04 Dec Letters to the Editor
ANTI-VAXXERS REVISITED
Dear Editor:
Antivaxxers, in addition to spreading measles, are also creating another disease–autism. This is not to say that autism itself is caused by the antivaxxers, rather, the antivaxxers spread the idea that all autism is a disease. It is a travesty that the antivaxx movement so greatly disrespects the neurodiversity that Hashem created his people with, and rather claim to want a society of only neurotypicals. People with the autistic neurotype are just as valid as anyone else, and autism is a part of who they are. It is deeply insulting to tell them that you would risk for your child to be like them–intelligent, productive, competent members of society who think a little differently because their brains are wired in a unique way. Our differences are not just acceptable–they are valuable. Each neurotype that Hashem created has its own distinct advantages as well as disadvantages. That means that by having all the neurotypes work together, we can accomplish so much more.
Best regards,
Nechama C. Berman
Editor’s Note: I agree with your interesting take on this conversation. Autism is not a disease just as someone born with a hole in the heart is not a disease. It is amazing what people are able to overcome when placed into difficult situations. Thanks for enlightening us.
ANTI-VXXERS REVISITED
Dear Editor:
Herd immunity made simple that even dummies can understand!
Did you ever wonder why you can get away with choosing to not immunize? We’ll explain it to you in an easy way so that even YOU can understand!
Herd Immunity is the fact that a huge percentage of the population immunizes. When herd immunity is achieved (by the fact that the vast majority of the population is immunized) it provides a strong level of protection to EVERYONE, including dummies that choose to not immunize.
Without the effect of herd immunity, dummies that didn’t immunize would be at great risk of infection by diseases. And therefore wouldn’t be so dumb as to not immunize. So the very freedom to dumbly not immunize comes because 90+% of everyone else does immunize.
But if we start getting more dumb people who don’t immunize, then herd immunity is lost. And people start getting infected with serious and deadly diseases that have an outbreak in populations that not enough people immunized.
So if you’re an anti-vax dummy, you must hope and pray that there aren’t too many people as dumb as you who don’t immunize. Because if more people join your dumb choice, cause or decision to not immunize, YOU will be forced to immunize to not become affected.
© John Wiley & Sons®
Editor’s Note: This reminds me of the teacher who decided to give a grade to the class based on the average mark of all the grades. Everyone received a B during the first week. As time went on the students stopped working and everyone received an F. This is socialism at its best.
TV SHOW LISTINGS REVISITED
Dear Editor:
A letter writer called Jay Samuels questioned the need for TV listings in the Vues magazine, like many others before him. Here is a list of alternatives:
1. A weekly list of everything on Netflix. This is the most direct, because Netflix is the modern replacement to the television.
2. In a similar vein, a list of DVDs newly available for purchase, or a list of DVDs newly available for rent or library loan.
3. A section featuring mini-articles about which dogs in town are good boys (or girls), each article lovingly written by the dog’s human companion. It has nothing to do with the TV listings, but it would be far more interesting, and the good boys deserve it.
4. TV commentaries from a religious perspective. For people who like worms (because it would open up a can of them).
5. Poetry section where all poems must be written in trochaic tetrameter, with no exceptions. This generation has really been slacking off on all poetry except free verse.
it seems
I do not
believe in freedom
they say
I must
is that Freedom?
no, I choose
I chose
Not to believe
in free verse poetry
6. Something so shocking, everyone will pick up a copy of the Vues just to confirm that the people telling about it weren’t just pranking them.
7. Another cake recipe every week, but with the same baking instructions and almost the same ingredients. The only difference: One week it includes almond extract, the next week vanilla, and so on.
8. A weekly bread review column, where the writer tastes bread from a different bakery every week and gives us his long, detailed opinion on it.
9. Color by number.
10. A column that instructs readers on how to plant an apple tree in their home, and then proceeds to tell them how to care for it every week, assuming that each and every reader began following the instructions at the start.
I don’t think you need to select from this list, as there are many other alternatives. However, I do believe that each item on this list is better than the TV listings.
With the utmost respect and sincerity,
Nathan M. Berman
Editor’s Note: Thanks for your ideas!
POSTAL OFFICE REVISITED
Dear Editor:
When I, Reb Yidel Schwartz, wrote the letter about the postal service, I was referring to both letters and parcels. People are ordering things online more than ever.
Sincerely,
The humble Reb Yidel Schwartz
Editor’s Note: At our home we are experiencing mistakes on behalf of the postal service on a weekly basis. When will the postal workers learn how to read properly and divide the letters accordingly?
VIOLENCE REVISITED
Dear Editor:
In an Editor’s Note, there is this: “However, the violence impacts a much greater amount of people these days.”
That “impacts” is bad enough but “amount of people”!?
David Bee
Editor’s Note: I presume you mean that one person harmed is enough, it doesn’t need to affect more than that to be considered a tragedy. True, that.
SAFETY FIRST
Dear Editor:
I want to warn everyone not to leave the Chanukah candles burning in the house unattended. Every year we hear of terrible fires that happen. Please remember pikuach nefesh is docheh kol hatorah kula.
Sadya Robinson
Editor’s Note: Thank you for this important reminder. May we not have any more such tragedies, ever.
PROPOSED CHANGES TO EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
Dear Editor:
All of us Jews need to unite and fight this terrible decree that the Government wants to intrude in our education system. We need to separate church and state and it is not the BOE concern what is being taught in our yeshivos. As long as the yeshivas take the Regents and have better grades than the Public school system they should leave us alone
Berel Stein
Editor’s Note: A shout out goes to those advocates of the Orthodox community and to the Agudas Yisroel of America who fight for our yeshivos and our religious beliefs all the time. As far as the public school system is concerned, they need a major overhaul. It has been shown that $16,000 is allocated per public school student. That is way more than our yeshiva tuitions.