Dear Nathaniel,

The issue of antisemitism in Wagner's Die Meistersinger
which you mentioned last night has given me to think.
The snatches to which we listened last evening didn't
arouse any enthusiasm for Wagner's music, which has never
impressed me. I have, accordingly, no interest in revisionist
camouflage to make it appear that Richard Wagner was morally
or ideologically housebroken. I wouldn't trust him not to
mess up my oriental carpets. What concerned me was that you
should not permit the phantom of Wagner's antisemitism 
or for that matter of any other personage's antisemitism
to impair your curiosity or to stifle your understanding
of any phenomenon of history or of art. I have a certain
amount of personal experience; I've thought about antisemitism
a lot; and I hope my comments may be of some benefit to you.

When I was a child in first and second grade in Germany, some
of my classmates would occasionally suggests during recess,
that they get together and beat me up. I was somewhat frightened
and would back up against the wall of the schoolhouse or the
playground, which ever was nearest. That way I could prevent
them from getting at me front and back; I could see them and
stare them down. They usually backed off. I don't think it ever
actually came to blows, though sometimes I almost wished it had,
so that I could have appeared the more heroic.

My grandmother, who was not Jewish, thought that the signs at
shop entrances: "Juden sind hier unerwuenscht", Jews are not
wanted here, were ridiculous, and told my sister and me to pay
no attention to them. But my sister and I, as a matter of loyalty,
refused to enter such establishments, creating little scenes
every time it was suggested that the signs didn't mean what they
said. 

Then of course, there was the pervasive government antisemitic
propaganda. The newspapers were studded with hate-filled articles.
There was even a special antisemitic newspaper called "Der Stuermer"
which was posted in a display case at the street-car stop on the
corner across from our apartment. When waiting for the trolley,
my sister and I would catch up on the latest antisemitic slurs.

Once in America, I felt as if in a cross-fire of prejudices. During
the war, there was prejudice not only against Jews and Germans and
Japs, but also against niggers, northerners, damned Yankees,
homosexuals, Catholics, Mormons, - whenever an alien group was
identified - you name it - prejudice arose or could be aroused.
It didn't take me long to develop complete immunity to prejudices
of all kinds.

And here is the secret: The persons who exhibit prejudice do so
because they feel inferior and hence insecure. They feel safer
ensconced - actually trapped - in a mental fortress of their own
making. But to feel safe, persons with prejudices need help. They
need the help of those against whom their prejudices are directed.
They need an opposition whom they can attack and against whom they
can defend themselves. And surely you don't want to help them. You
don't want to have anything to do with any games of prejudice on
either side.

As I understand them, the questions that have been raised
whether Wagner's antisemitism colored his music are silly.
Of course it did, how could it be otherwise, whether explicitly
or implicitly doesn't matter. If it's good music then
antisemitism won't make it bad music; if it's bad music the
absence of antisemitism won't make it good music.  Whether
Wagner or his music was prejudiced against Jews doesen't matter.
All that matters is that YOU shouldn't be prejudiced against
anyone at all, not even against the mindless people who rail
against Jews, and certainly you should not be prejudiced against
Wagner's music because Wagner was a bigot, anymore than you
should be prejudiced against his music if he had been a criminal
or a Republican.  Persons who are prejudiced can't hurt you. 
The only things that can hurt YOU are your own prejudices
including prejudices against antisemitism.

Yoyo