Micki--Grossman with a photo of her parents, Fannie and Reuben Sherman.
vests to law enforcement agencies.
"Look what happened in Germany
when they didn't have guns."
JCCouncil board member Shelley
Nadiv of Huntington Woods takes a
position between the two. Although she
opposes the Public Act 381 and signed a
petition against it, she promotes respon-
sible gun ownership combined with
responsible parenting and tougher laws.
"In general, you should not have
concealed weapons unless you are in a
business where there are many cash
transactions or you go through dan-
gerous neighborhoods," said Nadiv.
"But, as a Jewish community, we can't
stick our heads in the sand about
guns. Remember Nuremberg — the
first thing they did was take away our
guns. If there is another socioeco-
nomic breakdown, they will blame it
on the Jews."
Nadiv said her family's gun is "not
for defending. It's not if you need to
`duke it out' like in the Old West. It's
there should we ever need it, in times
of persecution."
David Fink of West Bloomfield,
attorney for People Who Care About
Kids, said that even if such a turn of
events were possible in the United
States, technology has outgrown the
solutions of 50 years ago.
"In this world of high-tech surveil-
lance and sophisticated weaponry,
anyone who thinks carrying a six-
shooter is going to offer protection is
deluding themselves," Fink said.
"Our protection from extremists in
government is in the Constitution
and the Bill of Rights. That's where
we'll have to be vigilant."
Jews And Guns
"Our society has turned weapons into
idols," said Rabbi Elliott Kleinman,
regional director of the UAHC's
Northeast Lakes Council. "We have
to recognize that for what it is —
blasphemy.
"The 'shall issue' laws add a few
provisions that make people think the
legislation is about safety. It's really
about making guns more accessible."
For instance, Michigan's Public Act
381 has a long list of felonies for
which one could be denied a CCW
permit. However, names of felons can
take months to appear on the state's
LEIN (Law Enforcement Information
Network) system.
Rabbi Joseph Klein of Temple
Emanu-El in Oak Park is an uncom-
promising spokesman for gun con-
trol.
"The only reason to carry a hand-
gun is to kill or maim," Rabbi Klein
said. "That's why they are manufac-
tured, that's why they are sold, that's
why they are used. It's such a simple
reality, I'm amazed anyone could
argue otherwise."
Rabbi Daniel Nevins of Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington
Hills said the Bible requires Jews go
to great lengths to avoid inflicting
injury on another person.
"Although it does not speak of
firearms," Rabbi Nevins said, "we
know the presence of firearms in the
house makes it much more likely that
a member of that household or
another member of the community
will be injured by this dangerous
weapon. I see no good that can come
of easing the already minimal restric-
tions placed on gun ownership and
concealed guns in our society."
Rabbi Elimelech Silberberg of Sara
Tugman Bais Chabad Torah Center
in West Bloomfield paraphrased
Exodus 22:1.
"It tells us if a homeowner sees an
intruder he has the right to bear arms
to defend himself," Rabbi Silberberg
said. "The way tradition interprets this
is we have the right to view any poten-
tial intruder into our house as a threat
to ourselves and our family.
"According to Halachah [Jewish
law], once the intruder has turned his
back, left the house, you can no longer
kill him. And, if you can maim and
not kill, that's your obligation."
A Polite Society?
Each Michigan county has a three-per-
son gun board, with individual stan-
dards for CCW permits. Oakland
County requires applicants to prove
need for such a permit.
Public Act 381 would establish a
statewide concealed weapons policy.
Need would not be a factor. It would
not affect hunting permits.
The pending law requires a handgun-
training course of at least eight hours in
a classroom and three hours on a firing
range. This is much less than the mini-
mum 72 hours required for police, said
David Gorcyca, Oakland County pros-
ecutor and a member of the county's
gun board.
Gorcyca, who spoke at a Feb. 28
public forum sponsored by the
NCJW, Greater Detroit Section, said
the law would limit his flexibility to
deny permits to people he feels are
dangerous, but who do not fit into
any of the listed categories.
"I'd rather resign from the gun
board than rubber stamp gun per-
mits," he told an audience of 75 peo-
ple attending the forum at the
Birmingham Temple in Farmington
Hills. "That's what this law would
do."
Panelist Pat Alzady, a certified hand-
gun instructor from Macomb County,
tIN
3/16
2001