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Letters to the editor: Freedom of speech, Bedouins and women with education

Every few weeks there is a letter urging the Jewish Journal to discontinue Dennis Prager. I have never seen a letter asking that Marty Kaplan be discontinued. Either a) everyone likes and agrees with Marty Kaplan or b) the readers who want Prager discontinued don’t believe in the principle of freedom of speech.
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December 19, 2013

Freedom of Speech Demonstrated Here

Every few weeks there is a letter urging the Jewish Journal to discontinue Dennis Prager. I have never seen a letter asking that Marty Kaplan be discontinued. Either a) everyone likes and agrees with Marty Kaplan or b) the readers who want Prager discontinued don’t believe in the principle of freedom of speech. 

It is commendable that the Jewish Journal carries both Dennis Prager and Marty Kaplan.

William Azerrad, Los Angeles 


Improving Welfare of Israel’s Bedouin Citizens

I write in reaction to your recent story by Devorah Brous concerning the future of Bedouins in Israel’s Negev (“Stop Prawer-Begin Plan for Bedouin Resettlement” Dec. 13). While the story does raise legitimate concerns about the issues of land, infrastructure and citizen rights of Israel’s Bedouin citizens, it doesn’t do justice to the effort being made by a number of organizations, NGOs and the government of Israel to improve conditions for all Israeli citizens there.

There has been great progress in the region — that should be the lead of the story and it’s not. For example, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) has established Blueprint Negev, a $600 million campaign to provide water purification, economic development, infrastructure and other improvements that benefit Negev residents and greatly benefits the Negev Bedouins. In fact, JNF recently hosted Mayor Dr. Muhammad Al-Nabari of Hura, a Bedouin community, in cities across the States for a series of outreach, awareness and fundraising opportunities for the establishment of a model community of sustainability replicable throughout the Bedouin communities of Israel. It’s time that this story be told.

It’s safe to say that the JNF is doing more for Bedouins in Israel than any other Jewish organization in Israel. The conflicts and arguments are old news filled with negative propaganda that doesn’t address the facts on the ground.

Allison Krumholz, executive director, Greater Los Angeles Region Jewish National Fund


She’s No FOB (Fan of Barack)

I have read all of Rob Eshman’s columns over the years, but his last one was beyond foolish (“Three More Years,” Dec. 13). What does it take for Mr. Eshman to understand that the current president has done more real damage than any of the previous U.S. presidents. From Solyndra, to “politicizing” the Justice Department, to failure regarding race relations between us, putting us in massive debt forever, a totally botched “affordable” health care act that will raise premiums on millions, not to mention millions already getting the pink slip. And to think Eshman still is one of the few that blames the GOP for not “getting along” with this failed and very flawed leader who lies and can never be trusted.

Melissa Cohen via e-mail


Socioeconomic Effects of Education on Families

In regard to Dennis Prager’s article about women and children (“Educated Women and Children,” Dec. 4). We know that with the challenging economy, both the husband and wife need to work to support their family. But I agree that family should come first. On the one hand, it’s good to have a college degree both intellectually and financially to earn a living. But when you think about accomplishment, while it looks better to have a career, that achievement is temporary. However, when you raise children and pass down your heritage, that is eternal. Yes, we need college and work for financial stability. But our priority should be our family. Both husbands and wives need to spend more quality time with their children. Tikkun olam starts at home. 

Suzy Baim Los Angeles

Here is one of the many holes in your arguments: “Wealthy Mormons … have a lot of kids.” I am a practicing Mormon, and my calling in the ward allows me to know who is wealthy and the number of kids in the families. The wealthiest in the ward have one to three kids, and the families with four or more kids are middle class or below.

It is not the educational level that determines the number of kids, but the family history of the mother or, to a lesser extent, the father. If both parents grew up with many siblings, almost 100 percent will have more kids. 

Zarko Garmid, Santa Monica

Dennis Prager responds:

Concerning Mr. Garmid’s data on Mormons, I checked with Lynn Bradley, a High Priest in the Priesthood and Counselor in the Bishopric in the Mormon Church. He says that wealthy Mormons (of which there are many) in his ward have an average of four to five children, and no fewer than less wealthy Mormons.

But even that is irrelevant to the point I made in my column, which Mr. Garmid simply misses.

This is what I wrote:

“As societies become more secular, the fertility rate drops. This is easy to demonstrate. Wealthy Orthodox Jews, wealthy devout Roman Catholics, wealthy Mormons and wealthy Evangelicals have a lot of kids. Meanwhile, wealthy secular people have the fewest children.”

I didn’t compare wealthy religious people to less wealthy religious people. I compared wealthy religious people to wealthy secular people.

Nothing Mr. Garmid wrote refutes that point or even addresses it.

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