Zero tolerance
borders on bigotry
Jesse Jackson's adventures
in Decatur (see Illinois Issues,
December, page 39, and
February, page 35) exposed
the fine line between "zero
tolerance" and violence by
showing that there are circumstances under which zero tolerance borders on bigotry — and
"nonviolent bigotry" is an oxymoron
because bigotry does violence to the
principles on which this country was
founded.
Ergo, zero tolerance of violence implies zero tolerance of bigotry.
As a legal beagle, Matt Hale, self-styled minister of the "World Church of the Creator" who also got involved in Decatur, should take this into account and not lose track of it in his arguments.
Bigotry spawns violence like hurricanes spawn tornados. Preaching hate is the same as inciting violence.
If Hitler applied his ability to good instead of evil, he might have been the man of the millennium. Instead, the was the madman of the millennium. That's the difference it makes.
Unless Matt Hale wants to go down in history as Mad Hale, he would do well to redirect his talents into something constructive instead of basing his beliefs on a demented oxymoron.
On the other hand, people who
try to fight violence with violence are
making a mistake. That's like trying to
fight fire with fire. Everyone gets
burned.
Kenneth J. Epstein
Chicago
Much ado about
the millennium
As your publication is housed at a
university, I find the lemming concept
that a new century has begun as
troubling. Have people forgotten
Roman numbers? Is everyone unaware
that the zero is a modern (relatively)
concept in the West?
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If any educated person is to believe the content of your fine publication, how can you insist we also go along with the common misinformation you are supporting?
Please retract this common, but still incorrect, statement about calendars.
Dennis E. Kroll
Associate professor
Bradley University
Peoria
44 / March 2000 Illinois Issues