Miami Beach protesters’ signs don’t speak for all Jews and ignore history | Opinion
Freedom of speech
The photo accompanying Alan Levine’s May 14 op-ed, “Miami Beach Commission targets Israel critics,” is a total misrepresentation. The First Amendment allows protesters the right to express their personal opinions but they should not speak for all Jews by holding signs such as “Jews for Gaza,” “Jews Stand with Palestine,” or “Jews for Palestinian Freedom.”
Until 2007, the people of Gaza had freedom. Then Hamas took over and killed many of the Fatah leadership. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza in the most brutal way and the billions they received in aid (much of it from U.S. taxpayers) was stolen, used to enrich themselves and spent on weapons and building tunnels while keeping the citizens oppressed and poor.
Protesters are ignorant of that region’s history and refuse to see what is going on in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan. The only way the people of Gaza will be free is if the Israeli Defense Force is successful in eliminating Hamas terrorists.
Kudos to Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and Commissioner David Suarez for creating “free speech” zones away from entrances to venues. The same freedom afforded the protesters should apply to the speakers and the audience who should be able to enjoy events without disruption.
Judith S. Berson,
Miami Beach
Public park
I am living life’s third act in a city that has chosen to live aggressively and in an often uncaring and dangerous way. Daily, I saw my options for enjoyment of our community diminish because I chose not to attempt to travel U.S. 1, much less walk across it.
I eagerly participated in The Underline’s community outreach and lobbied anyone in government who would listen that this was worth supporting with our tax dollars. When I encountered Friends of the Underline founder Meg Daly, I simply said that I wanted to be just like her — a woman with a vision, drive and persistence!
Today, I celebrate what has been accomplished. Daily, I head out, do my workout and forget that traffic is inching along U.S. 1. I am too busy looking at the landscaping, animals, birds and butterflies, along with so many who are living The Underline experience; all ages and physical abilities, some for enjoyment and exercise and some to get to and from their jobs.
The Underline is Miami growing up and leaving behind its immaturity when it failed to realize our needs for accessible and functioning parks and pedestrian, wheelchair and bicycle mobility.
Patricia H. Pino,
Miami
Apathetic leader
Re: the May 17 Miami Herald article, “Sea levels are starting to rise faster. Here’s how much South Florida is expecting.” Our governor signed a bill banning the words “climate change” from Florida statutes. He also signed a bill to not allow outdoor workers have water breaks in our increasingly hotter summers.
Must be nice sitting in that air conditioned state capital building in Tallahassee, miles away from the rising waters of the Gulf, not caring about the future of the state and the citizens he supposedly represents.
Glenn Huberman,
Miami
Stop and look
Of all the issues facing Florida and Miami, the Herald’s May 19 front page story is, “Miami-Dade politicians quietly proclaimed a ‘Formula 1 Day’ — and headed to a VIP suite.” As if the mayor and some commissioners attending the F1 race is a real problem.
How about our corrupt legislators, maniacal drivers, careless boaters, non-existent transit infrastructure, daily shootings and murders, inadequate heath care, homelessness, lack of affordable housing … need I go on?
John Saviano,
Miami
Voters’ blight
Two questions heard often throughout Miami-Dade County are, “Why don’t more people vote?” and “Why don’t our elected officials listen to us?”
The answers to both are related. The less our elected servants serve the best interests of the public, the fewer people vote, due to sheer discouragement.
All too often, our elected officials do listen, but not to the discouraged, non-voting public. Instead, they listen to those who pay for their reelections — developers and all the other players making up this most important segment of our local economy.
What must change is the negative impact that developer campaign funding has on ridding us of “bad” incumbents, that is, those who are consistently self-serving.
How do “bad” politicians stay in office?
Through fear. They use their votes to kill the projects of those who don’t support them. Not only does this insidious fear keep dollars rolling their way, but even more important, it prevents dollars from flowing to those trying to unseat them. Any new person running for office will tell you the dice are loaded in favor of all incumbents — the good, the bad, even the terrible.
How can we level the election playing field, even a little? Term limits could be shortened, but don’t we want to keep our good elected officials?
Campaigns need money to get the word out. More disclosure of anonymous funding would help, but might not help fund more challengers of incumbents.
Just as voter apathy has taken years to get us to where fewer than 15% of registered voters vote in local elections, it will take time and effort to get people back to voting other than in presidential elections.
Anthony Parrish,
Coconut Grove
Round the clock
While the April 6 early morning shooting at The Blue Martini was horrific, I am appalled at how naive the Doral city council and mayor believe that the mass shooting couldn’t have taken place at 10 p.m. or midnight.
People get shot 24 hours a day here, in this state and everywhere else. Maybe if there were stricter gun laws in effect, rather than the “Wild West” concept of allowing everyone to carry a weapon, with no rules nor restrictions, this may have prevented the loss of life and injury to innocent people.
Barbara Sangetti,
Miami
Price surges
Re: the May 10 online story, “Hate spending: What you need to know:” We are planning for retirement in the near future and trying to cut back by not buying some overpriced items. We still buy the things we enjoy but are angry about it.
Why are prices rising so fast?
Because they can. People at the upper level of incomes will still buy overpriced items. Producers of these goods do not care if higher prices make consumers angry, as long as people continue buying and profit margins grow.
What about the larger population that can’t “just buy it?”
They put goods back on store shelves and their anger is much more justified when they struggle to put nutritious food on the table for their families. Perhaps we should stop the anger buying, stop buying things just because we still can and place that anger where it belongs.
Will goods producers feel the pinch and start to pull back prices?
Maybe not right away, but it might produce more competition in the marketplace.
Diane Fitzsimmons,
Miami
Go low, Dems
Former First Lady Michelle Obama once famously said, “When they go low, we go high,” referring to Donald Trump’s bullying tactics during the 2016 presidential campaign. The catchphrase was a message for Democrats to behave differently than someone who treats others with disdain.
Unfortunately, adhering to that maxim in the era of Trump is a recipe for political suicide. To the MAGA minions, including many Republicans in Congress, civil discourse is a thing of the past.
Despite a robust economy, with 15 million new jobs and unemployment rates at record low levels, the electorate, particularly in crucial swing states, seem unimpressed with President Biden’s accomplishments. A record of consequential legislation has done little to offset this lack of enthusiasm.
Can it be that “going low” pays dividends?
Trump, aided by the media’s lopsided coverage of his relentless assaults on Biden’s character and policies, is winning the messaging game. The time has come for the Biden camp to launch an overwhelming counteroffensive, replete with a highlight reel of Trump’s personal and professional failings, or risk losing in November.
Jim Paladino,
Tampa
Freedom of speech
The photo accompanying Alan Levine’s May 14 op-ed, “Miami Beach Commission targets Israel critics,” is a total misrepresentation. The First Amendment allows protesters the right to express their personal opinions but they should not speak for all Jews by holding signs such as “Jews for Gaza,” “Jews Stand with Palestine,” or “Jews for Palestinian Freedom.”
Until 2007, the people of Gaza had freedom. Then Hamas took over and killed many of the Fatah leadership. Since then, Hamas has ruled Gaza in the most brutal way and the billions they received in aid (much of it from U.S. taxpayers) was stolen, used to enrich themselves and spent on weapons and building tunnels while keeping the citizens oppressed and poor.
Protesters are ignorant of that region’s history and refuse to see what is going on in Iraq, Iran, Syria and Afghanistan. The only way the people of Gaza will be free is if the Israeli Defense Force is successful in eliminating Hamas terrorists.
Kudos to Beach Mayor Steven Meiner and Commissioner David Suarez for creating “free speech” zones away from entrances to venues. The same freedom afforded the protesters should apply to the speakers and the audience who should be able to enjoy events without disruption.
Judith S. Berson,
Miami Beach
