Every day there are hundreds of thousands of interactions between Charedim and non-Charedim. This means that the religious sensibilities of the Charedim are greatly offended when women are not dressed properly and when men are not dressed as Jews [i.e. kippah and tzitzis] hundreds of thousands of times a day!!! Yet, there is rarely ever [relatively speaking] any instances of verbal and certainly physical abuse. Not that there should be but the press has a field day when something does happen on a rare occasion. But that is hiding the fact that millions upon millions of times nothing happens even though the Charedi is emotionally and spiritually hurt by the dress and [often] comportment of his secular counterpart.
I know that I sit in the bus and can't look up because of all of the scantily clad women that get on in the neighboring secular neighborhood. I feel that they compromise my religious values and freedom but they don't know or care. Yet, I [and hundreds of thousands like me] never say a word. So many of us believe that these people are setting a very negative example for our children - yet again - not a peep. I wonder what the situation would be if the tables were turned and they felt that the Charedim were inhibiting their freedom to be secular [such as a dress code for the street?]. I don't think that there would be as much tolerance.
So remember sweet friends!! No man is an island. We are all affected by our surroundings. Just as it is forbidden to smoke in closed public areas because it bothers others, it is also [ethically] forbidden to engage in behaviors that hurt others. I am not suggesting that we live in an Arab like "theocracy" where people are jailed [or worse] for not following religious law. But I am suggesting that people be sensitive to the feelings of others - especially given that these same people who often have no idea about Jewish values are the grandchildren and great grandchildren of people who died or were willing to die for these very values.
