Letters to the editor: 10/16
Facts beat ignorance
I’m sure that the present economic difficulties will bring a rare number of anti-Semitic crackpots out of the woodwork.
I subscribe to a Yahoo group. One of my fellow subscribers posted a piece of rubbish blaming most of the world’s problems on “international banks,” particularly the House of Rothschild. It was an exercise in creative history, full of false information. I would be surprised if the author was ever in the same room with a history book.
I countered with the facts. Information always defeats ignorance. I suggest your readers do the same thing.
Jean Martin
Swissvale
‘Left wing’ newspaper
If The Jewish Chronicle is to continue as the only community wide newspaper for the Pittsburgh Jewish community, it needs to become politically neutral, in word and in deed.
In presidential elections since World War II, Republicans have won nine times and Democrats but four. It behooves the Jewish community nationally and locally to be bipartisan or nonpartisan. As our numbers diminish and our percent of the U.S. population has dropped to about 2 percent, if we are to have continued influence in government, we must be able to work on both sides of the aisle. AIPAC has been successful because they work with whomever is in office, a lesson that most Jewish organizations have forgotten.
This election cycle The Chronicle has been strongly partisan, playing up the Democratic convention, while virtually ignoring the Republican. Every issue features “marvelous” Democrats, while ignoring or condemning Republicans.
Having lived in Michigan, I am not proud that Sen. Carl and Rep. Sander Levin are Jewish. With two Democratic senators, and a Democratic Governor, Michigan with an 8.9 percent unemployment has the worst economy of any state.
If The Chronicle is going to be an organ of the left wing of the Democratic party, then you owe it to your readers and subscribers to honestly state this policy.
Mordecai Treblow
Squirrel Hill
A question of leadership
The level of fear and trepidation of some members of the Jewish community is astounding. It seems that many have accepted the line drilled into them during the past eight years — that only the Republicans care about Israel. But it is a false line and unfounded fear. Republicans and Democrats love the State of Israel. Both John McCain and Barack Obama will offer similar support for her.
The question for us then is whether a United States weakened by eight years of Republican misrule can offer the support that Israel needs. Can we, American supporters of Israel, stand another four years of such continued pathetic leadership? And how is Israel made safer when a Republican-led government has done nothing but make us weak militarily and economically, and a joke in the eyes of the world.
Cliff Spungen
Mt. Lebanon
Another view
In her zealous support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Oct. 9 (“Writer, paper assailed”) Andee Lowenstein lashes out at Donald A. Moskowitz for his letter of Oct. 2, in which he criticizes the senator, and at The Chronicle for publishing it. Ms. Lowenstein is off base on both counts.
Ms. Lowenstein praises and credits Obama for distancing himself from his racist, bigoted pastor and bosom buddy of over 20 years, Jeremiah Wright. What she does not acknowledge is that Obama only condemned Wright after the fact, long after he was embroiled in the current presidential race, and that he did so only when pressure from the embarrassement Wright was causing him could no longer be ignored. I do not believe that Obama shares Wright’s hateful views toward “rich white people” nor that Obama similarly damns America, but he remained a generous and involved member of Wright’s church for more than 20 years, including heavily involving his family in it.
Ms. Lowenstein contends that the Moskowitz letter is “embarrassing to all Jews and hateful towards all people.” Correction: It is embarrassing to her; she does not speak for “all Jews,” and certainly not for me.
I believe that the intelligent voter must review the facts with an open mind and without the application of rose-colored glasses. That is why I have been every bit as critical of my party’s candidate, John McCain, as I have been of Sen. Obama, and why I cannot vote for Sen. McCain.
A healthy and informed dialogue is always beneficial and the glory of free speech was meant to apply even to those with whom some may disagree. The Chronicle is to be credited, not made to feel guilty about publishing the Moskowitz letter, which represents a view every bit as legitimate as Ms. Lowenstein’s.
Oren M. Spiegler
Upper St. Clair
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