When someone decides to blog and make their life (semi) public, it’s a given that negative comments will pop up. While controversy is inevitable and I can accept others disagreeing with me, I have a VERY hard time dealing with Anti-Semites.

Recently, someone left some extremely vile words on my Facebook page, commenting about the Reebok/Israel ’68 sneaker situation. They were so bad, in fact, that I can’t repeat them. (Let’s just say that Hitler was mentioned in glowing terms and leave it there.)

Reading those words was like a knife in the gut. From past experience, I’ve learned not engage these types of sick people, especially when it’s an anonymous troll. I immediately deleted and blocked him, but I still felt so upset and helpless. Shouldn’t we, as a society, have moved beyond this type of intolerance in the year 2016?

Obviously we have not. The terribly tragedy in Orlando this past weekend is proof that prejudice is flourishing. That particular crime had nothing to do with the Jewish community, but it had everything to do with hatred towards a minority.

Prejudice is irrational. It is sick, it is wrong, it has no place in the modern world. Yet it refuses to die a natural death, despite decades of legal reform and tolerance education. Personally, I hate injustice of any kind, directed at any group. To hate someone for their race, religion, ethnicity or sexual orientation is simply beyond my comprehension. I judge people based on their actions and their heart—nothing else.

So when someone condemns me because I’m proud to say I’m Jewish and because I support Israel 100%, it’s almost impossible to respond. Nothing I say or do will change their mind. I can’t win them over. I can’t make them see the error of their ways.

What I can do is avoid them and their distorted thinking. I can shed light on the pervasive evil of Anti-Semitism. I can write posts that show Judaism and Zionism in a positive way. I can pledge to only spread love and never hate on my blog and social media. I can be a beacon of light rather than a cloud of darkness.

This message is a good reminder that nobody is born prejudiced. Someone—usually a parent—is responsible for instilling those views. Those of us who are lucky enough to have children need to always remember what tremendous power we have over them and their developing minds. By talking to little ones honestly about the problems in this world, we are doing our part to make it a better, more peaceful place.

Maybe we can’t eliminate all prejudice and hatred, but we can combat it with knowledge, compassion, tolerance, and love.