Goodbye, Mark

“No matter what I do, this man’s hate [for Jews] will always exist.”

The social media world is a funny place. You engage with many people through multiple platforms about various topics that you may share in common. These people are mostly strangers. You have a short conversation, and then they disappear, never to be heard from again.

Some years ago (around 2009), a man named Mark Cesare would constantly tweet me about music (we liked many of the same bands) and engage in small talk. It was harmless chatter about what we’re listening to, what we recommend, etc. After some time, the conversations ended, and that was it.

Fast forward to October 2017, Mark sent me a message on LinkedIn. I had forgotten who he was, but politely accepted both his LinkedIn connection request as well as a Facebook Messenger message request. This was a huge mistake.

It turns out that Mark is a Michigan-based liberal* who really hates Israel and Jews. He claims to hate a specific group of Jews, but they’re Jews nonetheless. (*I included his political affiliation to show that antisemitism comes from all over). Both his Facebook and Twitter feeds are filled with anti-Trump and anti-Semitic rhetoric that would make anyone feel uncomfortable.

Here’s the conversation:

After this conversation, I blocked Mark from all social platforms. However, no matter what I do, this man’s hate [for Jews] will always exist.