Opinion
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Editor's Notebook
Our Sound And Fury
Are Often Misplaced
Lifting Up A People
At The Expense Of Others
BERL FALBAUM SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Political capital,
like financial and
other resources, is
a precious corn-
modity and must
be used with
strategic and tac-
tical skill.
Unfortunately,
the Jewish body
politic seems to be "wasting" some
of its political energy, particular-
ly when it comes to such issues
as separation of church and state.
The following is a given: We
must be vigilant and appropri-
ately responsive to political move-
ments which threaten the First
Amendment protection of church-
state separation.
There is no question about
that. However, we need a better
understanding of the full mean-
ing of the Establishment Clause
and its implications.
We must make more sophisti-
cated distinctions between the
meaning of the First Amendment
and whether the Constitution re-
quires what might be called pure
secularism.
The First Amendment, as
many constitutional scholars
have written, was never meant
to assure no mention of God or
religion in Ameri-
can public life.
The Jewish com-
munity has never
really understood
that and when the
slightest "offense"
occurs, it reacts
with all its political
muscles and valu-
able resources. As
someone observed, "It's an NRA
syndrome. The NRA opposes any
limitations on the right to bear
arms whether it involves anti-bal-
listic missiles, nuclear weapons
or handguns; and we oppose any-
thing we believe smacks of reli-
gion in public life. Like the NRA,
we, unfortunately, make no dis-
tinctions."
But if such "violations" of the
First Amendment are important,
then let us consider the follow-
ing:
• The motto "In God We Trust"
appears on our currency. That is
certainly a religious message.
• The Pledge of Allegiance in-
cludes the phrase "one nation un-
der God."
• The president takes the oath
of office standing on public prop-
erty, placing a hand on a Bible;
some presidents conclude with
"So help me God." In addition, on
numerous occasions, presidents
end nationally televised speech-
es with, "God bless America."
• Indeed, we have a very pa-
triotic song made famous by Kate
Smith called "God Bless Ameri-
Berl Falbaum is a public
relations specialist and a
freelance writer.
ca." Singer Ray Charles immor-
talized "From Sea to Shining
Sea," which asks God to "shed His
grace on thee (America)."
• Many public bodies begin
their official meetings with
prayers, rotating clergy from dif-
ferent faiths.
• Audiences are often asked to
participate in a minute of silent
prayer at public events — on pub-
lic property — when they coin-
cide with tragedies which may
have just occurred.
• The clergy in the military are
paid with taxpayers' dollars and
religious structures on military
posts are built and maintained
with public monies.
• And most ironically, the U.S.
Supreme Court, which in recent
years has issued some very non-
sensical constitutional decisions
reached only by engaging in the
most twisted and tortured logic,
as constitutional scholar Robert
Bork pointed out in the January
issue of Commentary, opens its
session proclaiming, "God save
this honorable court."
Who in the Jewish communi-
ty will jump up and shout, "We
can't pray; we're on public prop-
erty," when they are asked to join
a respectful moment of silent
prayer to com-
memorate a
tragedy?
Who will work
to halt taxpayer
support of the
clergy in the mili-
tary or have build-
ings used for
religious services
on military instal-
lations destroyed?
And who will argue before the
Supreme Court that it is violat-
ing its own dictates?
Given these examples, opposi-
tion to voluntary silent prayer
seems somewhat moot. We are
presently praying at many
events, continuously and rou-
tinely if one defines prayer in
broad terms.
Presumably, agnostics and
atheists are "offended" by these
references to a supreme being.
If pure secularism is a consti-
tutional edict — which it isn't —
then the point is there are more
serious so-called violations of the
First Amendment than a nativ-
ity scene on public property or
voluntary silent prayer in
schools.
We need greater constitution-
al understanding and less emo-
tionalism on church-state
separation issues and, more im-
portantly, we need to establish
priorities for the political agenda
and the battles we decide to fight
as a Jewish community.
Our resources — financial, or-
ganizational, political and psy-
chic — are limited.
We need to remember: There
are bigger political fish to fry. ❑
A large "academ- ence, Biology and the Education himself elected to the school
ic"
ic" conference in of Afro-American Students." board. In that role, he has pub-
Detroit last week-- Funded by the government-sup- licly chastised the Anti-Defama-
- end received little ported National Science Foun- tion League for protesting Dr.
attention. That's dation, they plan to bring Leonard Jeffries' school-paid
dangerous.
together scholars, plus write a visits to Detroit.
The Associa- book on the issues and articles
He also lambasted critics dur-
tion for the Study for the Afro-American press.
ing the recent NAACP leader-
of Classical
"There are a lot of middle- ship fight, referring to the "old
African Civiliza- class blacks who have been re- guard that has survived on the
tions (ASCAC) has an authori- pelled by this situation," generous donations of white cor-
tative sounding name and a Professor deMontellano says. porate America and their Jew-
laudable purpose. The group "But they are afraid to speak up ish benefactors."
wants to expand the study of because they will be vocally
According to 1992 transcripts
African culture and history. Its abused by these militants."
of his radio programs, Mr. Keny-
theories, under the banner of
The militants, he says, "have atta, his guests and telephone
Afrocentrism, have gained wide succeeded in cowing the major- callers talked about "Zionist
acceptance in some black-ma- ity."
pigs," claimed Hitler extermi-
jority school systems, including
One of those militants is De- nated Jews because they were
Detroit's.
troit's own Kwame Kenyatta. I carriers of the black plague, said
Some proponents of Afrocen- don't know whether he was at that the Antichrist would rise
trism expound racist views and the ASCAC conference, but he from Ashkenazi Jews and that
pseudo-scholarship. Promi- certainly was there in spirit.
the gas company was poised to
nently listed on last weekend's
Mr. Kenyatta has followed asphyxiate local residents in
program was Dr. Leonard Jef- the Afrocentric philosophy in his their homes.
fries, inventor of the "Sun peo- public dealings and on his week-
If Mr. Kenyatta was not at
ple," and other leading
Sunday's closing ceremonies for
"melanists." Jeffries and other
the Cobo Center convention of
extremists claim melanin, which
ASCAC, he was debuting his
causes dark pigmentation of the
new weekly show, "Kenyatta's
skin, leads to a superior race.
Open Forum," from 7-8:30 p.m.
Egypt, they say, was the cradle
on WDTR.
of civilization and the center of
His publicity for the program
most of the world's inventions
says that "Detroit School Board
because, they claim, all of the ly radio program on the Detroit Member Kwame Kenyatta pre-
ancient Egyptians were black. Public Schools' WDTR station. sents the meditative messages
There's a certain familiar ring After countless complaints to of music, poetry and thoughtful
to all this, with no apologies station personnel, the Detroit conversation" every Sunday, and
given to Adolf Hitler.
Board of Education and the Fed- encourages on-the-air telephone
Wayne State University An- eral Communications Commis- calls.
thropology Professor Bernard sion because of racist and
The announcement contains
Ortiz deMontel-
drawings of an-
lano has been a
cient Egyptians
leading opponent
and hieroglyphics.
of Afrocentrism.
I wonder if Mr.
"I'm an advocate of
Kenyatta signed
multiculturalism,"
the contract this
he says. "Anything
time.
that is 'centric'
An Afrocentric
means that every-
group that hasn't
thing else is inferi-
bought into Mr.
or.
Kenyatta's philos-
"There is a need
ophy in toto is the
to teach that peo-
choir group from
ple of all ethnic
Malcom X Acade-
groups have made
my. While the
contributions and
school stresses
are equally capa-
African-centered
ble. That's differ-
education, it also
ent from making
steers away from
up history.
Professor deMon-
"There are some
tellano's definition
fairly obnoxious
of "centric."
things associated
The school has
with this group. I
a partnership
don't support that
with Temple Beth
blacks need to be
El, and its choir
racist and anti-Se-
sang last Sunday
mitic in order to have self-es- anti-Semitic remarks from the with the congregation's junior
teem."
host and his guests, Mr. Keny- choir. Both groups and their
Professor deMontellano, who atta was taken off the air 30 families were invited to lunch
is Chicano, believes the black months ago.
and an afternoon performance
community must address the is-
But the complaints were not by members of the Michigan
sue. Next month, a group of the issue. Mr. Kenyatta refused Opera Theatre.
black professors will.
to sign a contract with WDTR
That sounds more like the
A planning committee of 12 which required him to follow America we were taught to
academics, including 10 blacks, Board of Education and FCC strive for than the one envi-
will meet in Arizona to plan a rules.
sioned by ASCAC or Kwame
fall conference on "Pseudo-Sci-
Meanwhile, Mr. Kenyatta got Kenyatta. 111
The black middle
class must thwart
the extremists.