Letter to the editor January 8

Letter to the editor January 8

Better late than never

Wow, just in time! It was the eighth candle of Chanukah before we Jews managed to get with the program. Finally, finally, a “100-plus crowd” turned out in Squirrel Hill to let the world know that “black lives matter” (“Chanukah punctuated in Pittsburgh by ‘Black lives matter’ demonstration,” Jan. 1). This in response to grand juries that on two occasions decided not to indict cops in the deaths of unarmed black men.

But solid Jewish tradition holds that all lives matter. Why raise a question about it with all this grandstanding? People should be very wary of freely flung charges of “police brutality.” And it’s intolerable that street crowds should try to influence, much less intimidate, juries charged with dispassionately weighing testimony and evidence.

Another thing. The Squirrel Hill crowd numbered 100-plus. Yet, thousands of Jews call Pittsburgh home. Where were all the rest? Don’t black lives matter to us? Imagine some future mob remembering all the “indifferent” stay-aways.

Jack Markowitz

Squirrel Hill

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