Community Views

Editor's Notebook

Twisting The Constitution
For Fundamentalists And The NRA

Bobby Bradley Used
To Hum This Tune

JEANNIE WEINER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

PHIL JACOBS ED TOR

Recently a Christ-
ian friend brought

me a copy of a
newsletter by the
Rev. Pat Robert-
son, founder of the
Christian
tion.
1°.will
In it, Pat Ro-
‘000
401 bertson states:
"The Constitution of the United
States is a marvelous document
for self-government by Christian
people. But the minute you turn
the document into the hands
of non-Christian people and
atheist people, they can use it
to destroy the very foundation
of our society."
Since our Constitution was
first written, argument and
discussion have occurred as to
its precise meaning and inter-
pretation. The Constitution,
however, was written to guide
all American citizens, whatev-
er their religion, ethnic group
or political creed.
As it happened, this friend
and I were in the midst of a dis-
cussion about a particular
amendment to the Constitu-
tion, the Second Amendment,
which had been used by the
National Rifle Association to
promote the myth that citizens
have a right to have firearms.
A group of women who have
joined to form an organization,
Enough Is- Enough: Women
Against Gun Violence, would
argue with Pat Robertson that
it is not "non-Christians or
atheists" who are destroying
the very foundation of our so-
ciety, but, rather, the level of
violence and fear that pervades
our nation.
In fact, those of us who are old
enough to remember when there
was no danger from guns at
school, to either teachers or stu-
dents, have become numbed by

Jeannie Weiner is past president

of the Jewish Community
Council and co-founder of
Enough Is Enough: Women
Against Gun Violence.

the daily news stories about an-
gry spouses who kill, shootings
on the expressways, supervisors
killed by disgruntled workers,
and children who die in a neigh-
bor's home after finding a loaded
gun. We are stunned by the trag-
ic death of a young Jewish
woman killed this New Year's
Eve by random gunfire in New
Orleans.
Enough Is Enough is com-
posed of women who are Jewish,
Christian, Muslim, black, brown,

white, Republican and Democrat
from the entire state of Michigan.
The group has a large Jewish
membership because Jewish
women know that violence
strikes Jewish families, too.
Jews, joining with others, are
beginning to address the issue of
gun violence. Jews understand,
Al tifrosh min ha tzibor —"Do
not separate yourself from the

community." In 1995, that com-
munity in which we live, lives in
fear.
The number of guns easily
available to "law abiding" citizens
who can become enraged or who
irresponsibly leave loaded guns
to be discovered by children is so
huge that if all gun manufactur-
ing and sales had stopped in
1994, 200 million guns would still
remain in circulation. That rep-
resents enough guns for nearly
every man, woman and child in
the United States.
In spite of the tremendous
costs in dollars and lives,
there are those who argue
that Congress cannot pass
strict gun-control laws be-
cause of the Second Amend-
ment to the Constitution. But
federal courts have consis-
tently supported the mean-
ing of this amendment to be
not a guarantee to individu-
als of their right to keep and
bear arms, but rather, that
our Founding Fathers in-
tended this protection to per-
tain to groups of "militia"
such as the National Guard.
For some, the answer to
those who no longer feel safe
at home is to buy a handgun
— the "Arming of America"
solution proposed by the
leadership of the National Ri-
fle Association. But Ameri-
cans will not feel truly safe
until there are real and sig-
nificant reductions in the
number of handguns in our
streets, at work, and in pri-
vate homes.
We must not use the Sec-
ond Amendment to keep us
from a major campaign to
stop the slaughter in our nation.
Although Pat Robertson fails to
understand it, the real "destruc-
tion of the very foundation of our
society" is not turning the inter-
pretation of our Constitution over
to "non-Christians," but using the
Constitution as justification for
the self-serving aims of groups
like the Christian Coalition and
the NRA.

Israel Experience:
Strategic Contribution

JEFF KAYE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

Since coming to this area a year
and a half ago, I have seen the
pages of this newspaper echoing
problems that ail the community.
That is important. But it is also
important to recognize changes
for the better. One such change
is in attitudes toward the Israel
experience for young people.

For many years, young adults
in the Diaspora, finding them-
selves at crucial crossroads in
their lives, have had growing-up
experiences in Israel. I have met
many adults, active in the Jew-
ish community, who trace their
involvement back 20 years to a
summer spent in Israel.

The number of young people
who participated in Israel pro-
grams were relatively small, how-
ever. Increasing their numbers
was definitely not seen as a pri-
ority by most leaders in the Jew-
ish community. The Israel

EXPERIENCE page 10

Don't know what
made me think
of Bobby
Bradley, but I
couldn't get him
out of my mind
on Monday.
Back row of the
Plymouth Unit-
ed Church on
Martin Luther King Day. A
gray, freezing-cold Detroit
morning. Much of suburban so-
ciety was off this day, probably
celebrating by sleeping in or
checking out the mall.
Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg, the
spiritual leader of Shir Tikvah
in Troy, was one of six to receive
a Martin Luther King Jr.
award. The church recognized
his work as a bridge builder,
bringing Shir Tikvah together
with the congregation of Ply-
mouth Church.
Shir Tikvahh members were
on hand to watch their rabbi re-
ceive his award . Congregation
members have built personal
friendships with many Ply-
mouth United Church families.
From the back row it was
easy to daydream during the
acceptance speeches, the essay
on Dr. King and the quotes at-
tributed to him. Bobby Bradley
floated back into my thoughts.
My elementary school was
buzzing in 1963 because black
children would be bussed in.
Bobby would sit next to me in
Mrs. Miller's fifth-grade class.
"Oooh," my friends said under-
neath their breath. "Chocolate
candy."

that the humming didn't be-
come tears and then fists. Bob-
by proved he knew how to take
care of himself in the classroom
and on the playground.
Wondered what was going
on in his head as he took the
jabs, the behind-the-back
throws in dodgeball.
A Plymouth Church awardee
talks of child violence in the
city, and a lack of leadership in
the black community. A stu-
dent then reads an award-win-
ning essay she wrote on Dr.
King.
The lady sitting next to me
leans into me and asks me to
repeat something that Rabbi
Sleutelberg had said about the
sage Hillel.

He was sick all
right, along with
everyone else who
learned in disbelief
about Dr. King.

During a musical presenta-
tion from the Shir Tikvah choir
and then a solo by the music
minister of Bethel A.M.E.
Church, she registers an
"amen" or two. Later she even
offers everyone in the row
mints.
Bobby Bradley stayed home
from school for several days in
1968. I had to save his home-
work assignments. Naively
thought he had the flu.
He was sick all right, along
with everyone else who learned
in disbelief about Dr. King.
We were all asked by the Ply-
mouth Church senior minister,
Rev. Nicholas Hood BI, to stand
up, grab the hand of our neigh-
bors and sing "We Shall Over-
come."
By now the lady with the
mints had a name, Rainelle:
She knew my name also.
We grabbed hands and
closed our eyes and sang.
Hadn't heard the tune, nor felt
the feeling, in years.
Bobby Bradley was hum-
ming. 1:1

Only "colored" person I ever
met up 'El then was Madeline,
the lady who cleaned our house
every Thursday. Don't even re-
member if she had a last name.
Just bags of old clothes we'd
save for Madeline's family, ex-
tra money for bus fare and a
"special" plate, silverware and
glass we kept for her lunch.
Bobby Bradley's penmanship
was better than mine. His man-
ners were courteous to the lim-
it, considering the stares and
whispers of his new "class-
mates." He used to love to hum
what he called "my gospels."
The humming would increase
when his minority status be-
came an issue. Better for some

Rabbi Sleutelberg was honored
with a Martin Luther King Jr.
award.

