I’m writing to express my outrage at Victor Farrah’s Sept. 18 letter. What was ostensibly an argument against U.S. intervention in Syria was in actuality the worst kind of bigotry masquerading as political analysis: a supposed brief about this country’s national interest, a poorly disguised attempt to vilify a people.
Whereas one might enumerate credible reasons for objecting to U.S. military involvement in the awful conflict in Syria, it’s clear that rational discussion is not Mr. Farrah’s objective. Under the guise of a reasoned objection to U.S. action the gentleman instead attacks Israel and its supporters through insinuation, distortion, fantasy and libel. Worst of all, he invokes conspiracy and world domination, the most vile and destructive of anti-Semitic tropes in which Jews have been portrayed as a secretive, powerful and corrupt people advancing their own selfish ends while imposing untold misery on the non-Jewish world. It’s too much to believe the writer is unaware of the damnable tale of the nefarious Jews — whether in banking, business, politics or the media — manipulating, corrupting, enslaving others.
I have little doubt Mr. Farrah would object that he is making a distinction between the Jewish people (whom he so tenderly grants the right of statehood) and “Zionists.” I concede the two are not synonymous, and I don’t want to make the mistake of automatically ascribing anti-Semitism to all those who criticize Zionism. However, the way in which Mr. Farrah speaks of Zionism makes it clear to me that his quarrel is not with Zionism per se or even with the state of Israel (whose policies and actions may well be criticized), but with the Jewish people.
When one speaks of a “Zionist plot”; identifies American Jews as “Zionist leaders”; and asserts that world peace could be achieved only if the “Zionists in Israel” would accede to the desires of the Palestinians, it’s clear that one is operating in the realm of fear and hatred of the Jews. Ideas have consequences; few more bloody and shameful than those of Mr. Farrah’s.
— Seth Labovitz

Salisbury

Regarding the current Rowan County/Salisbury squabbles:
Several years ago, the ephemerally famous Rodney King was quoted as follows: “Why can’t we all just get along?”
Sound advice as we wend our way through such wrangling as the central school office fracas, textbook disposal policies, “felony” use of copiers, de-annexation of airports, carping at economic development efforts, plus an array of such juvenile-style pettiness as not returning phone calls.
While I have been reassured that this is “business as usual” here in our neighborhood, I was inspired to revisit the amount of local taxes that I render annually to support such foolishness. I did this because there is an attendant (perhaps poorly understood) cost to us taxpayers for delays due to such mischief. My conclusion ($4,490.73, exclusive of substantial retail sales taxes) was not pleasing!
A request: You guys: The clock is ticking; get with it and work it out … like (hopefully mature) adults.
— Bob Trundle

Salisbury

“The veterans didn’t wait for you; they gave you freedom. Show them some respect …” Thank you, Rodney Cress (Sept. 20 letter) for those respectful words for our veterans, of which our county service officer, Elaine Howle, is also one.
Did you know that she served in Desert Storm and Iraq? I can’t imagine why you would want to refer our veterans to a national officer when they have someone locally to help them. One who has served her country abroad and returned home to continue.
So why is Mr. Cress picking on this veteran (Ms. Howle)?
— Donna Kesler

Cleveland