Furor over Gaza protests is hiding some basic facts | Opinion

“Woke” laws

Who’s “woke” now?

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and other not-so-right Republicans want an anti-Semitism law to “protect Jewish students from bigoted and threatening speech.” But they are against protecting other groups from bigoted and threatening speech because it’s a First Amendment violation.

No one should be subjected to bigoted and/or threatening speech no matter their religion, race, ethnicity, or gender, or politics.

If it’s not okay for Jewish students, it’s not okay for anyone else. MAGhats need to make up their minds. Freedom isn’t just for them.

Glenna Brouse, Lexington

Propoganda

I hate the way the government operates; I hate the way it supports genocide; I hate the way it is full of ineffective legislators of the United States.

Propaganda is in full force, proclaiming the students who are protesting are working with Hamas. It is a useful fear-mongering tactic to have people think there are anti-semitic sentiments amongst those who are protesting a genocide. I will not allow my words to be minced: This is an ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people. No matter how many anti-semitic labels you attempt to plaster over the voices of screaming children in Gaza, people WILL know the truth. Legislation will not stop us from voicing what our leaders have done.

I know how historical winners love to rip away the pen from those who try to share their experience; social media exists now, though. I see you trying to ban that too. I hope you feel the rivers of blood passing through your fingers.

Zaynab Khan, Lexington

Madness must stop

One lost 1,200 citizens. One has lost 34,000 citizens. One lost 33 children. One has lost 13,000 children. One wakes up in the morning having breakfast. One wakes up in the morning searching for breakfast. One has God on their side. One has God on their side. It’s time to stop the madness. No one else needs to die.

Bob Sutton, Springfield

Bird Flu

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has just decreed that dairy cows must be tested for the deadly bird flu, which has already killed millions of chickens in the U.S. The unprecedented transmission of the H5N1 virus to cows has drawn public health concerns because cows are mammals, just like humans.

Although the precise cause of the outbreak remains uncertain, the horrendous conditions in today’s factory farms make egg and dairy production extremely vulnerable to disease outbreaks. Sick, crowded, highly stressed animals in contact with contaminated feces and urine provide ideal incubation media for viruses.

Indeed, 61 percent of the 1,415 pathogens known to infect humans originate with animals.

These include Asian flu, dengue fever, Ebola, bird flu, HIV, West Nile fever, yellow fever, and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Each of us can help end animal farming and build up our own health by replacing animal products with delicious, healthy, cruelty-free, eco-friendly plant-based meats, cheeses, and ice creams offered by our favorite supermarket. These foods don’t carry flu viruses, or government warning labels. They may have been the preferred fare in the Garden of Eden.

Lawrence Hoffman, Lexington

Trump’s crimes

Almost every day now Trump says that “nobody’s ever seen anything like this before; nothing like this has ever been done before.” What he means is that he’s being treated badly — worse than anyone else has ever been treated in U.S. history. Actually he’s right — but not for the reasons he says. No president or ex-president has ever committed crimes and offenses like he has committed. He’s been indicted for 91 felony offenses and in my humble opinion, he’s also committed obstruction of justice, theft of top secret documents, insurrection, and espionage. That’s what nobody has ever seen before; a president or ex-president guilty of multiple criminal offenses now being held to account for those offenses.

James Porter, Danville

Christian Nationalism

We are extremely concerned with the threat of Christian nationalism in our country. The movement is dangerous in its assertion that God has a special bond with the United States. The movement is unwise, undemocratic and extremely destructive.

Their primary belief is that white people are superior to those of other races, that the LGBTQUIA community should be shunned, men should again dominate women and that Christians should rule Congress, state governments and our court system.

Let it be said that I’m not a young radical liberal. I’m not. I’m old and white. I’m a veteran, a Christian, and a former conservative Republican. I’m actually an ordinary person that still loves this country and believes that God’s love is intended for all people.

Sadly, the Christian church in Germany initially supported the Nazi regime. Hitler’s strategy was to build loyalty within the German churches. It worked. Church attendance increased. Pastors were mostly thrilled with Germany’s government rule and one religion.

Like Hitler, today’s Christian nationalism wants to bring America’s church and state into one entity. This would be a tragedy. Don’t let the Christian radicals turn this country into a Nazi-like government.

Don Rapske, Lexington

BUILD meetings

I belong to “Building a United Interfaith Lexington through Direct-action” (BUILD), a 26-church interfaith social justice coalition representing thousands of local leaders, doers, involved volunteers and committed citizens. Its annual Nehemiah Action Assembly invites local officials to address thoroughly researched, vetted social issues chosen by its members.This year LexTran and several council members stepped up regarding Accessible Transport. Our main issue was Eldercare – a modest ask: a survey, some administrative time and mayoral support to study non-profit neighborhood circles within a “villages” framework.

Despite the mayor and her commissioner, Kacy Allen-Bryant being officially invited to this event multiple times since last December, and despite attendance by council members, Mayor Gorton was a no-show again this year. I don’t understand how a local official could repeatedly not find time and confidence to at least engage with such a large, hard-working group of influential citizens.

I have supported Ms. Gorton throughout her political career and even forgiven her reluctance to implement some previous BUILD recommendations. But this was a very small ask and a stinging snub. I lovingly remind her that when politicians stop listening to their own supporters, a meaningful prefix can get tacked onto their official title: “Former.”

Glen White, Lexington