Comedian Jon Stewart is evaluating the controversy caused by the Miami Heat center, Meyers Leonard, who was filmed on Tuesday uttering an anti-Semitic slander while playing video games.
Here’s what Leonard said during the live broadcast, via ESPN:
“Damn cowards; Don’t upset me, you son of a bitch b — b —. “
Leonard has apologized since then and has been away from the team indefinitely while the NBA investigates.
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On Wednesday, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman posted an open letter to Leonard on Twitter. Edelman, 34, was the first Jewish player to win the Super Bowl MVP after the Patriots’ 13-3 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl LIII.
An open letter to Meyers Leonard:
So, we never met, I hope we can one day soon. I’m sure you have received a lot of criticism for what you said. I’m not trying to add to that, I just want to offer perspective.
I have a feeling that you didn’t use the word out of hatred, more out of ignorance. You were probably not trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. This is what makes it so destructive. When someone pretends to be hateful, he usually encounters great resistance. Casual ignorance is more difficult to combat and far reaching, especially when you command a great influence.
Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can spread quickly.
I’m in Miami quite often. We are going to have a Shabbat dinner with some friends. I’ll show you a fun time.
Wednesday on Twitter, Stewart, the former presenter of the Daily Show who grew up in Lawrenceville and owns Colts Neck’s Hockhockson Farm, gave Edelman two thumbs up by posting just three words:
“Julian Edelman … mensch.”
Mensch is the Yiddish word for “a good person”.
It is important to note that this is not the first time that Edelman has played the role of Jewish ambassador for athletes.
Last year, he invited former Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson to the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC, after Jackson wrote an anti-Semitic post on social media.
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