Chris Brady: Dawn Johnson displayed insensitivity toward the Jewish community

To The Daily Sun,

The fact that Dawn Johnson sourced the cartoon from a neo-Nazi website is troubling on many different levels. Antisemitism, an ideology of hatred, has been behind some of the most terrible events in human history. The Holocaust was a systematic murder of six million Jews, and as such it has become a face of the dangers of antisemitic propaganda and discrimination. When Dawn Johnson posted such a cartoon, she not only showed her incredibly shocking insensitivity and lack of awareness but also perpetuated harmful stereotypes and ideologies with no place in modern society.

Dawn Johnson issued a pro forma apology, it is quite incongruous that she has not clearly denounced its message to this day. A real apology, beyond acknowledging the harm done, must be accompanied by a willingness to learn from mistakes and take concrete deeds to address and correct them. In doing so, Dawn Johnson has added insult to injury by further deepening the wounds caused by her action.

The botched Temple B'nai Israel meeting is another case of ignorance and insensitivity displayed by Dawn Johnson toward the Jewish community. It is going to take a lot more than some superficial reach- ut and olive branch to mend what she did.

It's a fairly worrying matter, Dawn Johnson trying again to get elected state representative, in particular, given her highly poisonous antisemitic views and the way it was so strongly rejected by the community.

Equally concerning is the fact that Richard Littlefield has not acted to distance himself from antisemitic beliefs by Dawn Johnson. Both Dawn Johnson and Richard Littlefield are public figures who owe a due responsibility to speak against hate and all manner of discrimination. Please do not vote for Dawn Johnson or Richard Littlefield they are bad for Laconia.

Chris Brady

Laconia