To the editor,
Congrats to Gersh Kuntzman for his responsible reporting on the “controversy” at the Park Slope Food Co-op (“The Food Co-op is NOT — repeat not — considering a ban on Israeli products,” online, Feb. 20).
As a 24-year member of the Co-op and a former member of its Agenda Committee, I can tell you this: every member has the right to put anything on the agenda for the monthly general meeting. The role of the Agenda Committee is to make sure that the proposer of every item, even wacky ideas, gets his/her opportunity to present it at a general meeting, the primary governance body of the Co-op. The “rules” people adhere to were developed to ensure fairness and open discussion.
If “Hima” wishes her idea to boycott Israeli products to become an agenda item, she would fill out the agenda item form with her contact info and the exact wording she would like to see on the agenda. When the agenda item comes up at a subsequent general meeting, the members who attend that meeting can vote for or against whatever Hima proposes.
However, it’s been my experience that anything like a boycott would need to be passed by a referendum mailed to the entire Co-op, which takes precedence over the decision of a general meeting. It’s also been my experience, that boycotts based on politics fail. So, maybe six or eight months after Hima proposed her boycott (assuming she does), it would probably fail to win the approval of the membership.
It’s a bit messy, but it’s called democracy, and it’s alive and well at the Park Slope Food Co-op.
Dorothy Siegel, Cobble Hill
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To the editor,
Sometimes dangers to America really can be revealed by looking beneath a rotting leaf of cabbage.
Park Slope is a trendy, upscale Brooklyn neighborhood, predominantly comprised of beautiful brownstone homes. With a few refreshing exceptions, it is inhabited by androgynous white “progressives.” They are smug, passive and elitist, with a love of dogs being their only apparent redeeming quality. Oh, yes, they have been my neighbors for over 30 years.
Over the years, the Park Slope Food Co-op has become a glutinous meeting hall, where its 15,000 lonely angry women and feminized males mince through the aisles, convincing themselves that they are the enlightened elite of their scorned America and its antiquated values.
Virtually all of the Park Slope Food Co-op members voted for Barack Hussein Obama. Like their presidential Messiah, they call the Islamist terrorist murder of some 3,000 innocent Americans on Sept. 11, 2001, “the tragedy.” During the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, they marched up Seventh Avenue with the Palestinian immigrants living on nearby Atlantic Avenue, passing out flyers cursing America and Israel.
Oh yes, after “The Tragedy of Sept. 11,” these same Palestinian immigrants were dancing in the streets, in celebration of dead Infidels. They also attend Atlantic Avenue’s al Farouk Mosque where the Sept. 11 conspirators were given haven to plot the slaughter.
Not happy with constantly berating and snickering at an American Satan who has caused every evil in the world, Co-op members have now turned their sights at its staunch ally Israel, or “Little Satan.” They believe that Israel should not have responded to Hamas terrorists firing some 3,000 rockets into Israeli homes and schools during the past year.
With a new president who mirrors Park Slope Co-op values, the United States can look forward to increased Marxist collectivism and big government control of talk radio, the Internet, what you eat, what you say, how you raise your children and diminution of whatever traditional values still exist in our once noble nation.Michael Leventhal,
Park Slope
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To the editor,
As one Co-op member to another, I want to thank Gersh Kuntzman for setting the facts straight on The Brooklyn Paper Web site when all the other blogs reprinted that horribly researched piece of junk from the Jewish Daily Forward. That story was filled with no facts and no true details, and was the equivalent of yelling “Fire!” in a crowded theater.
It’s doubly embarrassing to me as a Jew because, let’s face facts, anti-Semtism exists. But lousy stories like that one in the Forward just make it harder to fight the real stuff when it really comes up.
Jack Szwergold, Boerum Hill
• • •
To the editor,
To economically punish Israel, to economically punish Jews, for having dared to defend their nation from years of vicious bombardment of innocent civilians by Hamas criminals is ridiculously insane on its face.
When Israel defends herself and her people from murderers, there is this sudden wailing at “injustice.” Where is similar moaning and groaning about Israeli dead at the hands of vicious gangsters parading themselves a “liberators” while they hold their female family members in bondage under threat (frequently carried out) to “honor kill” of their own sisters, cousins and daughters?
Why the deafening silence about Daniel Pearl’s murder, along with the numerous beheadings and murders of innocents; the daily dose of homicide bombings, not only in Gaza and Israel, but in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere?
The disgusting selective “outrage” exhibited by a proposal to ban Israeli anything-at-all is the ultimate in cynicism and exploitive propaganda spoon-fed to putative “do-gooders” who are so easily gulled by those who would like nothing better than to see America, and the entire world, moan under the yoke of a reversion to Seventh-Century savagery.
Wake up! Western Civilization, including America, is under attack in precisely the same way as it was by Nazi/Fascist/Communist threats. Propaganda focused against our allies is intended to undermine the world’s resolve to survive. It always starts small, as in the proposal of a ban on Israeli products seen as “progressive” by befuddled well-intentioned. But the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Bear in mind — cancer starts with one diseased cell that, unchecked, results in catastrophe.
Lorraine Stone, Park Slope
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To the editor,
Gersh Kuntzman seems to be the only reporter capable of getting this story right (actually, it’s a “non” story because nothing is actually happening at the Co-op regarding Israel).
What concerns me, though, is that such talk is going on in other food co-ops in Seattle and Ann Arbor. Are we looking at the rise of anti-Semetism as a reflection of the downturn in the economy?
Riva Rosenfield, Park Slope
That’s news
To the editor,
I agree with your editorial (“Support free speech! Feb. 21). It is disappointing to learn about Councilmember and Comptroller candidate David Yassky is teaming up with the Municipal Art Society to make it more difficult for newspapers to survive. Newsboxes on streets take up minimal space while providing easy access for ordinary citizens to newspapers offering all shades of opinion and news of the day or week.
They also play a role in the ongoing circulation battles between daily newspapers, which are all competing for our attention.
It is the neighborhood weekly newspaper like The Brooklyn Paper which provide real coverage of local community news stories usually overlooked by other media.
In the marketplace of ideas, let us hope there continues to be room for The Brooklyn Paper. You have remained independent, willing to take on all comers, including powerful developers with unlimited access to millions along with elected officials.
Larry Penner, Great Neck, NY
Have a beer!
To the editor,
So, “the city’s open-container law allows cops to write summonses for any drinking that s done in view of the public, even if the drinking itself is done on private property…” (“Beer Man!” Feb. 21).
By that definition, police should ticket restaurants with sidewalk tables and even those with front windows. Mysteriously, they don’t.
Are there still people in this day and age who find the sight of people (gasp!) consuming alcohol to be so shocking it has to be banned by law? Isn’t it time this archaic law was overturned?
Kudos to Kimber VanRy for caring enough about personal freedom to follow through on this even though he wasn’t successful in getting the authorities to consider the case on the merits.Chris Sorochin,
Farmingdale, NY
