views

Ask Attorney
Ken Gross
about...

Your
Your
Legal
Financial
Issues
Issues

for openers

Th e Less Said …

T

he 30th president of the United
States was Calvin Coolidge. He
was often referred to as “Silent
Cal.” This was in deference to him
being a man of few
words.
This proved off-
putting to his associ-
ates; but, if we think
about it, many of us
are as guilty of being
guarded with our
speech. The preva-
Sy Manello
lence
of two-word
Editorial Assistant
responses is great
as the following will
demonstrate.
A common greeting especially
among our younger folks is, “What’s
up?” Indicating an interest, we sup-
pose, in what is happening. Of course,
when I am faced with this query, I

usually reply: the sky or clouds. That
is because I tend to be a “joker.”
Many times the comeback to the
above inquiry will be, “Who knows?”
or “Don’t know” or “Nothing much.”
Ah, brevity.
When faced with a challenge and
asked if it can be handled, many may
succinctly reply: “I can” or “Can do” or
“Of course.” These positive souls are
to be commended for their outlook.
If you are ever tempted to gamble
on the outcome of a race or sporting
event, you should be cautious if you
are assured it is a “sure thing.” “Sure
bet” is another reply to be wary of.
Parents are all too familiar with the
reaction of “Not me!” or “No way!”
when children are faced with the
dreaded, “Who did this?” or “Did you
do this?” Both are a waste of breath
just because of the two-word replies

“Silent Cal”

that are so predictable.
If you are faced with a situation
that is pleasantly surprising, you may
respond, “Do tell!” If you are extreme-
ly skeptical, you may express, “Yeah.
Right!”
Returning to President Coolidge,
there is an anecdote that illustrates
this discussion. A senator approached
Cal, saying, “I have a bet with some of
your Republican colleagues that I can
get you to say more than two words.”
Silent Cal replied, “You lose!” •

letters

Omission Of Jews
Was ‘Absurd’

When President Donald Trump, in
a statement honoring International
Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan.
27, the date in 1945 that the infamous
Auschwitz death camp was liber-
ated by the Soviet Army, invoked the
memory of the Holocaust he did so
without mentioning the Jews. It defies
the imagination.
The Holocaust, or Shoah in
Hebrew, in which 6 million Jews were
murdered by the Nazi regime, was
a decided attempt at finding and
executing a “Final Solution,” as the
Nazis called it, to the Jewish problem,
meaning: their total extermination.
Admittedly, there were also others
whom the Nazis targeted for exter-
mination; however, only the Jews
were targeted as a people or race
simply because they were Jewish in
what became the biggest genocide in
human history.
To speak of the Holocaust without
mentioning its 6 million victims is
tantamount to denying the Holocaust.
Needless to say, this curious omis-
sion of President Trump angered
many in the Jewish community. There
was no apology, only an explanation

that the reason for not mentioning
the Jews was for the sake of inclusiv-
ity, an explanation as absurd as the
omission itself.

Rachel Kapen
West Bloomfield

Reconstructionist
Congregation Supports
Syrian Refugees

The Reconstructionist Congregation
of Detroit (RCD) has been a strong
supporter of efforts to help Syrian
refugees settle in the Metro Detroit
community. With our partner, Christ
Church Detroit, ( from whom we also
rent our space), we have co-sponsored
a family that has been resettled in the
Detroit area through the social ser-
vice agency Samaritas.
Today, RCD stands with Samaritas,
the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU), the Arab-American Civil
Rights League (ACRL), and other reli-
gious, civic and humanitarian orga-
nizations in denouncing President
Trump’s executive order banning
refugees and travelers from seven
majority-Islamic nations.
This is a truly worthwhile project,
and we are grateful for the opportu-
nity to work with our friends at Christ

Church and Samaritas on this impor-
tant humanitarian initiative.
As Jewish Americans, our RCD
community understands that we
could not have survived and thrived
without an American government and
culture that welcomed immigrants
into this great country.
We owe it to the next generation of
immigrants to offer them the same
opportunities that we experienced
without any negative stigmas associ-
ated with religion, race or nationality.
RCD was founded in Detroit in
2000. Since that time, RCD has main-
tained the more than 150-year his-
tory of holding Jewish High Holiday
services in Detroit, as well as monthly
Sabbath services and celebrations of
other traditional events.

Robert M. Ackerman
President, Reconstructionist Congregation
of Detroit

Can you solve
my Tax Problem?

Yes, we can. Tax problems are
stressful – they cause loss of sleep
and enormous pressure. The biggest
mistake people make is ignoring them.
There are good solutions available, at
reasonable cost, to release levies and
often settle the debt. Unlike many
ÀUPV UHFHQWO\ FODLPLQJ WR KDQGOH WD[
problems, THAV GROSS has been
solving tax problems for individuals
and businesses in the area for 34 years.

If your bank account has been levied or
wages garnished, we will contact the
IRS or the State and work to get your
PRQH\ UHOHDVHG  ,I \RX KDYH XQÀOHG
tax returns, we’ll help you get them
ÀOHG7KHUHDUHPDQ\ZD\VWRDGGUHVV
unpaid taxes. We examine the years to
determine if the statute of limitation
has run and also evaluate if the Income
taxes are dischargeable in bankruptcy
²VRPHWKLQJWD[RQO\ÀUPVGRQ·WHYHQ
know about. For both income and
payroll tax liabilities – an Offer in
Compromise with IRS and the State
is a possible way to settle the tax for
pennies on the dollar. Understand this
– you have to solve the problem – and
we’re here to help. You should call us
today – for a FREE CONSULTATION.

THAV GROSS has been solving

problems since 1982. Be sure to tune
in to Law and Reality – Sunday
mornings at 11 AM on TV20.

CORRECTION
• In “A Glaring Omission” (Feb. 9,
page 8), Jonathan Greenblatt, Anti-
Defamation League CEO and national
director, was misidentified.

thavgross.com  lawandreality.com

30150 Telegraph, Suite 444
Bingham Farms, MI 48025

000209210

jn

February 16 • 2017

5

