Yr.41-1—ZURE.,„ HAVE YoR FtoPLE CU my KoPizt Meet The Enemy Most Americans went through a gamut of emo- tions last week: • Fear that the devastating bomb in Okla- homa City had brought terror to our very heart- land. • Realization that safety and geography were only illusions. • Certainty that the culprits were swarthy aliens with foreign accents, almost surely from a country in the Middle East where people wore kaffiyehs and prayed five times a day. • And finally, shame that we had so easily subscribed to the prevailing stereotypes — and a reluctance to admit that Americans had done this to other Americans. Unfortunately, some American Jews did not feel such shame. Intially, some of us, gleefully, although in hushed tones, expressed joy that the rest of American would now see the truth: The Middle East terrorists must be dealt with harsh- ly and immediately — the way Israel deals with them. Some of those Jews were even upset to learn that the carnage in our heartland was ap- parently home-grown. Why, we wonder, are we not as concerned about the ideology of these anti- government groups? Many of them are vicious- ly racist and anti-Semitic, injecting their talk with conspiracy theories the way a diabetic needs insulin. We Americans, Jews and others, pride our- selves on belonging to a reasonbly civil nation inhabited by reasonably civil people who pursue reasonably civil goals. That's why neither the political left nor right have really caught on here: Americans hew to the center, give or take a few degrees either way. The political extremes rarely take a hold of a soul as deeply as did the far-right fanatics suspected in the Oklahoma bombing. Why were we so inclined to have some mea- sure of smugness during the day or two when we could blame foreigners for this disgrace? For those 24 or 48 hours, our solution to the bomb- ing was sure and swift: We could close our bor- ders, as if it were that easy. We could keep our Why did we have a measure of smugness when Middle East terrorists were suspected? eyes out for someone with slightly different skin pigmentation. Or for someone with an accent from a country where, we so smugly swore, al- most everyone heaved grenades at everyone else or parked car bombs in front of all the other homes on the block. But life isn't that easy. The enemy is us. For all our talk of being one nation, we are many na- tions, all with different goals and varying ways of achieving them. This doesn't mean that the American experiment of plurality has failed. Just that it wasn't as simple as many of us had as- sumed. A Fitting Tribute Twenty-five years after his death, Theodore Levin leaves a legacy that continues to live on in Detroit. The judges of the Federal District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan petitioned Congress to name the old courthouse building on Fort Street after Judge Levin, still a legend in the an- nals of jurisprudence in this state. More important, Judge Levin was renowned for his compassion and his humanity when it came to the law, civil rights and newcomers to these shores. Those feelings and interests were mirrored in his "outside" activities as a longtime leader of the Jewish community. In a 1957 tribute to his friend, the late Judge r U) LLJ U) w F- C:) CC LLJ LJJ 4 WORLD WAR STARTING wITI-1 A SoVie1016RICAKJ CoNFLICT RED FOR wuJia ERUPTING MNDEAsT OR BREAKING Our OF The BOSNIAN 1).NSS Charles Simons wrote that U.S. district judges possess extensive power because of the narrow- ness of the federal appeals-court review process. "In small men," Judge Simons wrote, "this may lead to arrogance, capriciousness or arbitrary exercises of power. "In men of stature, however, it develops a deep sense of responsibility and an attitude of hu- mility. Judge Levin belongs in the second cate- gory." The judges of Michigan's Eastern District and the Congress of the United States have chosen well in selecting a name, and a symbol, for the court. u WERE RAISED TD STOP ALMOST ANV THREAT - vo WORLD DACE ALMosT AN v./ BUT A FisNING DI SPOT eierm€N CANADA AK)I) SPAIK)7 UuNO COIJOV€ kNOWN7 Letters Seeing Hatemongers In Our Society timately resulted in the Holo- caust. Hitler became a democra- tically elected leader of Germany through the power of words. The Our vacation home in northern propaganda against President Michigan has been remodeled. It Kennedy, particularly virulent is beautiful inside but the outside in Dallas, triggered Oswald's be- looks like a construction-compa- havior. The intense hostility ny yard. Landscaping the area against the assassin of the pres- has become a high priority. ident was a factor in Ruby killing My wife and I just finished a Oswald. I examined Jack Ruby two-hour planning session with for many hours. True believers Len Draper, a landscaping con- are created by the power of tractor from Bellaire, Mich. In 15 words. In the beginning was the minutes, Ralph Naples, another word, the Bible tells us. The hate- landscaping contractor, was to mongers against the federal gov- arrive. The time was 1:15 p.m., ernment are accessories to the April 19. I turned on CNN to oc- Oklahoma City atrocity. cupy the 15 minutes between dis- cussions with the landscapers, Dr. Emanuel Tanay expecting to catch up on the O.J. Grosse Pointe Park Simpson trial. Instead I saw footage of the Oklahoma feder- al building disaster. What I saw Learning About was horrible, but the burden was magnified by memories. I am a True Tragedy Holocaust survivor. On April 19, 1943, I was in Warsaw. Present As a good Jew, and loyal Amer- and past images merged into an ican, I feel great compassion for overwhelming experience. "Mr. the brave people who had such a Naples is here," my wife an- horrible tragedy befall them in nounced, unaware of what was Oklahoma. The murder of inno- going on. "You talk to him," I cent citizens, particularly chil- said, and, with tears streaming dren, is despicable and totally down my face, I retreated into the inexcusable. I do not feel good about the fact privacy of a bedroom. that Americans will start now to Later on, we watched various understand the terrible and dan- commentators speculate that gerous similar situations that Is- radical Muslims were behind this rael has had to, and is still atrocity. "It would not surprise enduring every single day of the me if this was work of American year, not knowing when a ter- anti-government extremists," I rorist will strike, or where. What told my wife. Two days later, Friday, April about the bombing of busloads of 21, I was testifying in court in innocent schoolchildren in peace- Mount Clemens, Mich. I am a ful districts in family neighbor- forensic psychiatrist. While dri- hoods? I am also concerned with the ving to the courthouse, I was media's extensive coverage of this called on the phone by an Asso- horrifying catastrophe in Okla- ciated Press reporter from New homa, as compared to the mini- York. He interviewed me about mal publicity that was given the psychology of terrorism. I concerning the Nazi's genocide of have written a paper on this sub- 20 million human beings, in- ject. The reporter never told me cluding the Holocaust, involving that it was now suspected that the Oklahoma tragedy was the the annihilation of six million work of home-grown terrorists. I Jews. Priorities should be carefully should have guessed it from his thought out in our news reports. questions. When I emerged from the courthouse after 5 p.m., I And, Holocaust museums must called home. "You were right on remain in view for all non-Jews Wednesday," was the comment to learn about true tragedy; and from my wife. "How did you for Jewish youth to understand the Jewish experience, to re- know that?" "I know the power of propa- member eternally. ganda," was my response. Hun- Leon I. Schoichit dreds of years of anti-Jewish Farmington Hills propaganda by Christianity ul-