I got off work a little early yesterday and took the bus down DeKalb, got off at Flatbush and decided to walk to Target to hang out in some air conditioning — it had already hit 90 degrees. Walking past the Nevins station, I passed a seller of incense, oils, books and DVDs. He was tall, remarkably handsome, black, and wearing a beautifully embroidered kameez and cap. Remembering a film I had seen a few months ago about the popularity of the so-called “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” among such sellers, I browsed the DVDs — only to find such titles as “Judaism, a Stolen Religion,” and “Jews, the Illegitimate Race.” The cover of the latter was illustrated with an old-fashioned cartoon of an orthodox Jew, with a pendulous nose and side-curls. I picked it up and walked over to the seller.
“Can I help you, sister?” he said.
“How much is this?”
“Fifteen dollars.” (If it had been five, I would have bought it out of curiosity)
“You know, I have to say, I find this really heartbreaking and offensive.” (I put the DVD down on top of some incense.)
“Heartbreaking? Why heartbreaking?”
“To have the group of people I come from labeled ‘illegitimate.’… (I looked right at him) You should be able to relate.”
“You should put that back where you found it,” he said, indicating the DVD.
“Thanks for helping your ‘sister’,” I said, and marched off, despondent and furious. “Jerk.”
People are so fucking stupid.
Otohime 