Philadelphia Daily News from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 14

LETTERS WHY JEWS AND CHRISTMAS DON'T MIX Word games IF CRACKER is a "less offensive" word to slur whitey what word does Rotan Lee feel is "less offensive" to slur African-Americans (column, Dec. 28)1 If he has such a word, can I use it and not be branded a racist? If Lynne Abraham or another high-powered white attorney uses a "less offensive" word to describe an all-black jury, she or he would be slammed by the local media and civic groups and quickly would be out of a job. There is no such thing as reverse discrimination. It's plain and simple discrimination. Lee should quit looking at the world in black and white.

Kevin Spiegler Philadelphia WILLIAM J. McDonnell letters, Dec. 23) clearly does not understand that Jews do not feel comfortable with the adoration of Jesus, particular ly when they are asked to sing about it as a group activitiy. We do not believe that the Messiah has come. We do not believe that Jesus was the Mes siah.

It probably ought not to be a surprise that acknowledging "the little Lord Jesus" to a Jewish child might be just a bit discomforting, and to some Jewish adults, repugnant. McDonnell wants Jews to take pride in a religion which persecuted and hounded them for centuries, and in whose name some committed the sins of the Holocaust. Instead of rhetorically asking why Jews do not feel the same good feelings that he does, McDonnell would be better served by sincerely trying to research the points of view of Jews and other non- Christian people who cohabit our United States. Ben Burrows ElkinsPark Working stiffed NOT SURE what "town" Blondell Reynolds Brown, Darrell Clarke's or City Council live in or near, but most folks around this "town" are usually at work on the hours that the two public meetings regarding the Fairmount Park were scheduled to start. In order to give most of the public the opportunit to attend and listen, one of these meeting must start at a time and day when the working folks have a better opportunit to attend.

Christopher D. Mason Ardmore William J. McDonnell voices the lack of understanding of Judaism that is shared by many of his co-religionists. Because so many speak of a "Judeo-Christian tradition," McDonnell is deceived into believing that some core belief are held in common. Let me disabuse him and others of this misconception.

The core Jewish belief is that the Mes siah will come Not "has come and will return." To a Jew it is fundamentally impos sible to recognize any Mes si-ahness or divinity in Jesus. Once you have your hands around that core difference, it is easier to understand why any worship of Jesus is anathema to Jews. Add to this apostasy the memory of more than 1,000 years of suffering at the hands of Christians, from the Crusades which destroyed Jewish populations to a far greater degree than they did the Muslims to the Inquisition, which expropriated Jewish property and tortured Jews in the name of Christ, to the Holocaust. In Eastern Europe every Christian holiday was an excuse for a pogrom, where good Christians would go after the "Christ killers," murdering and raping as they went. My grandpar ents escaped that culture in Russia and the Ukraine in 1906.

There is no Jewish tradition of Christ. We have no reason to celebrate his birth, given all the evil visited upon us in his name At the same time we do not begrudg you your celebration. You clearly see in Christ a very different message than do 1. 1 have no desire to proselytize you nor to keep you from worshipping as you will. All I want is the very American dream of being left alone to seek my fate as long as I harm no others.

Kenneth J. Gorelick Newtown Square Come on, Rotan. Give me and the entire English-speaking world a break from your ridiculous rhetoric Coming to the defense of Carl Sing ley's "cracker" slur just proves what I have been saying all along. To exclaim in your article that being called a "cracker" is one of the less-offensive racial epithets is absurd. I for one take offense to this as any black man to the word.

How can you come to this man's defense? The Daily News did offer you a voice, as you say. But I don't think they knew you would use it in this manner. What you're saying is it's OK that Mr. Singley had a weak moment, and that the slur he used was less offensive. But if that had been a white guy who in a heated moment use the word, look out.

Heck, if that had happened we might have even received a visit from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. You write this article in the hopes that it works as damage control. Trying your best to make light of the situation. But behind all of this, I have always been able to see your true motives. Once again if this country is really race -conscious, it is because of people like you.

Your racism, cleverly disguised by your vast vocabulary does not fool me. Kenneth Carchidi Glassboro, N.J. How to stop the killing up to and including the death penalty. It's that simple and it's harsh. Thomas G.

Lutek, Philadelphia Letter was bi-ignorant ON BEHALF of the foreign-born, legal, tax-paying, law-abiding Daily News readers, I apologize for Mar-lene Schaff er's letter (Dec. 27). I cannot fathom why she would be "offended" by a sign written in a language she cannot speak; if she would just read the signs written in English she'll do fine. Instead of being "appalled" by people speaking in their native language, she should be fascinated, and a little embarrassed; after all, those folks know two languages and can operate in two worlds. How many Americans can say that? Reading about her wish to "preserve" the English language, one would think that English was about to be outlawed.

She completely ignores or does not know the reason people like her yell, "Speak English!" instead of "Speak American!" America was started by immigrants. Mark F. Walker, Philadelphia MORE than 371 homicides is not acceptable in Philadelphia. What's needed is to eradicate the "straw" buyer, the "street dealer" and the shooter themselv es. Possession of an illegal gun should be 10 years in prison, no excuses.

The straw buyer and street dealer should start with 25 years in prison manda tory, no exceptions. If the gun is used in a crime the sentenc should be mandatory life with no parole. And if it's used in a homicide then both the person who directly commits the crime along with the straw buyer and the street dealer should receive the same sentenc Philadelphia is on pace to have more than 400 citizens senseles sly murdered this year. City Council votes to remove all alcohol-related billboards that are near the city's out-of-control public schools. I'm sure all Philadelphians feel so much better, and safer with that being resolved.

Paul Nolan, Ardsley PAGE 14 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS TUESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2006.