JNEditorials
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Stand Up For Gun - Control
a
his alleged vicious attack.
But we have to do something. On average,
every day 87 people — 12 of them children —
die from firearms. With 200 million weapons
circulating in the United States, it's a wonder
nage.
the death toll isn't higher.
Although Jews and other minorities are
While we would like to see all weapons reg-
often the targets of gun violence, we are not
istered, we can't see a way to make it effective.
speaking in ethnic, religious or cultural self-
Enacting such a measure is more likely to
interest, but in deep sorrow over a national
encourage law-breaking than it is to help
disposition that too often sanctifies violence
investigations of shootings — as we saw last
and the tools of violence. No civilized society
month in California where gun sales more
should tolerate the appalling waste that
than doubled in anticipation of the state's
firearms in the wrong hands inflict on all of us
tough new gun-control measures. But requir-
— Christian, Jew and Muslim; black and
ing a license to use a gun — and proof that
white; young and old — every day.
the user had passed a gun-safety test — could
Obviously, we believe that families are in
help reduce accidental shootings.
the first line of defense, that par-
The Brady bill's requirement for back-
ents have an absolute duty to
ground checks of would-be gun purchasers has
teach children that disputes
helped reduce purchases by felons and fugitives
are not to be solved by vio-
and by people with
lence and that rela-
records of domestic
tives must be acutely
abuse. But it doesn't
on guard when chil-
cover the secondary
dren begin to behave
market of gun shows
in antisocial ways.
and private sales that
We have to teach our
may account for 40 .
children not to idol-
percent of the gun
ize guns.
traffic. It should.
Beyond that, we
It is insane that we
support licensing
now tolerate the sales
gun users, back-
of assault guns, like
ground checks on all
the Israeli-made Uzis.
sales and transfers of
They have no value
weapons, an absolute
as sporting equip-
ban on assault
ment or even as tools
weapons and more
of self-defense. Get
complete enforce-
them out of circula-
ment of the laws that
tion now.
are already on the books.
Judaism's Reform move-
Strong defenders of the First Amend-
ment was right on target
ment, among whom we are proud to be
last month in calling on all
numbered, accept the reality that society has
of its member congregations to start speaking
a right to deter some kinds ipf harmful
up for new laws at both the state and national
speech. So, too, even the most devout of the
levels. That was entirely proper and laudable.
Second Amendment defenders must have
We hope that the social-action committees of
long ago accepted the fact that American
all our synagogues will debate this issue and
society may impose reasonable restrictions
then move into a sustained lobbying effort
on gun ownership. Preventing minors from
with state legislators and congressional repre-
owning guns or requiring a license for a
sentatives. There is no single litmus test for
weapon that can be easily concealed are
presidential candidates, but any one who wants
hardly a prelude to a unilateral government
to lead this country ought to be willing to
confiscation of all arms.
stand up against our indiscriminate trade in
Gun manufacturers and responsible gun
the tools of death.
sportsmen make a reasoned case that all the
For the last two weeks, our Torah portion
additional laws in the world won't stop
has dealt with the plagues that befell Egypt for
someone bent on crime. Buford O'Neal Fur-
its continued enslavement of the Jews. Trying
row Jr. was the legal owner of the Glock
to imagine what the plagues must have done
handgun and the Uzi semiautomatic he used
to the lives of ordinary people, we found our-
to allegedly wound five peOple at a Jewish
selves likening them to what guns do to Amer-
community center in suburban Los Angeles
ica.
and to kill a postal worker in August. No
It is long past time to end this llth plague.
requirement for background checks or trig-
It is up to us to do it. ❑
ger locks would have deterred Furrow from
IN FOCUS
uns in America are out of control.
And we have a responsibility as Jews
to stand up for saner, more effective
rules that could help reduce the car-
Up With
Music
Above, Ann Ross of Oak
Park and Gershon Spizak
of Bloomfield Hills help
lead the-Jimmy Prentis
Morris Choral Group in
song at the Jewish Com-
munity Center in Oak
Park. At left is Vivian Stollman of West Bloomfield, who
teamed with pianist Sonny Lipenholtz of Southfield to lead the
repertoire of English, Yiddish and Hebrew folk songs.
LETTERS
Rabbi's Murder
Worth Noting
persons find different events
to be important. Nevertheless,
it is clear to me that the mur-
der of Rabbi Morris Adler of
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in 1966 was one of the most
tragic happenings within our
I read with interest your his-
torical review of the Detroit
Jewish community ("A Centu-
ry Of Jewish
Detroit," Dec.
31) and
enjoyed it
immensely.
I must,
however, tell
you that there
is one promi-
nent hole in
an otherwise
excellent arti-
cle. Let me
preface by
stating that I
recognize that
everybody has
a different
judgment, and
Rabbi Morris and Goldie Adler
that different