Letter: Our freedom allows differences

Kudos to the paper for its weekly column by Rabbi Brad Bloom. As a practicing and very happy Catholic, I look forward to every Saturday, when Rabbi Bloom seeks to inform and educate. He addresses every one of us with his thoughtful, well-reasoned, inclusive words.

The recent article on identifiable clothing choices and the fact that they do not reflect anti-American sentiment, but rather seek to show a religious identity was excellent.

Attempts to change these expressions of religious freedom is not reflective of the American experiment to set an inclusive agenda for all.

The current animosity toward the wearing of burkas has been caused by a backlash of fear. We are always able to find excuses for the violations of the First Amendment when our fears or moral judgments exceed our capacity to accept something that is “different.”

I understand that there are some who would exploit that very freedom, but when we identify entire groups of people because of possibilities, we begin to isolate rather than include. That isolation, in turn, breeds more fear and a never-ending cycle.

This story was originally published September 29, 2016 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Letter: Our freedom allows differences."