New York most likely tolerates such a barbaric town for the same reason Europe tolerates Muslim communities. The authorities fear retributive backlash in the form of "ow, my religious rights!" even though it's an obvious case of the religion pushing on other people, not the opposite. And Yaakov, you can't say "well, just don't go there." This is a civilized country where anywhere one goes, they will (or at least should) receive their rights. No religious text trumps federal law.
Like I said, no Jew outside of KJ likes to admit KJ even exists to non-Jews. The fact that I am even willing to do so in this forum makes me unusual by most Jewish standards. KJ is part of the family. That doesn't mean we have to LIKE it being a part of the family. They take being Jewish a little further than is necessary, by all counts.
I mean, look. I used to travel to the Jewish part of Nashville. It was 85% Jewish. People respected the Sabbath insofar as most places were not open Saturdays, and those that were were delicate about it. Most groceries offered Kosher food, and made a point to keep non-kosher stuff out of the way. Most places of work would never have attempted to compel a Jew to work on the Sabbath. The Synagogues were all respected, and had places of honour in the section of town.
It was great. And ten minutes away by car, you were back in Gentile Nashville land. And everybody got along fine. KJ deliberately seems to intentionally stoke anger among Gentiles. I'm not sure how much of that is the fault of KJ, and how much of that is due to the impatience of the Gentile population. Frankly, I think its a little of both.
I mean, lets be straight with each other. A shtetl, which is what KJ is, exists so that the Jews living there can more easily function without giving discomfort to non-Jews. If I am the kind of Jew that needs to live a strict, almost cloistered life among my fellow Jews, without contact with the non-Jewish world, speaking only Yiddish and Hebrew (or mostly such), and never stepping foot outside the Jewish world, spending all my time working for my Jewish employer and praying at the Shul, and studying in Yeshiva, then would it not be better if I lived with other Jews?
Would it not be easier for you? As a non-Jew, do you really want to live among such people, who would make your lives so difficult? If I work for you, and I demand my religious rights, to pray three times a day at work, to have all the Jewish holidays off from work, to demand a separate kitchen in the breakroom so that I can eat kosher, aren't you going to welcome the chance for me to live elsewhere in the state?
I'm not that extreme. I consider myself fairly traditional, but by no means to that level. Granted, I don't work. I don't know whether I could work or not in the Gentile world. As a professor, maybe. I have before. But a normal 9-5 job? Where I would have to ask permission to pray three times a day? I don't know. Where I would need permission for my holidays? Well, that would be a bit of a problem. I suppose it would depend. So, being on disability, and being an academic and writer may be a blessing at the moment, although I eventually hope to make money from writing, and get off the disability.
Anyway, I think you see my point. I have to run at the moment, as its time for bed. But consider the above before you judge KJ too harshly. See you all tomorrow.