| Editor's note: We received the following letter from a concerned citizen. The reason the article in question did not run on the front page is because it was not a written piece by a staff writer. It was a submitted press release. As a parent of a student at Heritage Academy, I want to send this note of deepest appreciation to all the community members who attended the program on Nov. 29 at our school, standing up with us in response to the act of vandalism there that occurred on Nov. 9. As readers of the Reminder learned in the Dec. 11 weekly edition, the school was vandalized with antisemetic epitaphs and Nazi swastikas that night, which is the anniversary of Kristal Nacht, an event of mass action against the Jews taken in Germany early in WWII. Our children arrived at school that day fortunately being unaware of these events as the school was able to cover up the evidence by the time we arrived there to begin the school day. Not mentioned in the article was that the school was also celebrating Veterans' Day that day, and the American flags that were set out to adorn the front of the school were stolen by the vandals the night before. Of note, there were many members in attendance at the rally at our school on Nov. 29 from varying religious institutions in our community, Christian, Jewish and Muslim, as well as Councilman Tosado. I was deeply moved by the intent of those present to stand against actions of antisemitism, to stand with us against this violence, and I think those who attended for their warm and thoughtful words and promise of action. As a small note of crtiticism, I cannot but take note of the fact that the article about our rally appeared on page 18 of the Reminder, on a day that had a front-page story about the search for a dog-catcher for the town of East Longmeadow. It is hard for me to understand how this act of violence to our school, and therefore the implied violence against our children that attend it would merit this kind of editorial decision; rather it should shock and disturb you enough to be placed more prominently in your newspaper, certainly vs. the decision to the put the dog-catcher story on page one. Steven Kessler East Longmeadow |
