Don’t indict black community in killing of store owner; Vindicator editorial bullies YSU workers; Run on Traficant tribute tickets easy to understand; Don’t ban Malala’s memoirs

In reacting to the killing of Mahdi, don’t indict all of black community

Bertram de Souza, regard- ing your Nov. 23 column, you are wrong on this one. Just because there has not been a vigil held in response to Mr. Abdullah Mahdi’s shooting death on the South Side does not mean members of the African-American community are fine with this horrible and senseless crime.

His murder is a constant point of conversation among young black citizens. Those who knew him are hurt and angered by his murder. He was respected and loved by the community he lived in.

Many young African-American men and women say he was always willing to help others, not just with financial aid, but by sharing his knowledge about the opportunities that exist for young people willing to work hard in America. He offered his advice on careers and job training for his regular customers on a daily basis.

I haven’t heard anyone in the black community say anything but good things about him. Don’t assume because there hasn’t been a memorial service or event in his honor (yet) that the black community doesn’t feel the pain of losing a good soul. You haven’t surveyed the African-American community about this issue, so you don’t know. You can’t know or you wouldn’t have written a blanket indictment of the entire black community regarding the incident.

Not if you talked to the people I spoke with about Mr. Mahdi. Your column implies black people aren’t concerned about crime in their own community. That’s a ridiculous untruth!

The man who shot him should go to jail for a long time. But I will never say he doesn’t have any redeeming social value. The suspect in the case is 19 years old. If he is found guilty, I don’t assume the rest of his entire existence can’t have value.

He will have to decide that while he’s sitting behind bars.

I’m not even going to address the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo., or any other shooting of young black men by the police at this time. The two subjects are not related.

Jaladah Aslam, Youngstown

Aslam is president of the Youngstown Warren Black Caucus.

Vindy editorial arrogantly bullies many Youngtown State employees

Being a proud Youngstown State graduate, I am dismayed at the outright arrogance shown by your editorial staff, which is apparent in your editorial regarding the recent negotiations between the faculty and administration at YSU.

The proposal you speak of is simply a tentative agreement that the faculty negotiation team agreed to take to its membership for consideration. This does not imply that their members should accept it. That is why it is called negotiating.

Your bully tactics are very apparent in your editorial. Having served as a union negotiator, it is the role of a negotiating team to take the other side’s proposals to their membership for consideration. It does not mean it is a recommended proposal that they should accept.

While this is a very difficult time for everyone at YSU (administration, faculty, employees, students), you would do better to let those entities work this out as well as look very hard at why the state has cut $8.7 million from their state subsidies to YSU as well as public education, city and local governments. It seems to me that the justification for these decisions is a question your endorsed candidate for governor should have been asked before the Nov. 4 election.

Harold Wilson, Austintown

It’s quite easy to understand why throngs sought Traficant tickets

I read the Akron Beacon Jour- nal article with amusement on Nov. 18, covered by Vindicator Reporter David Skolnick and titled “A Testament to Traficant.” You have to give credit to Northeast Ohioans who gobbled up almost 1,500 free tickets in one day to celebrate the life and times of the late U.S. Rep. Jim Traficant. (The tribute is 2 p.m. today at Powers Auditorium.)

No one can deny that Congressman Traficant was captivating, colorful, and yes, at times even thought-provoking for a politician who in today’s Congress are not only phony, but as dry as a gluten-free snack cracker. The only phony thing about Traficant was his toupee and his clip-on tie, and he knew it.

I met Mr. Traficant at the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Hall 25 years ago to a packed audience. Traficant expounded on many interesting topics with wit, intelligence and humor.

There were a few times when Traficant could be a bit over the top when he proposed constructing a canal from Youngstown to the Ohio River — the long way. After listening to Traficant orchestrate the plan, I must say it even started to make some sense.

Jim’s charisma alone made everyone want to believe it — until you had driven home well after the event realizing canal boats and mules may be long gone.

The thing is about this Northeast Ohio populist is that he got things done for his people and his district. We need more politicians who are flesh and blood real and who think for themselves. Not today’s milquetoast politician beholden to think tanks, opinion polls and the majority party. Just look at the campaign TV ads this year — all fluff and no stuff.

Woodie Guthrie’s underdog hero classic, “Pretty Boy Floyd”, opined, “Some will rob you with a six-gun, and some with a fountain pen.”

Today’s cardboard box politician is already robbing you by forever milking at the teat of corporate interests. Can a citizen find an elected official these days who stands up for the public interest?

Let’s raise a glass to the late Jim Traficant. He may be a convict, but darn it, he was our convict.

Patrick Carano, Tallmadge

Effort to ban Malala’s memoirs shows fear runs deep among men

The All Pakistan Private Schools Federation composed of 150,000 schools across that country has been urging the government to ban 17-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai’s memoir “I Am Malala” claiming it offended Islam and the “ideology of Pakistan” even going as far to declare a “I am not Malala day”.

Hopefully the Pakistani government does not give in to the will of the private schools. Doing so would mean taking a major step backwards from the advancement Malala’s case and efforts as a young Pakistani female made for the Arab world at large where young girls are still underprivileged and treated as second-class citizens due to their lack of access to education.

Not just a survivor of a terrorist assassination, Malala has become the poster child for children’s and women’s rights across the world. Access to her memoir by Pakistani girls and others in the Middle East would be greatly inspiring and help push forward the need for change..

Malala’s influence and image must exist for Pakistan to progress socially. This request for banning her memoir shows the level of fear still held by men in Pakistan who see educating women as a threat to the status quo. More so, a decision to ban her memoir would be acting in the interest of the Taliban who will obviously not hesitate to use violence.

The “ideology of Pakistan” is exactly what needs to change for progress to be made. The point of Malala’s activism is to directly challenge those ideologies, not to continue to be oppressed by them. Offending Islam is only a way for terrorists and oppressors to use the religion for their own agenda and should not be taken into consideration as a serious claim.

Keliali Z. Adissem, Marion

Adissem is a Youngstown State University student.