This Week

Cover Story

Petition Power

Concealed handgun law rallies Jews
on both sides of the barrel.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
StaffWriter

la

icki Grossman knows
what it is to fire a gun
and hit a bull's-eye.
But lately, the
Farmington Hills resident has con-
fined her weapons to a pen and a
stack of petitions, gathering signatures
to stop a new law that would make it
easier for Michigan citizens to carry
concealed handguns.
In 1951, when she was in high
school, Grossman's father was shot
and killed in his Detroit poultry and
fish market.
"A man was angry at the way he
thought his wife had been treated by
my father's partner," she said. "My
dad tried to calm him down, but the
man had a gun and my dad got in the
way.
Grossman's late husband had a gun
permit. "I put aside my dislike of guns
for a while," she said. "I got really
good with a .38[-calibed and a .22."
Despite this background, Grossman
feels an increase in the number of
firearms will inevitably lead to an
increase in firearm deaths. She's one
of hundreds of local Jews who've
decided to do something about the
problem by getting actively involved.
Gun control is an issue that has

3/16
2001

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attracted Jewish support on both sides
nationwide. The Reform movement,
specifically the New York-based
Union of American Hebrew
Congregations (UAHC), which repre-
sents 900 synagogues, has taken the
lead on the issue. Perhaps spurred by
the speech of the UAHC's Rabbi Eric
Yoffie at the Million Mom March last
Mother's Day, other organizations
have followed its example.
Locally, the National Council of
Jewish Women (NCJW) joins the
Jewish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit (JCCouncil) in
leadinc, the effort.

Michigan from about 20,000 to
200,000.
Grossman, a board member of the
JCCouncil, voted with the board
majority to join a petition drive to
force the CCW issue to a vote of the
people by means of a referendum.
Organized statewide by the group
People Who Care About Kids, the
effort needs at least 151,356 valid sig-
natures by March 27. Nearly that
number has been collected already.
However, even if enough valid sig-
natures are received, an appropriations
bill attached to the pending law may

take place until November 2002.

Both Sides

Not all of metro Detroit's Jews oppose
the pending law.
At odds here are two historically
opposing views of the Jewish role in
the world. On one hand is-a heritage
of political liberalism and nonviolence;
on the other, a history of self-defense
epitomized by the heroes of the
Warsaw ghetto and those who fought
for Israeli statehood.
Obviously, neither side wants to see
more gun violence. What they disagree

Statewide Standoff

Michigan Jews are lining
up on both sides of Public
Act 381, the Carrying
Concealed Weapons
(CCW) law.
Gov. John Engler signed
the act Jan. 1. Scheduled to
go into effect on July 1, the
law, also known as. a "shall
issue" iaw, would require
that county gun boards issue a con-
cealed weapons license to most appli-
cants aged 21 and olde:.
Both supporters and opponents of
the law say it would increase the
number of handgun permits in

Rep. Marc Shulman David Fink

halt the referendum. Because of this
bill, it may take a public initiative to
put the matter up for a vote of the
people.
This would require considerably
more citizen support and would not

Shelley Nadiv

on is what would make for a safer
society.
"The crux of the matter is, do I
have the right to protect myself?" said
Ralph Yamron of Oak Park, who
makes his living selling bulletproof