Newspapers / The Charlotte Jewish News … / May 1, 1986, edition 1 / Page 3
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Page 3-THE NEWS-May, 1986 Insults cont’d from page 2 felt clarification and apology public.” Following Senator Willey’s "little Jew boy” smear an Anti-Defamation League let ter was delivered to him. ADL wrote: “As you know, in re cent years government offic- i£ds have become increasingly aware that the public will not abide derogatory remarks aim ed at religion, race, etc. Former Vice President Spiro Agnew encountered this re action, as did former Agriculture Secretary Butz and former Interior Secretary Watts.” Comparing Senator Willey’s “little Jew boy” slur to Reverend Jesse Jackson’s “Hymie,” ADL quoted a Washington Post editorial: “There are certain words — we don’t have to spell them out — that are impermissible in political discourse. They are ugly words, not because of what they originally meant but because they are used to refer derogatorily to people of a particular ethnic, racial or religious group. The offense here is not against any one group in American life, but against all. It is not typical, we think, of the way any large number of Americans usually talk, and certainly not of the way they want political leaders to talk. It is degrading and disgusting.” The ADL letter concluded: “In view of the extensive reportage of your remark in the newspapers and the broad casting media, it would seem altogether appropriate for you to issue a statement making clear that your conunent was an unfortunate choice of words, but not an indication of prejudicial thinking or dis criminatory predilections in discharging the responsibili ties of the office to which you were elected.” Two days later the Senator wrote the ADL: “I very much regret that this matter took place. Whatever was said in this private conversation that was repulsive came from a poor choice of words and I regret that I made this error. You can be sure that I shall make every effort to refrain from making such a reference again. I apologize to you and to all those who have felt that I was attempting to criticize or belittle them in any way.” The response of the mass media, on the whole, was superb. Furnished with copies of the ADL letters, many of the editorisils and columns were truly inspired. The con duct of the members of the General Assembly was round ly and soundly condemned. The Richmond Times- Dispatch observed: “The road to political purgatory is paved with bigoted remarks made in jest. A Secretary of Agricul ture falls into oblivion because he tells reporters a joke that derogates blacks. An Interior Secretary follows after using the world ‘cripple,’ in jocular comment about the composi tion of an advisory board he had created, in referring to a handicapped appointee. A can didate for the Democratic presidential nomination falls into a cauldron of criticism after calling Jews ‘hymies.’” A columnist in the Roanoke Times & World News wrote: “Virginians who find the Nazi Holocaust of the ’40s puzzling or who believe it couldn’t hap pen here need look no further than their own General Assembly. That august body distinguished itself last week with three ugly episodes of anti-Semitism, all of which merit the contempt and repro bation of decent people everywhere.” The Daily Press condemned: “The Kluxer characterization ‘Jew boy’ would only occur to someone who habitually searches for such clues in sur names or speech or physical characteristics. His remark was fit for the Klan, which means it is despicable. ‘Jew boy’ is nothing but deroga tory; it’s a slur, not a descrip tion.” It concluded: “We’re sorry the Senate didn’t ring with condemnation from every corner. But then, to challenge Ed Willey takes nerve. A senator since 1952, longer than any other member, the 75-year-old is often and arguably described as the most powerful man in the legislature.” Letters to the editor con demned the anti-Semitic episodes; for example, a letter in the Richmond News Leader: “The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith has a tough job on its hands. The League and its employees deserve high marks for the task of having to approach people in high of fices and expect them to admit to making prejudicial remarks, then hope they will apologize for so doing. The ‘Jew boy’ phrase is par for the course of these parts. Though most of us non-Jews don’t indulge, we are not surprised at the ig norance of it. Ignorance is a poor excuse for bad manners.” B^nai B’rith Women To Enlarge Its Children’s Home B’nai B’rith Women has undertaken a Capital Cam paign for addition^ buildings at its Children’s Home for emotionally disturbed boys in Israel. President Beverly Davis officially launched the “Building with Love” cam paign before the 700 delegates at the organization’s Biennial Convention in Las Vegas, Mgirch 23-26. Anita Perlman, Campaign Chairman, told the delegates that the “Building with Love” campaign, designed to build new and improved facilities at the Home, will seek to raise $1^/2 million in the next three years. “Graduates of our Home have integrated into Israeli society at the remarkable suc cess rate of 75%.” These en couraging initial results of an ongoing study were announc ed by Dr. Chezzi Cohen, direc tor of the Children’s Home. “The planned improvements will bring the level of the facili ty to the high standard of the treatment,” said Dr. Cohen, whose successful, drug-free therapeutic method has receiv ed recognition from mental health professionals in the United States and other countries. Dr. Cohen, who has served as director of the Home since 1962 came to Las Vegas from Jerusalem to inform B’nai B’rith Women about the needs of the boys at the Home and to explain how their contribu tions will meet those needs. By the end of the conven tion, Campaign Chairman and Past President Anita Perlman was able to announce a total of $700,000 in advance gifts to the “Building with Love” campaign. B’nai B’rith Women Child ren’s Home is a unique residential rehabilitation facili ty founded in 1943 to care for the orphaned children of the Holocaust. B’nai B’rith Women is an in ternational organization with 120,000 members in the United States and Canada, working to unite Jewish women as a force for social ad vancement through education, service and action. MARION WALLACE Realtor Trust me to help with every aspect of selling your home and buying a new one. ^trawn& BRING BACK OLD MEMORIES! 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