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8 | JULY 30 • 2020 

1942 - 2020

Covering and Connecting 
Jewish Detroit Every Week
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How to reach us see page 13

against ignorance and hatred 
of all types. As we fight for 
equality in the Black commu-
nity, we can’
t step on the necks 
of another. It is important to 
speak up in times like these 
and I want to thank @zbnfl 
for his leadership on this very 
important matter. There is no 
place for hate in this world!” 
At ADL, we couldn’
t agree 
more. In fact, our K-12 school 
cultural framework is actually 
called “No Place For Hate,” 
and schools in the Metro 
Detroit area have used the 
platform to take control of the 
narrative to establish diverse 
and inclusive speech, actions 
and proactive school-wide 
programming.
I have often cited 
“Oppression Olympics” as 
a reason one minority will 
practice indifference toward 
another minority. We like to 
think we have the market cor-
nered on oppressive history. 
But this is dangerous because 
none of us are safe until we are 
all safe. And let’
s face it: Until 
we acknowledge it is wrong to 
act with indifference toward 
another marginalized group, 
we will continue to flounder 
as a human race.
Is there a way to separate 

fact from fiction on social 
media? And doesn’
t every 
American have a right to say 
what is on their mind? The 
answer is yes and yes. But we 
must not excuse away our 
due diligence because of the 
fast-paced timing of Twitter 
or Instagram. Do your home-
work. Take time to actually 
know what a person stands for 
before you weigh in on a topic. 
Understand what you are put-
ting forth before you hit send. 
Mark Twain once said, “I 
didn’
t have time to write a 
short letter, so I wrote a long 
one instead.” It’
s tough to 
write concisely; it often takes 
much longer to craft one sen-
tence than it does to write a 
paragraph. But the power of a 
280-character tweet can send 
shockwaves worldwide. And 
please remember: Celebrity 
status does not equal authority 
on a subject. 
This is a time of unprec-
edented challenges. The 
COVID-19 pandemic has 
turned our lives upside down, 
and the murder of George 
Floyd has ignited passion for 
change in tens of thousands 
of people in our country. We 
must not waste this moment. 
We must actively pursue edu-

cating ourselves about our 
privilege, our diversity and our 
commonalities. And we must 
rally together against those 
— like Louis Farrakhan and 
the people who repeat his vile 
homophobic and antisemitic 
hatred — to ensure we stand 
up to hate of all marginalized 
groups, not just our own.
One final reflection about 
the evolution of thought: 
With all the “communication” 
swirling around our electronic 
devices and making its way 
into our heads, let us remem-
ber the act of forgiveness. If 
you sense contrition, at least 
accept the idea that people 
can change their minds about 
a topic. Both DeSean Jackson 
and Nick Cannon have apolo-
gized and have vowed to learn 
more. Will they? Only time 
will tell. But before we write 
them off, let us give them a 
chance for growth. We must 
help each other reach com-
mon understandings. And that 
goes for all of us. 

Carolyn Normandin is the regional 
director of the Michigan ADL. 
To obtain No Place For Hate 
programming information, contact 
Michigan.adl.org.

chew on.
”
So not only did we provide some 
animal with a cozy new dwelling, 
with edible chocolate-covered 
wires, but we also provided him 
with preventative dental care. 
A few days later, and several 
hundred dollars poorer, we were 
able to pick up Marshmallow from 
the mechanic. The good news: The 
animal had been evicted. The bad 
news: The car reeked. 
At first, we suspected that our 
unwanted tenant had died some-
where in the car, but nope, turned 
out it was one of those tiny bottles 
of milk we’
d picked up from a food 
distribution area the week before. 
One had somehow lodged itself 
under a seat, where it sat for a 
jolly few days while the mechanic 
worked his expensive magic. 
And then the 90-degree weather 
turned up. Things turned ugly fast. 
The milk fermented and a most 
horrific shade of the most fetid 
odor filled the car. Yet another 
unexpected consequence of the 
pandemic!
So if you happen to see a white 
van gliding smoothly down the 
street, with a bunch of kids gagging 
out the wide open windows, with 
about 25 of those tree shaped vanil-
la-scented air fresheners flapping in 
the breeze, that would be me.
Beep and say hi! 

OKWARA from page 5
PANDEMIC from page 5

