Letter to the editor

Essay by queen_90High School, 12th gradeA+, October 2006

download word file, 2 pages 3.0 1 reviews

Downloaded 22 times

"Orthodox Jews in the eastern suburbs want traffic lights in the area reprogrammed so they don't have to press a button to activate the walk signal each time they have to cross the road.

Pushing the traffic button, or using any other electrical device during the Sabbath, constitutes "work" and is therefore a breach of Jewish law.

The move would not be entirely without precedent. Last year the same community built an imaginary spiritual wall, called an eruv, within which Orthodox Jews can carry parcels, push prams and exercise dogs on the Sabbath and holy days. Without the 26-kilometre boundary, which stretches from Vaucluse to Bondi Junction, Orthodox Jews would be confined to their homes."

I would like to know why there is not a fuss about this issue in the media. We see a lot of things on the news and shows like yours who concentrate on Muslims and their beliefs, which are supposedly challenging the Australian values.

Why doesn't the government, especially Mr. John Howard, open their big mouths and tell these types of radical Jewish people to integrate and live the way Australians are living or get out? (Just as he said to Muslims) I see there are two sides to this story. Muslims are seen as terrorists and people who do not value life so whenever something little appears the media is all over it. But when it is the Jewish community, it is different.

I am not a Jewish or Muslim myself but I can see the constant media coverage about Muslims which is getting a little boring because there is nothing really to say about them. I think some people in our country need to see reality. They need to see who is really changing our Australian way of life. Is it the...