Florida Jews? Don’t make me laugh
I lived in Florida for half of the nineties. Around lots of old people. And I can recall two behaviors that stand out. As old people slowly become enfeebled, they don’t like to travel far from home and become more concerned about keeping their property safe from intruders, because they know they’ll lose a struggle with anyone, from a purse snatcher to a home invader. And for the same reason, they become more concerned about crime in their neighborhoods.
Not always fairly, many associate young black males with crime. And yes, they shouldn’t generalize. Yes, it’s a form of racism. It’s fear of the other, that’s heightened because they’re growing older and feeling more vulnerable.
So while the article speaks of Obama’s Jewish problem, I suspect most of it remains a problem he encounters in other populations, no matter what their faith is. They’re old, they just respond to biases that trigger the sense of vulnerability. They don’t call names or go to Klan rallies. But they feel some unease with any Black stranger.
It’s not so hard to overcome. As he begins campaigning there, as some meet Barack and Michelle and their daughters, much of that fear of the Other will dissipate for most. It has way more to do with their age than their Jewishness.
