A Perfectly Cromulent Blog

What century is this again?

Unbelievable:

A spike in anti-Semitic vandalism and other possible hate crimes across Houston in recent months has alarmed police and set the Jewish community on edge, investigators and activists said Wednesday.

Since September, 14 such crimes have been reported in the Greater Houston area.

Eight occurred in a three-week period in December, said Martin Cominsky, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League.

All in retaliation for killing Jesus, no doubt.

I guess the only thing worse than a bunch of dipshit rednecks with a case of Olympia is a bunch of dipshit rednecks with a case of Olympia who've just rented The Passion of the Christ.

Most of the crimes involve vandalism at public places, including houses of worship and a Jewish community center. But there have also been threatening messages left on answering machines at synagogues in Houston and The Woodlands.

Police are concerned the crimes could eventually escalate to violent acts if the perpetrators aren't stopped.
...
In some cases, the words "Juden Raus" — meaning "Jews Out" — were painted on sidewalks and benches in southwest Houston. The slogan was the title of an infamous board game in Germany during the 1930s that capitalized on the Nazi era, but sold poorly.

Well, at least it sold poorly. Think about how much worse the Holocaust would've been if it had outsold the Berlin version of "Monopoly." Or the home version of the Beer Hall Putsch.

I am - big surprise - something of a cynical person, so I shouldn't be stunned into gaping slack-jawed at a story in the newspaper about ignorant twerps writing Juden Raus in the year Two Thousand Aught-freaking-Five. In a sick way, it's refreshing to know I can still be surprised.

Swastikas also were painted on eight of the large red domes decorating overpasses along the Southwest Freeway, and vulgarities regarding Jews were painted on a wall at a Montrose restaurant.

Swastikas and slogans such as "Jews Die" and "Aliens" were scratched into the doors of Congregation Brith Shalom in Bellaire and Congregation Emanu El.

I want to believe this is just the work of stupid kids, and not the beginning of some sort of coordinated anti-Semitic campaign of intimidation and violence. But after several years where the Muslim community bore the brunt of white supremacist activities, anti-Jewish crimes are on the rise again, not just in Houston, but in Los Angeles and the Northeast as well. The National Alliance held a major recruiting drive at the Daytona 500 last Sunday, and neo-Nazi music label "Panzerfaust" Records is conducting something it calls "Project Schoolyard," which involves passing out sampler CDs to schools.

Here's the track listing, taken from the ADL website:

1. Bound for Glory: "Tornado"
2. H8Machine: "Wrecking Ball"
3. Max Resist: "Ballad of Johnny Rebel"
4. Bound for Glory: "Hate Train Rolling"
5. Brutal Attack: "Under the Hammer"
6. Final War: "Tales of Honor"
7. Bound for Glory: "Teutonic Uprise"
8. Before God: "The Last Line of Defense"
9. Youngland: "Waitin' for the Ride"
10. Midtown Boot Boys: "White Kids"
11. Max Resist: "Ghost"
12. Fortress: "Commie Scum"
13. Rebel Hell: "Thirst for Conquest"
14. Bully Boys: "Jig Run"
15. Youngland: "American Justice"
16. Final War: "The Nationalist"
17. Day of the Sword: "White Supremacy"
18. Aggressive Force: "Might is Right"
19. Fortress: "Parasite"
20. Skrewdriver: "The Snow Fell"

I would dearly love to see them try to pass that around at our local high school (alma mater of Patrick Swayze and The Undertaker, coincidentally).