[patriciaruth]

Good idea. I should have gone to bed long ago.

[janette]

I thank you so much to make my position a bit more understandable for our Freeper Friends.
My culture will never leave me and I'm thankful, when Americans like you help me to tell your peers, that I'm with you, but I want to keep my Originality

[marron]

Hey, I was kidding. I don't live in Denver, I was just picturing all these middle-aged movie-goers out causing mayhem, and it struck me as silly.

[Seeing More Clearly Now]

Why would you assume this was staged, when the perpetrators of similar desecrations throughout the country are often identified and plead guilty?

[janette]

bragging rights?
Can't you imagine, that a member of FR is a multi millionaire?

[patriciaruth]

I may not agree with you completely, but I understand your point of view.

Good night. It's actually been fun, despite the usual vehemence of the posters.

[janette]

in addition, not in five years in 2 years!!!!
Now close your mouth and don't (...........) I have no American word for that :-)

[stands2reason]

Why would you assume this was staged, when the perpetrators of similar desecrations throughout the country are often identified and plead guilty?

And sometimes the identified perps of many of these crimes are the "victims" or members of the victimized group. It happens quite often.

[Bonaparte]

From the ADL's own 2003 report on anti-Semitic incidents in the US...

Vandalism against Jewish community institutions, synagogues and property remained at historic lows. ADL counted 531 reports of anti-Semitic vandalism in 2002, a four percent (4%) decrease from 2001 and marking a 20-year low. Over the past three years, the number of vandalism incidents reported annually to ADL has declined by 27 percent.

...

Among the more violent attacks in 2002:

-In Oakland, California, a synagogue sustained thousands of dollars in damage in an arson incident.

...

- In Worcester, Massachusetts, more than 120 gravestones were overturned in three separate attacks on the Hebrew Cemetery of Auburn.

But how can this be? 531 incidents of anti-Semitic vandalism? Why, The Passion of The Christ hadn't even been released yet! There must be some mistake. I mean, everybody knows that synagogue vandalism is caused by Mel Gibson's movie.