Anti-Semitism must not be allowed to flourish
I am saddened by the massacre of 11 innocent Jews in Pittsburgh. However, I am not surprised. Anti-Semitism is among the world’s most virulent and ancient hatreds. That it manifested itself as a deadly shooting in the United States is horrific. The people killed in Pittsburgh were shot because they were Jewish. No other reason. In Israel, Hamas sends rockets from Gaza into Israel. Terrorists go into synagogues and kill innocent civilians.
Locally, support for anti-Israel positions such as the recent Durham city council initiative Durham2Palestine give succor to anti-Semites. Duke University Press publishes anti-Semitic literature, including “The Right to Maim” (2017) by Jasbir Puar, professor of women’s studies at Rutgers. These actions give oxygen to the anti-Semites. Active anti-Semitism is out in the open and becoming mainstream both on the right and the left.
I do not believe that anti-Semitism can ever be eliminated. However, we need to be vigilant in condemning this ancient curse wherever it arises to help prevent the death of Jews just because they are Jews.
Steven Rosenberg
Raleigh
Rosenberg is a member of a Raleigh Jewish congregation. He served in the Israeli Defense Force and has a son living in Israel.
Honoring veterans
We recognize Nov. 11th as that day to honor our veterans, but what do we do for our veterans, those who served honorably and made it home? The defense budget is at record levels. Before the recent administration took over, the annual defense budget was some $600 billion a year. Now, it is $700 billion a year. All to fund our present military, which numbers some 1.5 million active duty soldiers, sailors and airmen.
Yet how much money is allocated to spending on our veterans? There are approximately 22 million veterans, roughly 7 percent of all U. S. citizens. Only about 3.5 million veterans served a full 20 (or 30) years and are eligible for military pensions.
What do we do for about all the rest? A great number receive nothing from “Uncle Sam.” No pensions, no health care, no services. When we attend veterans day celebrations, will we stand and cheer for our veterans? Or will we cheer for ourselves?
Robert Peele
Rocky Mount
Separation payment
I am shocked after reading your Oct. 27 article (“UNC President Spellings says she’ll leave job on March 1”) on the payout to Margaret Spellings when she decided to break her contract and quit her job. Since when do people get a “separation payment “ of $500,000 and moving expenses when they want to quit their job? Is this where my tax dollars are being spent while the teachers who do the boring job of educating our children can barely feed their families? The UNC Board of Governors needs to be disbanded as they are failing in their duties. This is shameful!
Thu Ostrander
Raleigh
Health care lies
Trump’s latest lie from his Twitter account: “Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not! Vote Republican.” Just another lie in a string of lies that Trump has been spouting in an attempt to increase turnout of his followers.
Let’s look at the facts. Not one Republican voted for The Affordable Care Act, which protected pre-existing conditions. Republicans voted 70 times to repeal the ACA.
Democrats created Social Security and Medicare, and Republicans have been trying to curtail both for decades. Sen. Mitch McConnell recently said that Republicans need to control all houses of government so they can tackle Social Security and Medicare reform to curb the ballooning deficit. The Republicans are planning to cut retirees benefits to fund the budget deficits they created.
Vote to put an end to all the lies, vote to protect pre-existing conditions, vote to protect Social Security and Medicare. This year, vote Democrat.
Matthew Parrinello
Asheville