Haters Gonna Hate
Dear Editor:
It seems that the anti-Semitic man who was seen screaming into a megaphone recently at Queens College has not received as much attention as he wanted. In an attempt to once again steal the spotlight, our resident neighborhood racist has struck once again, this time taking inspiration from anti-dementors all over the world. Walking out of Queens College, I saw the racist’s masterpiece littering the floor. I could not help but marvel at the effort put into this flyer. It was clear a talented graphic designer spent effort on it.
On a more serious note, as a Queens College student, I wanted more people to be aware of another heinous act committed by this waste of space. Walking out of class on September 8, I headed towards the Kissena Entrance to be greeted by blinding white on the floor. I was a bit confused, because I knew it wasn’t winter yet. There was no grey concrete peeking through the layers of white; this monotony continued on for about three blocks, until gradually it faded to grey and white competing to be noticed on the floor. Only ten blocks away did I get away from the last of it. This is not an exaggeration. There were over 1,000 papers. You can trust my judgment, because I always won the how-many-chocolate-coins-are-in-this-dreidel contests at Chanukah carnivals.
The mysterious waste of tree and ink is attached below. I did not stop walking to take a photo of the large pile of papers due to fear for my own safety, in case the perpetrator was watching. I kept walking and this picture was taken about six blocks away from the college. It’s honestly sad. Imagine being a tree, growing for decades, then being chopped down and being reduced to this purpose?
Also, I feel quite unsafe. This happened in the second week of college, the megaphone incident being the first. I wonder what will happen during the third week. The weekly anti-Semitic incident type of thing is really keeping me in suspense! I can’t wait to see what he has in store, since nothing is being done about this.
Queens college has not taken action and only released a statement through a generic email about not tolerating racism of any kind. Queens, be ashamed. Readers, take a stand. Start a petition, write back, and fight back.
A Queens College Student
Dear Editor:
Recently, the Brookings Institution (a think tank) announced that the cost of raising a child to age 18 was $300,000. That comes out to about $16,700 a year. Obviously, these great “Rodin thinkers” were not estimating a Jewish child’s upbringing.
If one were to factor in a nanny’s income (I’m assuming she makes $20 an hour), that alone would be $800 a week or $ 41,600 a year. That doesn’t include yeshivah tuition, camp, pre-camp, post-camp, clothes, food, braces, trips to Israel, and a year in Israel.
I recall two very different experiences with regard to finances. The first one dealt with MTA and a $250 Shabbaton for a hotel trip prior to Rosh HaShanah. I approached the principal and complained (as is my nature) that with all the expenses incurred for Yom Tov, I would have trouble paying the $250. He thought for a moment and cynically replied, “You’re right! Next year, I’ll include the $250 in the tuition.”
On the other hand, at SKA, the school my daughter attended, they had a UN debate scheduled for Montreal. I told my daughter that we couldn’t afford the cost of the trip, and unfortunately, she’d be unable to go. The principal privately spoke to my daughter and told her there was a fund established for girls in similar circumstances, and she could go on all school trips.
Having children is a blessing, and in future letters, I’ll try to come up with ways in which we can make it more affordable.
Debbie Horowitz
Dear Editor:
I am eager to read about Warren Hecht’s touting of the benefits of the New York State Democratic Party’s crusade to mandate the teaching of immorality in yeshivos. Surely that’ll go hand in hand with his Trump Derangement Syndrome.
After all, with Election Day just right around the corner, I’m sure that Mr. Hecht would be glad to let Queens Jewish Link readers know all about why he continues to support a political party that grows more and more anti-Jewish with each week.
Choni Herschel Kantor
Kew Gardens, New York
Election Fraud Claims Must Stop
Dear Editor:
Wow. I can’t even begin to describe how shocked I was at Moshe Hill’s article covering President Biden’s unity speech in Philly from a couple of weeks back. Hill simply says whatever he feels like at any moment to further his political agenda in some of the most bad-faith discourses I have ever seen. All without an iota of care for truth, facts, or even decency.
Hill claims that Biden didn’t define what a MAGA Republican is. This must either be a gross misunderstanding based on out-of-context clips, or a blatant lie. Biden repeatedly stated that he was referring to people “who deny elections and don’t value democracy,” and “those who refuse to respect the results of fair elections.” The meaning here is obvious. He refers to those who spread baseless conspiracy theories about democratic elections, the 2020 election being the prime example. If you think that it’s only random Internet trolls and no one significant who thinks this, think again. According to a poll conducted by YouGov, just a quarter of Republican voters think Biden legitimately won the election. The Texas GOP has it as their official platform that the 2020 election was rigged. And Trump still denies that the election was legitimate to this day.
In case you’re delusional enough to think that it’s not a conspiratorial position to hold, I’d like to remind you that Georgia’s, Pennsylvania’s, and every other contested state had their votes recounted three times and audited twice by Trump-appointed judges, and nearly every Trump associate who said they had strong evidence that the election was stolen eventually conceded that they didn’t, such as Mike Pence, William Barr, Mike Pompeo, Rudy Giuliani, and others. The only way to still believe that the election was rigged is to also believe that all of our democratic and legal institutions are corrupt and must therefore be overtaken. In other words, be anti-democratic.
Since he can’t or won’t engage with Biden’s actual definition, Hill bizarrely infers that Biden thinks anyone who wouldn’t work with him is a MAGA Republican from the line “Not all Republicans are like this; I know, because I’ve been able to work with them.” This is a deliberate misread. Besides the fact that this is obviously not a statement that is meant to define a term, Biden’s statements calling for unity (“I’m not a president for red or blue America, but for America,” and “All people are made in the image of G-d and deserve to be treated with respect”) contradicts Hill’s interpretation.
Hill runs with his faulty logic anyway, and brazenly claims that when Biden says, “We need to stop the assault on our American democracy,” he is using coded language to his supporters for them to attack Trump supporters. Besides the fact that it’s laughable to see Hill stooping this low to criticize Biden (Republicans criticized Democrats for years about tone policing Trump – no double standard here), and besides the fact that he specifically spoke against political violence (“Violence is not an acceptable political tool, no matter where it comes from,” and “There is no place for political violence in America”), Hill didn’t seem to mind when Trump tried to politicize the FBI to keep himself in power, remove voting machines from Georgia and other key states, and rally up his supporters to invade the Capitol and murder his own vice president, all in a desperate final bid for a crumb of power. Does anyone genuinely believe that Trump acted in good faith? Would Trump be fine with losing in 2024 if it was shown to be a legitimate election?
Then Hill just breaks down, doesn’t engage with anything said in the speech, and starts gish galloping between random conspiracies. I can’t even address them because of this paper’s word limit on letters.
Hill ironically ends up hinting the election was stolen anyway and ends up proving Biden’s point: This is not a battle between Left and Right, Conservative versus Liberal, or any one specific issue. This is a battle between those who value decency, democracy, facts, and truth versus those who don’t. And it’s clear that Moshe Hill is a dogmatic ideologue who does not value truth whatsoever.
Moshe Chernigoff
Dear Editor:
One would think that, based on the letter Mr. Hecht co-wrote, he either was a conservative or finally realizes what Joe Biden and the Democrats are doing to this country. They have attacked our culture, our society, and our country. This administration has destroyed our energy independence. Look at the price of gas, how it’s gone up. He has depleted our Strategic Reserve in order to bring down the price of a gallon of gasoline. What happens when there’s a real national emergency and we have no gasoline?
He has eroded our secure border. There have been five million illegal aliens that have entered our country since January 20, 2021. The fentanyl and other drugs and the human smuggling is a disaster. He has devalued our dollar. Inflation is up to record levels. Groceries are so expensive today! Our classrooms are being destroyed with CRT and transgender ideology. Drag Queens reading books in kindergarten classrooms and children’s sections of the library. The nuclear family is being destroyed. No longer is marriage between a man and a woman sacred.
Women’s sports is another example of the decay of our society. Biological men competing in women’s sports is just wrong. Our military is being destroyed from within and our recruiting rates have gone down tremendously. No one wants to enlist in a woke military. Not to mention: the attack on cops, massive murder rates in our biggest cities, and criminals being let out of prison under the guise of “criminal justice reform.”
We have about six weeks until the November elections, and even less if you vote early. Governor Hochul refuses to debate Congressman Lee Zeldin. Now you know why. You can’t defend the indefensible. Everyone, have a shanah tovah!
Shalom Markowitz
Dear Editor:
President Biden should have picked someone other than James Taylor, whose song “Fire and Rain” was about suicide and drug addiction, to play at his White House Inflation Reduction Act celebration. With record inflation, increasing urban crime and shootings, rising fuel prices, over 100,000 deaths from fentanyl, supply chain issues, formula shortages, two million illegal immigrants crossing the border, and $30 trillion-plus growing national debt, there was a better choice: Bobby McFerrin’s famous 1988 hit, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” would have been far more appropriate.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
Great Neck, New York
Dear Editor:
I agree with Larry Penner that Governor Hochul should debate Lee Zeldin. However, debates are not always an adequate barometer of candidates.
In 1960, the first debate on television, it was Richard Nixon vs. John F. Kennedy. Nixon had been sick recently and sweated profusely through the debate. Kennedy was cool and poised, looked into the TV camera, and projected warmth and empathy. Those listening to the debate on the radio felt Nixon won. Those watching the debate felt Kennedy won. Kennedy won the White House.
In his book Outrage, Manson prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi – not neutral and unbiased, and a pro-Democrat – felt that Jimmy Carter did much better than Ronald Reagan in the 1980 debates. Bugliosi also observed that people see what they feel they should see. They saw a glamorous Hollywood actor vs. a deep South peanut farmer. Reagan won the debate and the White House.
Also, when Andrew Giuliani announced that he was running for Governor, he was met with contempt, scorn, and ridicule by Mr. Penner. In “The Legislative Gazette,” Mr. Penner opined that Andrew Giuliani had never built a business and created jobs. Mr. Penner has made similar observations about Andrew Cuomo. Lee Zeldin is a lawyer and an Army veteran. He has never built a business. Why doesn’t Mr. Penner hold Lee Zeldin to these standards?
Nat Weiner