While anti-semitism attitude has obviously improved since the Holocaust, Jewish people still face oppression in modern America that is often neglected by the government and the media.

Last year, in Charlottesville, Virginia, white supremacists and neo-nazis gathered with banners and torches for the “Unite the Right” rally. They chanted “Jews will not replace us,” and “blood and soil,” as a threat to Jewish people in America, while carrying flags with swastikas on them.

The rally soon became a riot, as people’s actions became not only hateful, but violent. James Fields, a white supremacist from Ohio, drove his car through a crowd of people protesting against the Nazis, killed a 32 year old woman named Heather Heyer and injured 19 others.

The way the United States is treating Jewish people and other minorities is incredibly appalling, as America is supposed to stand for equality for everyone. What’s even more disappointing than the way the citizens are treating people, is the way the president chose to respond.

Shortly after the riot, President Trump addressed it by saying that there were “some very fine people” included in these white-nationalists. He stated that “the press has treated them very unfairly.”

The leader of America should be defending those who are oppressed instead of empowering the oppressors.

The president and many other government officials have not given attention to stopping anti-semitism, ultimately neglecting the Jewish community. The people who have positions of influence and authority condoning this behavior in America are only hurting the cause, as people will continue to target Jewish people until action is taken upon telling them otherwise.

Anti-semitism is still persisting in modern America, and it’s growing worse. On October 27, 2018, a 46-year-old man, Robert Bowers, entered a synagogue with an AR-15, and opened fire on the people inside. He killed 11 people and injured six others, all while shouting anti-Jewish slurs.

Bowers’ motives were towards the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, or the HIAT, accusing them of “bringing in invaders that kill all people,” and screaming “All Jews must die!” Jewish people have no reason to be targeted, they are simply practicing and celebrating their faith.

Though these are the most significant anti-semitic events in the past few years, it shows up quietly more often than is generally hear about. For example, a professor at Rutgers University boldly accused Jewish people of controlling pornography, sex-trafficking, and cancer, and many Jewish students in American schools have found themselves as targets for bullying and intimidation by their peers.

It’s heartbreaking to see how still, to this day, people are targeted and murdered for their faith. Everyone should have the right to believe what they want and not have to fear for their life.