#montcair

“Make-up is a very powerful tool and it is one that deserves respect rather than shame.”

"For centuries, people from all over the world have come to America to practice what they believe in and to be in a dialogue with others who think differently. Montclair is a town where such a dialogue takes place. We have to embrace it to be good local and global citizens on planet Earth." — Frank Hentschker

Ah, nothing better than starting an editorial with a quote from someone no one's ever heard of. Dude doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, for crying out loud.

Nearly all residents in Montclair are one, two, three, four or five generations from their ancestors in other nations throughout the world.

Nearly all residents of America are one, two, three, four or five generations from their ancestors in other nations throughout the world. Jesus. People in Manhattan aren't this self-involved.

It's a great strength in Montclair and in the United States. Our nation is literally 300 million-plus citizens who hail from all other nations, who practice all the world's religions, who speak all the world's languages, and who possess the freedom to express their opinions.

I'm sure there are more than a few who hail from this nation and this nation only, pal.

The human race is prone to bigotry and lethal hatreds.

Here we go. Montclair's last hippy begins his speech on racial harmony. Pass the bong.

Most religions and ethnicities have adherents who foster multigenerational grievances and outrages that are akin to a persistent gangrene.

If I started a Most Pretentious Sentence in an Editorial award, this guy would sweep every year. There wouldn't even be any other nominees.

Many people are incapable of forgiving.

Holy damn, is this a sermon or an editorial? "Most people are incapable of forgiving." Really? Is there some poll result you can point to to prove this? A study by some intellectuals? No?

Vengeance consumes them — and the vengeance they wreak consumes countless victims.

Vengeance consumes...who?! Everyone? Americans? Immigrants? Are we talking the third- or fourth-removed immigrants, or what?

Religious intolerance is as vile as racial, ethnic, sexual, disability and other biases.

What is "sexual bias"? "Disability bias"? I wish I could just make shit up and have it printed in my local paper.

Our nation demands dignity and respect for every citizen. When individuals or mobs disrespect other people, then our legal system must determine whether the ability to verbally assault someone is within a constitutional right, or has descended into a violation of the law and a violation of the victim's legal rights.

Can we all say a prayer that Mr. Editor doesn't get chosen to write the re-boot of "Schoolhouse Rock?" We'll have a lot of confused children on our hands.

The rights of victims, too, are evolving in our nation. Religious fanatics viciously denigrate U.S. soldiers who have been killed while serving our nation, and stage disruptive protests during burial ceremonies.

Man, only one group of fanatics do this: Fred Phelps and his crew. Is Mr. Editor too afraid to mention them by name?

The freedom of speech and freedom of expression those fanatics take advantage of must always be balanced by the rights of those who experience the negative force of these demonstrations. Some judges and some legislators seek to more strongly define individual rights for the individuals who are victims.

Some editors are incapable of supplying specifics for the weekly editorial dispatches they provide to their consumers.

All individuals count.

Getting into "Free to Be You and Me" territory here. Kinda scared.

The rights of any one individual cannot deteriorate or transcend the rights of other individuals, as set by our common laws. A graffiti artist does not have a right to deface property that is owned by a particular individual or is owned by all of us individuals — all of us being categorized as "the public."

Whew. I'm glad he specified what he meant by "all of us," because I was so confused. On another note, is this whole editorial about graffiti artists?

We're all individuals, and we collectively own that school or train-station wall that's been slathered by paint. Legally, there must be an increased emphasis on victims and the fiscal consequences of someone's wrongdoing.

So, the big enemies here are people who protest military funerals and graffiti artists. Got it, Mr. Editor.

A Montclair church recently conducted a worship service that melded Christian and Muslim worship. We should rejoice at this interfaith service — as we Montclairites should for all such peaceful, prayerful togetherness. But the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church has received a flurry of hate mail denouncing Christian/Muslim togetherness.

Oh, wow, we're actually switching gears NOW, like 10 paragraphs in? Fucking ridiculous.

Based on biblical precepts, these letters are blasphemous. The writers espouse hatred and intolerance — morally unacceptable in the United States of America, yet not often prohibited by our existing law. The assaulters have the right to denigrate religions.

Many townspeople of Montclair denounce racial discrimination or religious hatred. It's the obligation of society, and people who promulgate the mores of society, and certainly of our religious and community leaders, to rally residents when vileness is slathered on the public wall.

Get it? Graffiti = the "flurry" of protesting letters. He really brought it together in the end there, didn't he? Bravo, Mr. Editor!

The Montclair Times commends the Rev. Andrew Butler and Abdul-Alim Mubarak-Rowe, the assistant imam of Masjid Waritj ud Deen in Irvington, and their colleagues who led the service.

We are all of one human race on Earth.