There are some workers whose faithful service goes unnoticed, often due to the particular job in which they are employed. Such is the case of one Bruce Froemming. His is a thankless job, that of Major League umpire. Like a NASA engineer, it is a job that only attracts notice when something goes terribly wrong. Well, in this case, something sure as hell is rotten in the state of Denmark; that Froemming still has his job is a minor travesty.What, you ask, could Bruce have done to incur my wrath? He called one Cathy Davis, an MLB umpiring administrator, a "stupid Jew bitch." For committing a paramount act of racism, Froemming was given the harsh punishment of a ten-day suspension.

Of course, few media reports of the incident mentioned the likely motivating factor behind Froemming's remarks: traditional anti-Semitic beliefs. You see, the unpleasantness occurred after a discussion about travel arrangements made to Japan. It seems old Brucey boy thought that Davis would try and "Jew" down his accommodations, so he made the aforementioned nasty remark, thinking he had hung up when in reality he was still on the line.

Why is such behavior even remotely tolerated in our society? To think that someone, particularly a respected MLB authority figure with 33 years on the job, could get away with the baseball equivalent of a slap on the wrist is utterly disgusting. To allow this man, who already has other misdeeds on his resume, to continue officiating games shows that baseball's leadership is utterly spineless.

Of course, some of this tolerance likely comes from the fact that Froemming made an anti-Semitic remark. Time after time we see people make remarks towards Jews that would get them ostracized if made towards other minorities. Jesse Jackson called New York City "Hymietown" and he's still a respected member of society. Pat Buchanan, David Duke and Jerry Falwell have said more negative things about Jews than Jospeh Goebells, yet tens of millions in the United States embrace them. And Michael Jackson, fodder for millions of cheap jokes, sang "Come on and Jew me" in one of his songs at the height of his popularity, yet the incident brought almost no press.

Imagine what it is going to be like the first time Shawn Green steps to the plate in the 2003 season and sees Bruce Froemming behind him in all his racist glory. Green would likely wonder if there will be a bit of impartiality in play. Maybe Green will think, Froemming will "Jew" him on the balls and strikes. The same worries will likely flow through the minds of Phillies catcher Mike Lieberthal, Houston Astros catcher Brad Ausmaus and any other Jewish player in pro baseball. How do you think a Jewish baseball player feels knowing that a precedent of tolerance towards anti-Semitism has been established?

If baseball is, in fact, a microcosm of society, then what sort of message does this send out to the international community? We already deal with near-daily stories of anti-Semitic violence in France. We read papers like The Guardian or the Globe & Mail or The Independent, which once featured a cartoon of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon eating Palestinian children. We watch the BBC as it spews venomous half-truths and misconceptions like the Ron Popeil Pasta Maker spews linguine.

It's time that we as a society take a stand. We must make it clear that the prejudices of Bruce Froemming, Jesse Jackson and Pat Buchanan are unacceptable in any measure, standard or metric. When society becomes tolerant of their offensive remarks, we are almost as guilty as the perpetrators. And most vocal must be the members of the offended minority, for we should never be as the "house servant" that Malcolm X spoke so vocally against. Fire Bruce Froemming.