Letters
Ecumenical Fantasies
I am encouraged that Rabbi Joseph
Klein of Temple Emanu-El in
Oak Park has seen the light with
regard to the futility of his dialogue
with Muslim clerics, but he could
have saved a lot of wasted effort
by doing his homework first by
reading the Muslim holy books
(Editor's Letter,"The Limits Of
Dialgoue," Oct. 12, page 5).
The Koran says in al Ma'idah,
5:51: "0 you who believe! Do not
take the Jews and the Christians
for friends; they are friends of each
other; and whoever amongst you
takes them for a friend, then surely
he is one of them; surely Allah does
not guide the unjust people'
It is futile to ask an imam,
a Muslim version of rabbi, to
renounce anti-Zionism when in
the Hadith (narrated Abdullah
bin Umar) Volume 4, Book 52,
Number 177: Allah's Apostle (i.e.,
Muhammad) said, "The Hour will
not be established until you fight
with the Jews, and the stone behind
which a Jew will be hiding will say,
"0 Muslim! There is a Jew hiding
behind me, so kill him." (It is clear
that Hitler was cast from a recycled
mold!)
Asking an imam to renounce
this is equivalent to their asking a
rabbi to renounce the Bible's prom-
ise that we will return to Israel.
These differences are irreconcil-
able. It is time to give up those ecu-
menical fantasies and concentrate
on surviving the looming second
Holocaust.
Dennis L. Green
Farmington Hills
Silence Is Wrong
Your Editor's Letter "The Limits
Of Dialogue" (Oct. 12, page 5)
does a disservice to the Jews of
Metropolitan Detroit. Having
the largest Arabic community in
America as our neighbor provides
us an opportunity for exchange
unequaled in this country.
Dialogue is the currency that
permits trade in information, opin-
ions and ideas. Your advocacy of
silence sets up an insurmountable
tariff of separation.
The role of the Jewish News
should be not to harden hatreds,
but to reconcile fellow Americans.
Joseph Weiss
Huntington Woods
MCRI: Positive Move
In regard to the Point-
Counterpoint "Keep Preferences;
End Preferences" (Oct. 5, page
29), with an ACT score of 32 and
GPA of 3.77, my son Reid should
have easily gained admittance to •
the University of Michigan. He
did exactly what his advisers sug-
gested: took numerous advanced
placement courses; demonstrated
leadership by engaging in com-
munity activities (president of
Slur Shalom youth group in West
Bloomfield and an active member
of the Jewish community, among
others); and distinguished himself
among his classmates (nomi-
nated by his teachers to represent
Birmingham Groves High School at
the Oakland Exportsmanship com-
petition, which he then won).
Yet, Reid was denied admission
to Michigan. Most disappointing
to him was knowing his qualifica-
tions were better than those of
many of his fellow students admit-
ted to Michigan. If he had lost out
to students with better grades and
test scores, he would have taken it
in stride. Being denied admission
to the state's top public school for
reasons that seem arbitrary and
unfair creates bitterness, especially
considering the years of hard work
expended in an effort to get in.
Many minority individuals
have experienced the same sting
of rejection when discrimination
is the cause of their being passed
over. But is it fair to make Reid pay
the price for misdeeds of the past?
Reid is now a chemistry major at
Albion College. The cost is several
thousands of dollars a year more
than the University of Michigan, so
Reid will have larger student loans
to pay off.
The Michigan Civil Rights
Initiative will return us to a fair
and equitable admission system
that all students — both winners
and losers — can respect and
accept.
Michael G. Smith
Bloomfield Hills
No On Proposal 2
I was stunned you used the word
"preference" to headline your
affirmative action debate ("Point-
Counterpoint' Oct. 5, page 29).
However, I'll bet Michigan Civil
Rights Initiative founder Jennifer
Gratz and MCRI fonder Ward
Connerly, the Californian mak-
ing millions to change Michigan's
Constitution, were delighted.
Affirmative action has nothing
to do with preference; Gratz and
Connerly can't win unless we're
fooled by phony terminology.
I came of age in the 1960s.
I know what President John
Kennedy meant: Women in college
then had only two choices, teaching
or nursing. Women were invisible
in corporations, journalism, medi-
cine, law, engineering and every
other profession. So were minori-
ties. Kennedy just wanted all quali-
fied people seen and considered
for admissions and jobs. That's all
affirmative action does today, too.
Women have advanced greatly
because of affirmative action, but
there's still far to go. For example,
women and minorities represent
50 percent of middle management
today, but only 5 percent of upper
management. Gratz and Connerly
want you to believe that hardly any
of the 50 percent are qualified for
promotion. Do you really believe
that? If you're not sure, are you
willing to change our constitution
over it?
Passage of this same amend-
ment in California has been disas-
trous for women. Don't roll back
Michigan's progress too. Vote "No"
on Proposal 2.
1983-19%
West Bloomfield
—Goldfein
6
October 19 • 2006
JN
DeVos Challenged
A current TV ad asks whether
there is any difference between
Michigan gubernatorial candidate
Dick DeVOs ("Statehouse Stakes,"
Oct. 5, page 13) and President Bush
as the face of one morphs into the
face of the other.
Considering the amount of
money the DeVos family has con-
tributed to the current Republican
administration in Washington as
well as to radical Religious Right
activities, it would appear that
DeVos will bring to Lansing the
same approach to state govern-
ment that President Bush applies to
federal government.
In simple terms, both say that
there should be change; but neither
provides any clues as to what or
how they will bring about change.
Both feel that, through some
"divine revelation',' making a state-
ment equates to the creation of the
solution.
One practical example should
suffice: When asked during a
recent TV debate how much his
solution would provide to replace
the money lost by eliminating the
Single Business Tax, DeVos esti-
mated that his plan would cover
half of the loss. But, he fails to
suggest where the other half of the
funding will come from.
It would appear that his intel-
ligent design for Michigan's
problems has no more factual sub-
stance than the narrowly focused
objectives that motivate DeVos
family contributions. Will we be
better off if Dick DeVos possibly
solves half of the state's problems
while assuming that the other half
will magically disappear?
Burton Zipser
Oak Park
No On DeVos
Robert Schostak, in his
Community View "Support Dick
DeVos" (Oct. 19, page 26), wrote
that a vote for DeVos is "a vote for
our children." We should not elect
to a position of power any person
who opposes embryonic stem-cell
research that possibly could find a
cure for diabetes — that ravaging
disease that afflicts so many chil-
dren and adults.
Will the intelligent design that
DeVos advocates help find a cure?
David Brody
Southfield
JN, Yad Ezra: Partners
This past year's decision by the
JN to focus on the hunger issue
has had a significant impact on
our community's level of aware-
ness and increasing need. We are
fortunate that this knowledge
has led to a rise in participa-
tion to support our mission. We
extend our heartfelt gratitude
and appreciation to you and your
staff for choosing to recognize
Yad Ezra this year.
Paul G. Finkel
president
Yad Ezra
Berkley
Correction
The photograph on last week's
cover with the story "Senate
Faceoff" was of the U.S. Capitol,
not the Michigan Capitol.
How to Send Letters
We prefer letters relating to JN articles. We reserve the right to edit or
Benny Friedman, who played football at the University of Michigan before
turning pro, is one of only six Jewish inductees in the Pro Football Hall of
Fame in Canton, Ohio. Can you name the others?
uod pue ueunpni
Sissi Lapides
West Bloomfield
Maxine Berman
Michigan House of Representatives,
MERV 'cha Don't Know
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Project Friendship
As a Kadima board member, I
would like to thank you for the
wonderful cover story "Coloring
Their World" (Sept. 28, page 35).
As a board member of the
National Council of Jewish Women
and chair of Project Friendship
with Kadima, I would like to cor-
rect the information about this
program. Project Friendship meets
every other Sunday.
The volunteers not only help
with brunch, but they also join in
on the many field trips (the zoo, a
baseball game, bowling, movies) as
well as help with art projects and
other activities as the Zussman
Center. The volunteers also provide
social contact with clients who
might otherwise be isolated on
weekends. Council provides the
volunteers and funding for this
program.
'Anal new 'uetum9 p!s 'SIAM IV :Jamsuy
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