PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. – Sweet treats at a Jewish teen’s birthday party in Paradise Valley turned into an offensive message after young party goers decided to decorate their cupcakes with swastika symbols.
Pictures of the swastika topping began spreading on social media after the teen’s mom posted about what happened on Facebook, writing that she hoped it could be used as a teaching moment for parents.
According to the post the girls are all friends and told the Jewish teen’s mom they did it to “be funny.”
The teen’s mother also posted that her daughter and the girls at the party had just had a lesson on the holocaust, so she believed they knew very well what the symbol meant.
Carlos Galindo-Elvira, the director of the Anti-Defamation League in Arizona says parents need to teach their children about the meaning symbols tied to acts of hate like the swastika.
“When you joke with symbols like the swastika you begin to normalize them and make it very casual within our society,” Galindo Elvira told 12 News.
“It’s a joke!” “It’s funny!” No, it’s not a joke. No, it isn’t funny. I never see an explanation as to just what makes this sort of thing funny. All I see is an increase in an empathy deficit in people. That’s no joking matter either. Via KPNX.