(Photo: Screen Capture, WISH-TV)
Was it Anti-Semitism or “Moron-ism” that took place over the weekend in beautiful downtown Noblesville last weekend?
The Noblesville Police Department confirmed Monday that vandals spray-painted obscene language and a swastika on the exterior of a building in the city’s town square over Labor Day weekend. Officers said they contacted the owner of the building and it was removed hours after it was reported.
Photos of the graffiti were shared on social media, prompting local residents to speak out in defense of their community.
Speaking to WIBC newsgathering partner WISH-TV, Jill Janusiewicz, manager at Noblesville Antique Mall blamed the incident on juveniles looking for attention, echoing other residents’ assertions that Noblesville is not a racist town.
“It’s (Noblesville), kind of a small-knit community still. Everybody knows everybody. People typically are not afraid to walk on the streets at night or dine or shop or walk. It’s fairly a safe community,” added Janusiewicz.
Speaking about the incident on his radio show Tuesday morning, WIBC host Tony Katz noted that while anti-Semitism is undoubtedly on the rise across the nation, it is crucially important to draw a distinction between anti-Semitism and “moron-ism.”
Katz:
“I would put forth to you that the people who did this have no idea what they’re doing. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t charge them with a crime – the crime in vandalism. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be aware of it.
I’m a Jewish man; I’m aware of when a Swastika goes up. I’m also aware of when someone is a moron, and I’m able to categorize the two.
I put forth to you that whoever did this doesn’t even know what it is it means, they just know it would be shocking. I also say they should know what it means so they go, ‘Oh, we don’t want to do that.’”
Click the link below to hear Tony’s full commentary.
