Last week Rich Siegel, a New Jersey musician, resigned from his union local, the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, in part over its failure to publish letters critical of the Israeli occupation in its members’ magazine, Allegro. He lately learned that Allegro wouldn’t print his resignation letter. So Siegel wrote to the president of the local Tino Gagliardi, and the two vice presidents, John O’Connor and Jay Blumenthal.

Hello Mr. Gagliardi, Mr. O’Connor, and Mr. Blumenthal:

I have been informed by Mikael Elsila of your decision to refuse to publish my letter of resignation as I had requested.

I don’t think that you are considering the ramifications of such a decision, or of your previous decision to disallow any mention of Israel in your letters to the editor section.

When you have an organ like Allegro which, as Mr. Gagliardi pointed out in the June issue, has a tradition of open discourse on political issues, and you disallow discourse on just one issue, you are not avoiding taking a stand. On the contrary, this is an expression of a stand taken.

Particularly when this is in response to an organized effort on the part of a member to have people write in demanding to shut down all mention of this issue in the paper. I am aware that this is exactly what member Aaron Minsky has done.

I understand that this is an extremely heated and divisive issue. I understand that allowing even one letter brings more letters and so there will be letters on this issue on an ongoing basis. So what? Clearly local 802 can go about doing its business while there is a controversial topic being addressed in the letters section of its paper. Clearly your office doesn’t have to erupt in heated debate, causing the functioning of the local to fall into neglect. It’s HEALTHY to allow open discourse- Mr. Gagliardi implied this in his comments referred to above.

Asking you to publish my letter, and also to continue the tradition of open discourse in your paper, is not the same thing as asking the local to take a stand on the issue. Local 802 SHOULD take a stand on the issue. You endorse candidates and take stands on issues frequently. But you’re not. Too bad. Then how about allowing members to express themselves? How about allowing this one member to express himself on the occasion of his resignation after 26 years of membership?

Are you so afraid of offending Jewish members that not only won’t you take a stand, but you won’t even allow letters to be printed? What does that say about your values? Are you willing to just trash free speech when it results in some Jewish members getting angry? Are you that afraid of losing a few Jewish members?

So, good for you, you have lost this Jewish member. Mikael (Allegro editor), good guy that he is, wrote to me that he hopes I will re-join local 802. As a professional musician I may find myself in a position where membership is required, as I have worked jobs in the past where this is the case. If and when that happens it will be a touch decision. Because I’m completely disgusted with you. I think the position you’re taking here is a disgrace.

Sincerely yours, -Rich Siegel, formerly member S-11171.