Letter: Newton should cut ties to Mass. Municipal Association
Jan 29, 2008
The Massachusetts Municipal Association — Newton is a member and Mayor Cohen sits on its board — has been dragging its feet on fulfilling a solemn pledge it made on Sept. 11 of last year.
The MMA promised to “re-evaluate” its umbrella sponsorship of the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate chapters if the ADL didn’t reverse its position on the Armenian genocide at its national meeting in November.
Well, the ADL scandalously clung to its unethical stance at that meeting. The national ADL’s position thus remains highly ambiguous — and actually denialist — regarding the Armenian genocide. ADL also hypocritically continues to oppose U.S. affirmation of that genocide — affirmation which the commonwealth’s entire Congressional delegation favors.
Appalled by the ADL’s double standards, municipalities that include Newton, Arlington, Belmont, Medford, Needham, Lexington, Watertown, and Westwood have decertified their No Place For Hate programs.
Had it been sponsoring a group created by a Holocaust-denying organization, the MMA would have severed ties long ago. The MMA apparently deems certain genocides to be less important than others. And perhaps an investigation of MMA’s ties to ADL members is needed.
Newton and the mayor must cut ties to the MMA unless the latter acts quickly to cut ties to No Place For Hate and ADL.
David Boyajian
Mount Ida Stree
Newton Tab: Letter to the Editor: "Newton should cut ties to Mass. Municipal Association"
