The Dawning of the OFOP Movement
Last year I was having lunch with three millennials. All three were college educated
professionals. One was from a town on
Long Island, one was a recent US college graduate who grew up in a wealthy
suburb of Paris and the third was a professional educated in Turkey. When I asked them what they thought the
world’s Jewish population was, the answers were astonishing. Two said 40% and the third said 60%. It is an understatement to say that they
were surprised upon learning just how wrong they were.
For all of the rhetoric, and protests, and damnation
regarding the “horrible Jews”, I think the one thing that is lost on the world is
just how small in numbers the Jewish population is. The fact is that Jews make up approximately
one-fifth of one percent of the world’s population. ONE-FIFTH OF ONE PERCENT. That is correct. Only 0.22% of the people of earth are Jewish,
leaving 99.78% to everyone else.
Putting it in context, only two in every thousand or 22 in every 10,000
people are Jewish. If a sold-out Madison
Square Garden were a representative breakdown of the world’s population, only
40 of those in attendance would be Jewish.
Within the context of the paltry size of the world’s Jews, when
I try to understand anti-Semitism, all concept of rational thought seems to
evaporate. Forget the fact that the One-Fifth of One Percent
have been disproportionate contributors when it comes to the betterment of
mankind in the areas of medicine, technology and the supporting of those less
fortunate. Forget the fact that the
One-Fifth of One Percent, who have the power to eradicate their neighboring
enemies, only resort to violence as a last resort. Forget the fact that the One-Fifth of One
Percent are often the vocal minority when it comes to protecting the rights of
others; even the rights of Muslims here in the US. Sadly enough, when I say forget these facts,
it is only because the world already does.
Don’t get me wrong. I do not
agree with everything Israel does but until we all live in the shoes of a tiny
nation in constant peril from far more populous neighbors with the stated goal
of annihilation, can we honestly say that we would show the same restraint in
how we would act to ensure our survival?
Just think what the US reaction would be if some terrorist group was
lobbing rockets into Texas from Mexico.
The Modern School Yard Bully
The truth is that anti-Semitism is really nothing more than a
global version of simple school yard bullying.
It is insecure members of the stronger, more popular population picking
on the ones who choose to pursue the true path less taken. The ones who choose
not to conform to the majority’s definition of how things should be. The ones with the audacity to be
“different.” How is anti-Semitism that
different from the school yard bully who sticks the member of the chess club in
a locker? How is anti-Semitism that
different from the taunts, or wedgies, doled out by the greasers on the hapless
AV squad? How is anti-Semitism that
different from members of the popular majority constantly traumatizing those
who choose the less popular pursuits of band, EMO, orchestra, computer club,
LARPING, debate club, Goth or mathletes?
It really isn’t. The motivation
is the same. It is pure and simple ignorance-driven
hatred. The history of civilization, on
both a macro and micro level, is littered with examples of the exploitation of
the “different.” In many cases, the
motivation is centered on the simple premise that “they can.”
The Birth of OFOP:
Contributing to the growing anti-Semitic sentiment
throughout the world just may be the misconception of size the Jewish
population. Maybe the Jews are caught
between the rock of being seen as the weak outcast and the hard place of being
misconstrued as a larger than actual percentage of the world’s population to be
dealt with before becoming too strong.
Pick your poison. The result is
the same in the form of BDS, SJP and all other self-righteous, acronym based
movements of protest, hatred and intolerance.
What can be done to
right this injustice? Maybe those who
abhor anti-Semitism, and all it stands for, can do their part in educating the
world that the Jews are only a small minority of “different” folks who just
want to do their part in healing the world.
Maybe it’s time for the right minded of the world to say “Enough, leave
them alone. They mean you no harm.” Maybe it’s time to educate the small minded
that the One-Fifth of One Percent is neither a plague nor a threat. Maybe it’s time for us all rally around the
cry of “One-Fifth of One Percent” with our own acronym of counter-protest; OFOP.
When faced with the small mindedness of anti-Semitism, let the righteous
of the world respond with four simple letters, O-F-O-P. Let the letters of OFOP be the silent protest
in response to hatred and bigotry.
If you can’t write it, then respond with the simple hand
signal of one hand showing the number one over the other hand showing the peace
sign. This not only signifies one peace
but also represents the Roman numeral for one over the Roman numeral for five. “One-Fifth of One Percent.” Let the letters and hand symbols of OFOP be
the response to the petty bullies who propagate irrational hatred of those who
choose to be different. Hopefully, one day
OFOP will extend beyond anti-Semitism and come to be a symbol against all
irrational hatred. Let OFOP be the
beginning of a better, more peaceful world. Let OFOP start with you.
Please share this with all of your friends and feel free to
include a picture of you making the “One-Fifth” hand signal to show your support
for OFOP but more importantly to show your condemnation of anti-Semitism and
all forms of hatred and bigotry. Let’s
start a movement…
