I write to take issue with the reasoning of William Crumbaugh in Monday’s newspaper. He alleges that the Jewish people have suffered more from racial prejudice and injustice than the African-American.

This is absurd, for equating the Holocaust to the centuries of slavery, death, and oppression visited on the African-American in this country and the evil of Apartheid in South Africa, has no basis.

First, the African people brought to this country were subjected to the most horrid of conditions, being treated worse than animals. Many millions did not survive to join their brothers in slavery.

Further, upon reaching this country the African-Americans suffered the destruction of their heritage, and the death of their spirit.

Beaten and whipped, killed if their usefulness came to an end, the African-American slaves suffered tortures more horrid than anything Hitler or Stalin imagined.

Even after the end of slavery, African-Americans suffered under Jim Crow laws determined to not allow them their place in American society.

To this day the African-American lives in fear that he will be discriminated against for the color of his skin. Jews, on the other hand were treated well after World War II, given the state of Israel to call their own.

Also, Jews suffer no where near the amount of prejudice and injustice that the African-American does in this country.

So Mr. Crumbaugh, yes, I have seen pictures of the death camps of the Nazis, but I have also read the writings of Frederick Douglas, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

From these I see that both races have been hurt, but I also see that the Jews were welcomed in many countries and even given their own country after the 12 years of Hitler’s regime and, that the African-American, after more than 400 years of slavery, death, and injustice, were given nothing!

Torrick Ward

Freshman

Pre-Business