Editorial
A day of terror across the river
The tragic events Tuesday in Jersey City, N.J. serve to remind us all of the heroism
of law enforcement, the horrors of anti-Semitism, the terrifying experience of
school lockdowns and the violent consequences of lax national gun laws.
Once again, police offi cers put their lives on the line to protect those who can’t
protect themselves. They went and confronted the shooters when others ran for
their lives. Not every person has the capacity to sacrifi ce life and limb to protect
people they don’t even know.
During the shootout itself, police traded fi re with shooters who had no regard
for any other life but their own. They unnecessarily put the lives of innocent bystanders
at risk, and took the life of at least one cop.
The revelation later in the investigation that this appeared to be a targeted attack
upon a kosher supermarket should shake all of us to the core. Anti-Semitism
continues to rise across the country, due in large part to a manifestation of unchecked
hate speech online and a White House too inept or complicit to condemn
and combat it.
In this day and age, we ought to be more respectful and loving of each other’s
diversity. We ought to condemn and crush hate where it exists. All of us must do
so much more to educate ourselves and stop the spread of hate, wherever it rears
its ugly head.
The shootout also led to the lockdown of every school in Jersey City. Cellphone
videos captured the images of the reality young students face daily in this era
where school shootings occur with alarming regularity.
No school was targeted in this incident — but the shock and fear felt by students
on the videos from within locked-down schools was palpable. Without question,
the parents and teachers of these students felt the same fear and concern as the
lockdowns went on.
Lockdowns are an unfortunate, yet traumatizing necessity in this country,
where gun violence is rampant and the efforts to implement some kind of gun
control fail at almost every turn.
States like New York and New Jersey have their own gun laws, which work only
to a certain extent. But the extensiveness of gun violence nationally cries out for
federal action to better regulate the types of weapons available to citizens, the
amount of ammunition one can own, and the ability for law enforcement to keep
guns out of the hands of individuals who pose a proven threat to themselves or
others.
We don’t know if that could have stopped the tragedy in Jersey City, but we do
know it would prevent other tragedies.
Publisher of The Villager, Villager Express, Chelsea Now,
Downtown Express and Manhattan Express
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The Jefferson Market Library building has a long and storied history,
including being built in 1876 as a courthouse and a preservation effort
starting in 1960 to save the Venetian Gothic building. Before the
current building and tower were built, there was a previous Jefferson Tower,
pictured above, that was made of wood, according to the Dec. 30, 1971 issue
of The Villager. The wooden tower was used as a fi re lookout, and a volunteer
fi reman would stand at the top and ring a large bell to signal that there
was a fi re in the Village area.
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12 December 12, 2019 Schneps Media
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