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Oy Vey!
On behalf of the Jewish Federation of Central New York, we would like to express some thoughts regarding the “Reynolds Unwrapped” Chanukah cartoon in the Dec. 28 issue of the Syracuse New Times.
While there may be humor in the quoted text, the stereotypical depiction of Jews is an age-old and offensive portrayal of the Jewish people. Certainly the Star of David (the Jewish star) would be sufficient to convey the Jewishness of the ceremony and the holiday.
The caricatures, however, reinforce the worst image of Jews and convey an extremely negative message, canceling out whatever humor may have been intended by the quote. We can only hope that your editorial staff will be more sensitive to such issues in the future.
—Michael Balanoff
Chair, community relations
Linda Alexander
Interim president and CEO
Jewish Federation of CNY
Dan Reynolds responds: That particular cartoon is a greeting card with American Greetings. It’s a cartoon made for public consumption with no aim or design to offend anyone. Otherwise, it would not have been put on shelves.
It certainly was not my intention to offend anyone. I’m afraid the letter-writers would be offended by me even trying to defend the cartoon. Some people say, “Merry Christmas,” some say, “Happy Holidays,” some say, “Seasons Greetings.” No matter who says what, someone gets offended. This is the world we live in.
Hopefully, they are the type of people who see the overall body of someone’s work—they must be readers since they read it—and put all things in perspective. I don’t do work to try and offend anyone; however, I do realize, as with all cartoonists, that is sometimes an impossible task as someone will always be offended by something. It’s what makes the world go ’round.
Morning Horndog Makes Deans’ List
The Syracuse New Times coverage of the Sammys Hall of Fame induction ceremony (Nov. 16) was excellent, with just one error. Reporter Jessica Novak writes that there were “even more gags during the guys’ {The Dean Brothers’} introduction of a local legend known for his ‘good looks and sex appeal,’ as morning-drive jock Big Mike Fiss was summoned to the stage. . . “
My feeling is that this was not a gag and I am certain the Deans were serious. I hope you will make the correction. Thank you!
—Big Mike Fiss
WZUN-FM 102.1 (Sunny 102)
Step on the Gas
New York state is poised to allow hydrofracking. In the process billions of gallons of freshwater will be chemically contaminated each year and millions of gallons of toxic flowback fluid will be produced each day. Niagara Falls is considering trucking this polluted water to its treatment site. More than 70,000 gas wells are anticipated, all without the protections provided by federal environmental laws that were enacted to protect us from such appalling disasters as:
• Love Canal, causing residents an increased risk of cancer, reproductive problems and genetic damage. CERCLA (“Superfund” Act) was passed in part due to this chemical dumpsite disaster.
• Onondaga Lake, one of the most polluted in the nation. Cleanup began with the passage of the Clean Water Act, which required all the state’s freshwaters to be suitable for swimming and the propagation of fish and other aquatic life.
• The Bhopal, India toxic gas release. When Union Carbide officials were asked about it, they said it was not toxic, only an irritant. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act was passed in response to this incident, where thousands of people were killed by a large toxic release and years later babies are born with birth defects.
Hydrofracking operations are also exempt from sections of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Air Act and the main federal law that ensures the quality of Americans’ drinking water, the Safe Drinking Water Act.
New York has a history of toxic waste problems. We don’t need more from natural gas extraction operations that only benefit corporate and foreign interests.
Please tell your elected officials to not allow hydrofracking unless the gas industry is made to comply with federal environmental laws. Contact: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Attn: dSGEIS Comments, 625 Broadway, Albany 12233-6510.
—Linda Steffen
Canastota
