Today's MOZEN: The Choice is Ours

F LoBuono

A battle rages.  Within a short drive from my apartment a fierce struggle that will have national implications is being waged between the residents of the Town of Ramapo and it's own School Board. It seems that the majority of students within the district who attend the public schools are minorities. The School Board is dominated by ultra-orthodox Jews (Hasidim) who's children attend private religious schools known as Yeshivas. Therefore, the Board has no vested interest in funding the public schools. Instead, they devote most of the money to the Yeshivas, benefiting their "own". The results for the public schools are disastrous. Most of the physical plant has been allowed to decay. Virtually all of the enrichment programs and many after-school activities have been cancelled. The children suffer. It's a mess.

On the surface, it may seem an easy "WTF, let's fix this"! Well, it's not that simple. The School Board was LEGALLY elected. The ultra-orthodox communities here, and elsewhere, vote as a single unit. Collectively it is known as The Block Vote. It is self explanatory. And, it is PERFECTLY legal. In some ways, it is even brilliant. The members of those communities understand the power of the vote and use it to get what they want. We should ALL be as determined and united in the causes that we are passionate about. Instead, so-called "Main Street America" voted at a rate of about 55% in the last Presidential election. That's pathetic - and, you get what you pay for.

However, the question remains, is it moral? Is right, proper and EFFECTIVE to isolate your community, live mainly by your own rules and, basically, not give a shit as to what happens to your neighbor? I think that most of us would answer that question negatively. The State of NY agreed and appointed an Independent Monitor to over-see the Board. After the Board agreed to the monitoring, they voted to deny the Monitor veto power over their decisions, thereby rendering him virtually powerless. The State believes that it has the right to force the Board to accept the decisions of the Monitor in their entirety. It's a fight that may go all the way to the Supreme Court.

I believe that there are two lessons to be learned here. First, isolation of ANY community based on it's ethnic or religious make-up, by that community ITSELF or by others is not only wrong, it is counter productive. Isolation of ANY group is contrary to the very core beliefs of what it means to be American. We are the UNITED States of America. To exist that way we MUST stick together. Of course, there will always be differences in opinion. That, as well, is part of the American ethos. But, there cannot be isolation of any group - by that group or by others who would force that isolation. So, the idea of SEPARATING of Muslims from the rest of America is contrary to the very ideals the Hawks in our Country are so eager to fight for!! It's like eating your own children.

The second point to be made is to once again emphasize the power of the VOTE. We can disapprove of what is happening in Ramapo while at the same time realizing that they TAKE power because they vote. There is no excuse not to. The results are right in front of us to clearly see. If an idea fails it's because we have allowed it to fail by not exercising, again, the most American of RIGHTS - to vote.