When Words Hurt
ADL continues to deal with Detroit Country Day
newspaper column considered anti-Semitic.
not pre-screen the paper's content.
"Certainly, the content is contrary
StaffWriter
to not only policy, but the opinion
second meeting has been
of the school and the people in it,"
arranged between the
Matthews said. "The pain it has
Michgan region of the
caused has been awful, and the irony
Anti-Defamation League
is that he doesn't believe what he
and Detroit Country Day School to
wrote. He wrote it to incite discus-
rectify a situation that developed
sion, and it turned out inciting more
when a student columnist wrote
than that."
what many considered an anti-
Betsy Kellman, ADL regional
Semitic column in the February
director, said her office received
issue of the school newspaper.
dozens of calls from student and
In the wake of the controversy, the
parents. She called the school to
student and the
arrange a meeting with the school
school have apolo-
administration
gized in written state-
once students
ments.
returned from
Last month, Matt
break.
Mrkonic's "Outside
Headmaster
the Walls" column
Gerald Hansen
dealt with the United
wrote an apolo-
States' relationship
getic letter to
with Israel and men-
the school's par-
tioned unfair
ents.
American media cov-
"The idea for
erage of the
this opinion col-
Palestinians.
umn originated
"In the past year,
from this year's
Israelis killed 550
high school
Palestinians, while
national debate
Palestinian bombers
topic, which
killed only 120
dealt with
Israelis," he wrote.
weapons
of mass
The ADEs Betsy Kellman
"The scattered bomb-
destruction ... It
ings were blown out
was not anyone's
, of proportion, while
intention to
the larger death toll
criticize or
of the Palestinians went almost
attack any people, religion or cul-
uncovered."
ture," the letter stated.
Mrkonic, a senior, also cited a
The headmaster's letter also stated,
report that claimed Israel was
"Although the intent of the author was
to criticize actions and policies of the
attempting to develop an ethnic
bomb — "a bomb that kills Arabs,
governments of the United States and
but leaves Jews unharmed."
Israel, the result was that many members
"Yet regardless of whether such a
of the Country Day community and
bomb is possible," he wrote, "the
beyond were offended by the column ...
idea that Israel would try to develop
"This has been a learning experience
for everyone involved about the impor-
a tool of mass genocide is quite
tance of extreme precision in word
telling of their national character."
choice and sensitivity in tone when writ-
According to Clay Matthews,
ing on such a controversial topic, and
director of communication at
the placement of opinion content."
Detroit Country Day in Beverly
Hills, Mrkonic has historically taken
The letter's tone did not satisfy the
ADL.
the counterpoint on political issues,
and the school administration does
WORDS on page 20
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19