Letters to the editor September 1

Sharpton hasn’t changed

Regarding the Aug. 25 editorial, “Al Sharpton’s t’shuva,” as a former New Yorker now living in Pittsburgh, I clearly remember the Crown Heights riots of 20 years ago and the fear and terror it struck in all Jews all over New York City. Rev. Sharpton was there front and center, rousing the crowds to frenzy and setting race relations in New York back decades.

He should never have been invited to that forum [at the Hampton Synagogue] and the one smart thing he did was not attend. There would have been no healing had he attended, despite what you think. Dialogue might come with baggage, but some baggage is a little harder to get rid of than others.

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Take Sharpton at his word? Considering he made his name on the national scene with the Tawana Brawley scandal, I believe that no, I don’t think I ever will. I do not believe that he did not know Yankel Rosenbaum had been killed by the time of Gavin Cato’s funeral. I do not believe that he was throwing the diamond merchant slur strictly at a handful of families. And I do not believe he actually regrets any of his actions that day — I think he is continuing to try to clean up his image for the national stage. And this anniversary is a setback in that new image. Making amends? Hardly. More like making it all up to look good.

Stefanie Small

Squirrel Hill