Newsday letters to the editor for Friday, March 23, 2018

Raise voices against anti-Semitism

Anti-Semitism is not uncommon and has been around for thousands of years [“Minister gets a pass on anti-Semitism,” Opinion, March 6]. Louis Farrakhan’s constant pathetic orations prove him to be no better than Adolf Hitler and his followers. But there are people who admire much, if not most, of what Farrakhan and others like him say and believe.

Cathy Young’s essay should have surprised no one. For those who are irked that Young’s essay pointed out Farrakhan’s Teflon surface and Jew-hating words, fear not. There are many deserving and well-known people who also deserve mention. Many of these people are media and entertainment darlings, industry leaders, politicians. Names that come to mind are Mel Gibson, Kanye West, Winston Churchill, Jesse Jackson, Oliver Stone, Henry Ford, Coco Chanel and Roald Dahl.

Are there any voices, Jewish or non-Jewish, who object to this? The silence is deafening.

Martin Metzger, East Meadow

Objecting to closure of McGann-Mercy

As a parent who has educated her children in the Diocese of Rockville Centre Catholic school system for the past 18 years, I realize that difficult and unpopular decisions need to be made at times [“Campaigning to ‘keep our school open’,” News, March 14].

However, closing Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead effectively cuts most of Suffolk County off the diocese’s secondary education map.

As a Catholic committed to the future of our church through the education of our children, I believe this decision is devastating and contrary to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ stated mission of making Catholic schools available, accessible and affordable.

Catherine Allan, Southampton

I am angry, frustrated and hurt that the Diocese of Rockville Centre has abandoned Bishop McGann-Mercy High School. The diocese has abandoned the children and the future of Catholic education on the East End.

The day this decision was announced, my 7th-grade daughter who is a student at the school came home and cried herself to sleep.

Why would parents send their children to a Catholic elementary school when there is no Catholic high school to continue the education? Families that live in East Marion or New Suffolk are not going to send their kids as far away as Saint John the Baptist High School in West Islip.

Our parish and the many other great parishes of Long Island have long subsidized the diocese. Pope Francis has been speaking at great length about the evils of money. Now the Diocese of Rockville Centre is putting money before our children.

Anthony Posanti, Shirley

Assigning blame on race progress

I find the information in “50 years later, the inequities remain” [Opinion, March 14] to be misrepresented.

Yes, I agree that in 1968 African-Americans were treated terribly and that was a total disgrace. However, comparing 1968 and today has no merit.

Columnist Lane Filler mentions that black athletes kneeling peacefully are vilified. Yes, because they are kneeling during the playing of the national anthem.

Filler’s narrative is old and has been played by many people in this country for so long, and all it does is hurt African-Americans. Instead of pointing blame at whites, they should be encouraged to work hard in school and told that there is nothing that can’t be accomplished if they put their minds to it, like countless African-Americans have done before them.

Patrick Delaney, Sayville

Vendor ‘pool’ could reduce influence

In a recent editorial, “Another way Nassau can end culture of corruption” [March 7], Newsday’s editorial board called for drastically reducing limits on political contributions from vendors, currently set at $50,000.

I couldn’t agree more. However, I also believe that state and local governments should impose a campaign finance tax on every product, contract or service they procure, paid for by the person or entity lucky enough to win the contract.

This pool of money should then be allocated by formula to publicly fund campaigns for candidates running for office. Obviously, many details would need to be worked out, but this concept could redirect the loyalty of government back to the taxpayer, where it belongs, and level the playing field for vendors based solely on price and quality.

Ray Xerri, Oceanside

BDS movement is for annihilating Israel

In her op-ed piece “Free speech tests U.S. campuses” [Opinion, March 13], Cathy Young naively portrays the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement as a free-speech issue.

Let us be clear, the BDS movement is not interested in a change in Israeli policies, which is a legitimate source of discussion. Instead, it is concerned with the annihilation of the Jewish State, akin to the genocidal thinking of Hamas and Hezbollah.

Nathan Begelman, Atlantic Beach