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From The Times Herald Record
Letters to the editor for July 25, 2004 |
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TH-R readers react to Doug and Beth on KJ
Last week, Times Herald-Record columnists Beth
Quinn and Doug Cunnigham offered separate opinions on
the controversy surrounding a proposal by the Village
of Kiryas Joel to contruct a pipeline to tap into the
New York City aqueduct. Some reader responses to their
columns follow.
Beth Quinn's opinion that many of the people in
Kiryas Joel are good people is accurate. The problem
is not the people but the leadership of the village.
The people don't even know what is going on, because
they have no access to our newspapers, and they don't
interact with us. They basically do what the
leadership tells them to.
Doug Cunningham, who is obsessed with development
and loves planning, good or bad, sees nothing wrong
with what the leadership of Kiryas Joel is doing.
However, he doesn't live nearby, and his property is
in no danger. The problem with this village is not
just the growth, but that it wants to grow over its
neighbors.
As for 1938, none of us is building gas chambers;
the barbed wire was put up by Kiryas Joel. Our problem
is the leadership keeps moving that barbed wire
outwards.
Valerie Hunter-Bequette
Middletown
If Mr. Cunningham suspects "there is some
anti-Semitism at work" in regard to the KJ issue, then
he should take a good look in the mirror. A quote from
his recent op-ed: "Alternately, they should stay
within Kiryas Joel, abandon all thoughts of growth or
movement, and willingly accept the barbed wire the
rest of us ever-so-tolerant citizens will string
around the outside. November 1938, anyone?"
How dare he put such vile words into the mouths of
other citizens to imply they are thinking this way.
Many Jews whose relatives died at the hands of Nazis
are now seething at Cunningham's implication that
their opposition to Kiryas Joel's expansion might be
based in anti-Semitism!
Cunningham's foolish assumptions feed the fires of
prejudice itself. Focus on the issue: one community's
explosive growth and its regional impacts on all
communities and the environment.
Don Devine
Chester
This letter concerns the column written by Beth
Quinn July 19 concerning "those" people residing in
KJ.
Beth! I've always considered your exceptional
writing talents and your sense of common sense a huge
asset to the TH-R. But your suggestion to enhance
relations between KJ and the surrounding community by
throwing a block party is about as ridiculous as snow
in August.
There are lifters and leaners in this world, and
the leaners have been using the system. Under the
guise of religious freedom and laws, and the lack of
courage by certain politicians, the people in these
surrounding communities have been used and abused.
So, Beth, I suggest you take your macaroni salad
and watermelon, throw your own block party and invite
"those" people. See how many show up.
John Candito
Highland Mills
Quinn nearly hits the nail on the head, while
Cunningham exemplifies the problem. KJ has a serious
public relations problem, and won't be able to make
real progress until it admits and addresses that.
To attribute negative reactions to anti-Semitism is
an easy way for KJ to resist looking at its own part
in this drama, which is that KJ makes it clear as day
that it does not consider itself part of the larger
community. This is the fundamental insult that the
rest of us will never be able to swallow.
We grew up learning that America is a melting pot,
where all groups are welcome to work, play and
communicate together. Acceptance is a two-way street.
I agree with Beth Quinn that there is still a
chance. If KJ residents want to avoid a permanent
state of antagonism, they will embrace and educate the
community instead of defying it. Make Orange County
grateful for your presence and your business.
It's quite possible. And for the rest of the
community, let the wounds of the past be in the past,
be friendly with your Hasidic neighbors, and
vigilantly insist on legislative integrity at all
levels. And if government support for large families
is your complaint or fear, then contact your
representatives.
Warren Sirota
Greenwood Lake
Regarding Doug Cunningham's column about not
scapegoating KJ for planning, the problem is there is
no family planning. Their culture is partly formulated
on having as many children as possible. It's part of
their religious beliefs and they are entitled to it.
The problem is, because of their religious beliefs,
non-Hasidic peoples pick up the cost of having as many
children as possible. I chose to have only two
children because I couldn't afford more. Both my
husband and I have worked all our lives and continue
to do so.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't at least
80 percent of the Kiryas Joel population under some
form or another of public assistance? I say live and
let live, but if my tax dollars are supporting their
cultural and religious beliefs in family planning,
then there is something wrong here.
Yes, they need water, but where is their
responsibility to the remainder of Orange County? If
this sounds racist, I truly regret it because I don't
consider myself a racist. There has to be a regional
solution, not just a Kiryas Joel one. Any
self-contained culture can't have it both ways.
We have to learn to live together, not push
neighbors away until you need them. This breeds
mistrust. We have to do better and that includes
Kiryas Joel.
Lydia Negron
Washingtonville
Regarding Douglas Cunningham's column: He is
correct that most people in Orange County should be
jealous of the ability of KJ politicians to obtain
grants and get others to pay for their lifestyle.
All other comments are from someone who most likely
doesn't live near any of the communities that follow
the laws followed by KJ. Let's disregard the cowardly
anti-Semite label he throws out; that is just a way to
remove some weaker people from debating.
We the people of Orange County have rights, too. We
have the right to purchase a home within a residential
area knowing that zoning will not be changed 10 years
later. We have a right to expect our wells to be safe
from poaching. We have a right to expect our tax
dollars to be spread evenly throughout the county.
These truths we hold to be self-evident.
Tom Bryceland
Harriman
I am Jewish, although the residents of Kiryas Joel
would probably call me a goy (non-Jew) because I am
not of their particular sect. I am glad not to be
living near Monroe with "those people" as neighbors.
The problem is not anti-Semitism, although I don't
doubt there is some of that going around. The problem
is that the perception, and probably the truth, is
that they are takers and not givers.
Beth Quinn's column of July 19 is a good start, but
not a solution. Doug Cunningham made some good points
in the same issue of the Record. But what is needed is
for the KJ community to contribute to the whole
community. To be fair. To be cordial. To be honest
with those not in KJ.
Carl Silverstein
Monticello
I'm not sure if I'd go to Beth Quinn's party at
Kiryas Joel, but I'd sure like to get one started up
here in Sullivan County where things are starting to
heat up as the Hasidic community spreads into the
western towns. Every day it's, "Did you hear, they
want to buy the campgrounds! They bought a building in
Hortonville, in Youngsville, in Jeffersonville."
Well, who could blame "them" &Mac246; it's really
beautiful in this neck of the woods. It's just that
people around here want neighobrs they know by name,
not a collective group known as "those people." A
smile, a simple greeting, a head nod &Mac246; all go a long
way, on both sides.
I had a lovely conversation with a Hasidic family
in Home Depot yesterday &Mac246; the first time that had
happened in the 30 years I've lived here. I hope to
have more.
Lisa Davies
Youngsville
In the beginning, Kiryas Joel didn't like Monroe's
laws, so they incorporated. Now neighbors seeking more
control of their own destiny are labeled Nazis?
The short version is KJ is growing so fast it's not
unreasonable the local towns fear a loss of autonomy.
This may already be too late. It's a great rallying
cry for KJ that this village's rights are
all-important, while at least half of KJ's residents
are denied their rights on religious grounds. Add to
this a move to stop payments to the Monroe town
library with the rationale "Why should we contribute
to something we don't use?" I'm at least a little
outraged this town that receives so much public
funding would have this complaint. Why is it
anti-Semitic that outsiders should feel the same way
about their tax money?
Then there's always the constitutionally challenged
school district, with the state's highest per-student
aid ratio. Don't paint me as someone who's against
education, but it's bizarre the public only funds one
"private" school &Mac246; this one. I wonder why there's so
much resentment in southern Orange.
Kevin Lee
Monroe |
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