Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 54, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 14, 2013 Page: 10 of 28
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Page 10
Jewish Herald-Voice
March 14, 2013
Editorial
Guest Editorial
ADL: After 100 years of fighting hate, what’s next?
By ABRAHAM H. FOXMAN
Celebrating an anniversary like the Anti-Defamation League’s
Centennial leads to thinking about what we have accomplished over the
years.
Of course, there are the programs, the policies, the legislation that
we believe have made a contribution to society. Our model hate-crime
law that now exists in 46 states; our leadership in having legislation
enacted against the Arab boycott of Israel; our landmark studies on
anti-Semitism and prejudices; our groundbreaking education program,
A World of Difference, which has brought lessons about pluralism and
diversity to teachers, students, corporations and law enforcement.
As significant as all these and other programs have been, I believe
our largest contribution lies in certain concepts and approaches which
have, over the decades, become an integral part of American life and,
we believe, have made America a significantly healthier place for its
residents.
First, is the idea embodied in our name: Anti-Defamation. We have
played a leading, if not the leading role, in making it unacceptable to
engage in public slurs against people because of their race, religion,
ethnicity and now sexual orientation. Yes, there are occasions when
political correctness can go too far, but the truth is our society is a lot
healthier for minorities of all kinds and for the body politic as a whole
because of the unacceptability of the kinds of comments that were a
common part of the public space - including the workplace and other
institutions - decades ago. It often is heard on TV shows or in movies
(most recently in the Netflix series, “House of Cards”), when a slur is
uttered, a character says that this will be reported to the ADL. Enough
said.
Connected to this theme is our focus on exposing haters to public
scrutiny. This has served several purposes. It has educated the public
as to the existence of extremists in society and the dangers they pose.
It reinforces the habit of leaders and others to speak out against these
kinds of hatreds and further marginalizes haters from mainstream
of society and respectability. One of the key moments in which ADL
implemented this concept was in Georgia in the 1960s when we took the
lead in passage of an anti-mask law which mandated that if groups like
the KKK were to engage in demonstrations, they could not hide their
faces behind sheets.
Thirdly, I believe we have played a significant role in demonstrating
that the fight against hatred and bigotry is not based on one ideology,
one policy and one vantage point. Instead we have lived by the idea that
success in this struggle requires a serious integrated, comprehensive
approach.
A few examples. We are known as a hard-hitting, tough organization
that consistently condemns manifestations of hatred, but we know that’s
not enough. We combine with that a multitude of long-term education
programs to change people’s hearts and minds. We seek to make bigotry
unfashionable now and in the future.
We are known as outspoken defenders of the Jewish people,
combating anti-Semitism, anti-Israel bias and terrorism. However, we
also stand up for other minorities, because it is the right thing to do and
because the ultimate victory against bigotry depends on groups standing
up for each other.
And, we take very seriously both sides of the civil liberties versus
security debate that is raging, particularly after the 9/11 terrorist
attacks. First Amendment protections are essential for minorities as we
expend much effort in promoting free speech, church-state separation
and the legal rights of all Americans.
But we know, as well, that it takes more than our constitution to
protect our country in a dangerous world. That is why we have extensive
programs with law enforcement, training them on issues of extremism,
hate crimes and diversity. That is why we support legislation to counter
terrorism and that is why we always look to recalibrate, balance between
security and liberties.
We have much to celebrate as we complete 100 years. We know,
however, the challenges ahead may be greater than ever. We believe that
we have developed concepts and directions that enable our society to
meet these challenges in a way that was not possible decades ago.
We are committed to continue the good fight, using the experience,
credibility and concepts that have embodied ADL. That is why we
continue to do what we do, and why we have taken on as our Centennial
theme, “Imagine A World Without Hate.” Because, much as I wish that
we could put ourselves out of business, the fact is that there still is much
work to be done.
Abraham H. Foxman is the national director, Anti-Defamation
League. □
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Letter to the editor
Double standard
Once again, The New York Times displays its prejudice against the Jewish
state, Israel. Judy Rudoren soft pedals the terrorist rocket from Gaza into
a civilian area in Israel, but is quick to blame any Israeli defense. It wasn't
until the 10th paragraph of her story that she mentions the Palestinian Arabs
throwing stones and gasoline bombs against the Israeli troops. It wasn’t until
the 11th paragraph that she reports the Arab teenagers throwing rocks and
improvised grenades at the worshipers at the tomb of Rachel just outside
Bethlehem.
She and the editors of The New York Times continue to justify Arab
aggression against Israel while using pejorative terms to describe Israeli
defensive actions. When will the New York Times start reporting objectively
as professional journalists?
Alan J. Winters, M.D., J.D.
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Samuels, Jeanne F. Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 105, No. 54, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 14, 2013, newspaper, March 14, 2013; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth543954/m1/10/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .