In America, there is oftentimes this prevailing belief among its citizens that we have advanced beyond discrimination in most forms. Even isolated incidents are disregarded as simply that; an isolated incident. However, it still exists, and one kind that is seldom discussed in America is antisemitism, which America has a long, embarrassing history of. Considering the recent rise in hate crimes across America, especially against Jews, this is something that should be discussed in the public sphere.

First, these beliefs and actions are still somewhat prevalent. Many people believe in the fairly antisemitic theory that the Rothschild family controls everything. There was an uptick in people who believed in the idea that Jews "controlled Wall Street" and that they infiltrated the government following the Great Recession. Going further back, you have individuals such as Henry Ford, who helped the infamous "Protocols of the Elders of Zion" be proliferated throughout America. Hell, stereotypes involving the infamous hooked noses, yarmulkes, and money are still seen in comedy and other means of entertainment. Disgusting.

Second, these beliefs are especially rampant in our universities. Though anecdotal, there are many stories of having swastikas carved into property, having fliers distributed alleging Jewish involvement in 9/11, members of various far-right/far-left groups stating that "Hitler did not finish the job." Hell, even "Heil Hitler" has been found quite a few times over the past year, according to the ADL. Various horrifying incidents perpetrated by individuals of various political ideologies. What's worse is that the number of incidents, according to the ADL, went up 96%. Ninety-six percent. That IS "deplorable."

This sentiment is also found in American politics. Some modern-day characters, including Holocaust denier Art Jones, have been repudiated across the board. Others, however, such as Paul Nehlen, candidate for Paul Ryan's seat, have been semi-elevated. People like Nehlen, who tweet out (((echo))) to denote Jews, or refer to people as having "Zionist masters," have gained considerable clout via Twitter and other social media platforms. Going further back, you have president Nixon, who complained about "all the Jews in the government." The red scares of the 20th century associating Jews with Communism, therefore making many enemies of the state in the eyes of the populace. All awful.

This may seem a bit disjointed, but this is a subject that is important to me. Discrimination of any form should be intolerable, but oftentimes it seems as if antisemitism is under-reported (potentially due to the fact that there are relatively fewer Jews in America). Whether it be Louis Farrakhan saying Jews engineered the slave trade, or Paul Nehlen/Art Jones/Richard Spencer saying American Jews essentially weren't for America, antisemitism is an evil which should be confronted, especially with the documented rise in hate crimes against Jews in the past year.

Discrimination is a plague of society, and it needs to be eliminated, somehow, some way.