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Letters to the editor
(Times Herald-Record, September 5, 2004)
Stop the KJ-bashing
Re: Kiryas Joel
I have been reading the articles, editorials, op ed essays, letters, opinions, etc., on the Kiryas Joel community that have been printed in your paper. However, if the KJ community were another minority group, the latest opinion ("My View," Aug. 20) would not be primed in a regional newspaper.
Specifically, to suggest that the KJ community will eventually take over large segments of Orange County is nothing more than "blockbusting." If Mr. Genen were a Realtor, he would be committing a federal crime.
I understand the issues on both sides of the pipeline, but to continually keep the issue in the forefront of the paper is telling the public something else: Bash the KJ population. Since they are not members of any specifically stated group, other than being Jewish, and such obvious Jews, you can have free rein in writing whatever you want about them.
"Keep them out of our neighborhood" is the mantra of the good citizens of Orange County. Sorry, folks, there are laws against discrimination, no matter how you try to sweeten the vocabulary. It''s enough already. Everyone knows the controversy. Just let it run its course without the negative innuendo.
Ethel Scher
South Fallsburg
Webmaster's Response:
Dear Ethel:
Your wise and balanced words were refreshing to read and to re-read. I would just expand a bit on your "blockbusting" comment to provide our readers a more realistic prospective on this issue. The total land size of Orange County is 816 square miles. The land size of the Village of Kiryas Joel is 1.1 square miles or one eighth of one-percent (00.08) of Orange County''s total area. Another factor is Kiryas Joel''s population. At 15,000 residents it makes up 4 percent (4%) of Orange County''s population. For Kiryas Joel to fit in with the county''s average density it would have to expand its current landmass to 33 square miles.
Ethel, the fact that fair-minded individuals such as you came to realize that they could no longer remain silent sends the right message.
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