There are many situations I feel more on guard, like when in a big city compared to a suburb, or if it is nighttime compared to daytime, and I understand why people mention schools and movie theatres, but for me none of those compare to when I perform at an advertised Jewish event (I will be doing that on December 18th and 22nd) or when I am in a synagogue on any day.
I haven’t been to a gay nightclub in years, but I used to go almost every week. I never felt more at risk in a gay club compared to a straight club years ago, but now I would. I would feel at high risk at a gay pride parade also.
I would not feel at risk at all in a white Christian church, it wouldn’t occur to me that I was a sitting duck there, probably because statistically it is not anywhere close to the risk of sitting in a synagogue if it at all. Not in American anyway. Sure, anything bad can happen anywhere, I completely agree with that, but I would not feel specifically in a location that is targeted, or in a place where the people are targeted. To me being in a Christian church that is primarily white would be the same as being at a supermarket. Something I do on any given day without thought.
Any advertised event I guess I would feel some increased risk. Like the Boston Marathon, New Year’s Eve in Time Square, Macy’s Day Parade, and so on.
I asked mostly because I have my performance coming up, and every year I hope some lunatic doesn’t show up and shoot up the place, and I just wonder if the people who aren’t Jewish who come to see the show and celebrate with us and the performers who aren’t Jewish even give it a second thought. I know I am not the only Jewish person who thinks about there being some risk at the Chanukah event. There is always police presence, but that doesn’t change for me that I still have to deal with even thinking about it. I don’t obsess about it, but the thought crosses my mind.