Anti-Defamation League Essay -- Race Racial Ethnicity Essays

Anti-Defamation League Lawyer Sigmund Livingston in Chicago, IL started the ADL in 1913, with the mission to stop, by appeals to reason and conscience, and if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people. . . to secure justice and bonny treatment to all citizens alike. . . put an end forever to unjust and unfair discrimination against and ridicule of any sect or body of citizens. The ADL has gone from having a picayune office in Chicago to 30 regional offices as well as international offices in Moscow, Jerusalem, and Vienna. The ADL, as a well-respected political interest group group, has been active in influencing United States foreign policy in Middle East countries, such as Israel. Today, under the leadership of National Chair, Howard P. Berkowitz and National managing director Abraham Foxman, the ADL remains as the leading opponent of anti-Semitism and they continue to expose all forms of injustice, prejudice, and bigotry. ADLs primary goals as a app aritional organization are to bring about social change through the elimination of bigotry and hatred by influencing government legislation. Specifically, one piece of legislation the ADL is working against is the murder of school vouchers. It is ADLs position that by using government funds to support vouchers, the quality of education at the public schools will decrease. I wholly agree with this position. Education reform doesnt mean destroying one institution that helps a large majority to promote elitist institutions that only benefit a small minority. The ADL is very large organization with vast influence benefiting millions of people around the globe, and according to Olsons collective action problem members could be dissuaded from parti... ...ias. The ADLs religious interests are mainly to promote the interest and betterment of Jews. So to listen to ADL and make legislative changes accordingly is to create a hierarchy among religions that shouldnt be a part of the go vernment. Even though, I may not agree with everything the ADL says, I think that what they are trying to do is incremental in manner of speaking about the change necessary to improve our society. Works CitedBahrampour, Tara & Anthony Ramirez (2001). New Monitor For Hate Groups Electronic version. New York Times, B5.1.Falconer, Matthew (1999). Filter blocks hate-promoting Web sites Electronic Version. Boston Globe, A40. Olson, Mancur (1965) from Nivola, Pietro S. and David H. Rosenbloom (1990), Classic Readings in American Politics, 2nd Edition, pages 225-240. New York St. Martins Press, Inc.