December 3, 1999/24 Kislev 5760, Vol. 52, No.14
Letters to the EditorDecember 3, 1999
Battle continues
Editor:In a recent editorial, "Prayer issue in play" (Jewish News, Nov. 19), it was pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review a lower court ruling on student-led prayer at football games in Texas. The editorial brought out that "the decision by the nation's highest court to tackle the issue reflects concern about the incursion of church/state separation on public high school campuses, and the need for assiduous monitoring." The need for "assiduous monitoring" and vocal intervention has been going on for some time. Many prominent Americans have spoken out on the subject, among them Thomas Edison, African American educator and writer W.E.B. DuBois, Eleanor Roosevelt, James Madison and Barry Goldwater. As a former board member of the Arizona chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, I agree with the need to alert authorities and political leaders when we perceive religion infiltrating public schools and other governmental bodies. It is an ongoing battle. Irv Fellner Mesa Column resonates
Editor:I wanted to write and let you know how much I enjoyed Marty Latz's column, "Diversity is a mosaic" (Jewish News, Nov. 19), regarding the recent Arizona Town Hall held to discuss Uniting a Diverse Arizona. I especially appreciated the section where he wrote: "Yet these differences are a large part of what makes our state and our country so strong. How did we reach agreement? By maintaining open minds and respectfully sharing our opinions. When disagreements arose, we communicated in a civil and respectful manner. And often those disagreements were accompanied by constructive suggestions about how to bridge the gap. Sometimes, we were persuaded to change our minds. But we found common ground." Discussing issues in a civil manner is something that we try to promote here in our community, and I appreciated seeing the column echo that sentiment. Cynthia L. Dunham Mayor Town of Gilbert |
