Ye got yeself into this, now get yeself out

When I was 15, I was friendly with a guy by the name of James. We weren’t great friends as he was a bit wild, and I was a bit of a nerd. But every now and then when we got together, we would chat. On one of those occasions, he told me a crazy story. I had already heard the headlines from my appropriately horrified parents, but it was the text that was more interesting.

It was a regular Saturday night in a leafy Johannesburg suburb when James and company made the decision to “borrow” his mother’s car. After a very successful night out, and after a fair amount of alcohol having been consumed, James drove home. Instead of parking the car in the driveway where he had found it, he managed to submerge it in the family swimming pool.

Unfazed, he exited the pool, and went to bed. He was, after all, quite tired.

When he woke up, his mother was sitting at the end of his bed, waiting to have a conversation.

Slowly, memory of the events of the night began to return to him. The magnitude of his actions and the trouble he was in became a reality and he knew, without doubt, that the next hour wouldn’t be easy.

“James,” said his mom, looking at him sadly, “Are you very angry?” And just like that, James had his direction, his way out, and his strategy. He was an “angry” 15-year-old, and all he would have to do to avoid repercussions was to behave as such.

Kanye West, too, seems angry. He’s clearly suffering from mental and emotional strain, and is effectively on a path towards the family swimming pool.

His implosion is nothing other than tragic. In a few short years, his behaviour and rantings have cost him his marriage, his financial security, and status. He has clearly lost control of the vehicle and there’s little doubt about where it will land up.

The harm he has done to others cannot be understated. With more followers than Jews in the world, he has unleashed a tsunami of hate for which he needs to be held accountable. A swimming pool of “victimhood” won’t wash away the stench of his hatred.

In spite of his unrelenting antisemitic attacks and his refusal to back down, there’s a part of me that feels like James’ mother. On a rational level, I’m aware of the dangers of his language and the fact that he’s relying on antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theory to spread his hate. But on another level, I want to reach out and tell him that he doesn’t have to do this and that there’s an alternative path that will be less painful for him and those he’s hurting. And that instead of giving “power” to a non-existent “demon”, he should recognise the immense power he holds.

Power that he could use for good, not evil.

James’ parents chose a different approach. From what I hear, he has gone on to lead a productive and successful life. For him, the days of wild Saturday nights are long past, although he might well be facing the challenges of his own children.

Kanye West doesn’t deserve a free pass. His “anger” doesn’t just have an impact him and his family, it has shifted the Jewish world. He aimed his car in the direction of the pool, put his foot on the accelerator, and refused all offers of detours and assistance. And now, even though he’s under water, it’s up to him alone to choose to swim to the surface. Only once he does so can we stretch out our hand to him to help him the rest of the way.