A Purim Excuse Is Better Than None? NY Politician Explains Black Face Costume Is Just A Jewish Thing

New York Assemblyman Dov Hikind has come forward to explain that there is no reason for people to be offended after he was shown wearing black face. The Brooklyn assemblyman explained that people just do not get the Jewish holiday Purim when people have fun dressing up. He noted that many children will dress up as Arabs. This was meant as a defense. Hikind previously introduced an anti-terrorism bill that allowed ethnic profiling for searches. It appears that he is something of an expert.

I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood that celebrated Purim and I am married to a Jewish woman but this is the first I have heard of black face being an innocent form of Purim fun.

Hikind, a Democrat, is one of the most powerful figures in Brooklyn and an outspoken voice for the Orthodox community — often objecting to slights and insults to his community. He has opposed same sex marriage and called Jews who support Obama “a disease.” When a Pakistani man was beaten by a Jewish mob calling his a terrorist, Hikind blamed the victim.

In this case, Hikind insisted that his Afro wig and black face was simply his vision of a “black basketball player.” He insisted that “the intention was not to offend anyone.” He first attacked his critics, saying that it was “political correctness to the absurd.”

He also stressed that he was dressed as a black guy and his wife was dressed as the Devil but “she’s not the devil.”

Hikind explained “A lot of people just don’t realize, on Purim, in a sense, forgive me for saying this, you do crazy stuff. It’s not done, God forbid, to laugh, to mock, to hurt, to pain anyone.” Of course, the only three costumes he could think of for Purim was the Devil, the Arab, and a black guy. Moreover, he seems to think black face is used for some other reason that “to laugh, to mock.” Racists do not put on black face to make a serious thoughtful point. They all think it is funny like Hikind . . . and they all fail to understand why everyone doesn’t get the joke.

Source: NY Times