These are scary times — but take a stand for what’s right, and vote | Opinion

Only a few more days until Election Day.

I can remember when Election Day was almost like a holiday. People, especially Blacks, seemed eager and proud to vote. We had come over a long and bloody road to the voting polls in most of the South. So, while some still refused to vote because they believed their votes didn’t matter, many of us were more than happy to cast our vote. And soon, we started seeing that, yes, our votes do matter.

In the past, we — America — have shown the world how it is done.

But today, there is a different climate surrounding our voting privilege. Today, some of our politicians are threatened with violence and even death. And armed men show up at polling places dressed in army fatigues and take a threatening stance.

Just recently, three ex-Proud Boys were hired to work as poll workers in Miami-Dade. (One of them was wearing an ankle monitor while awaiting trial on federal charges for his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. He was later let go.)

What’s that all about? Why is this allowed to happen? In America? Why can’t we cast our vote for the candidate of our choice without being intimidated?

We live at a time when our country is filled with hatemongers. They seem to be crawling out of the cracks.

This is a time where there seems to be no space for the truth. It is a time where anti-Semitism and racial hate are making a strong comeback — not that they were ever fully gone. Nowadays, such hate is so blatant that it is like having a giant blow his hot, stinking breath in the faces of freedom- and peace-loving people.

This is also a time when some Republican candidates believe that if they don’t win the election, it will be because the election was fraudulent. And they won’t go quietly into the night.

These are a few of the reasons that we must vote now as never before. We must stand up to the hatemongers, who are really cowards. They must pull off their heinous acts while immersed in a raging crowd. Or they wait to attack until their intended victims are nestled in the presumed safety of their homes.

These cowards pretend to be interested in a church prayer meeting, for example, and are welcomed among the prayerful group. Then, they proceed to rain down havoc on the unsuspecting victims. They are the same kind of cowards who shoot up innocent, unsuspecting children and teachers in our schools.

The recent attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is the most recent example of a cowardly act. It also shows just how far some people have fallen in terms of moral decency. It didn’t matter that Pelosi was 82. Or that his wife is a preeminent servant of this country. The attacker was a coward who simply wanted to do harm.

This is a scary time. Yet, we still-free Americans must not let the threats of violence push us to fearfully hide in the corners and closets of our homes.

Take courage, America. Don’t be fooled by the lies the hatemongers spew. Take a stand. Stand against anti-Semitism. Stand against gun violence. Stand against racism, and those who would steal our history. You know in your heart what is right and true. Stand up for truth.

And vote. Don’t let fear scare you away from the polls.

Vets to be honored at Greater Harvest Baptist Church program

A free program honoring all American veterans will be at noon Friday (Nov. 11) at Greater Harvest Baptist Church, 2310 NW 58th St. in Liberty City.

Alvin W. Roberts, vice president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Inc., Chapter 1125, said the chapter is co-sponsoring the event along with the Luther J. Cox Community Development Corp., where Audrey James is the president. Roberts said the program will pay tribute to those individuals who served our country, especially the men and women who paid the “supreme sacrifice” by giving their life for America.

“Everyone is invited,” Roberts said. “The program will include Miami Northwestern Senior High School’s ROTC Battalion presenting the colors. The battalion, which is under the direction of Col. Marc Garcia, will also perform during the program. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Kenneth McGee, pastor of Greater Harvest, who is also a veteran. The program will also include patriotic music.”

A special part of the program will be the “Lest We Forget…” portion that will include moments of silence in honor of those who lost their life serving America. It will conclude with a special prayer by Roberts. Refreshments will be served afterward. Those attending are encouraged to wear masks, which are not mandatory.

Holocaust Education Week programs continue

After its kickoff event at 6 p.m., Sunday (Nov. 6) at the Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, Holocaust Education Week will continue with programs through Nov. 11.

Here are some of the programs to be presented through Nov. 8. They include:

 “The Journey,” presented livestream at 9 a.m. Monday (Nov. 7) to an audience of fifth through eighth grades. The presentation will examine the Kindertransport, the rail system that smuggled Jewish children from Nazi -occupied territories to freedom. It is presented by the Great Britain National Holocaust Centre and Museum.

At 1 p.m. on Nov. 7 the film “My Survivor” will be livestreamed to students in the eighth through 12th grades. The film describes a landmark educational program that paired the University of Miami students with aging Holocaust survivors. The screening will be followed by a discussion, led by Dr. Mindy S. Hersh, senior executive producer of the film.

“The Ethics of Rescue” is the title of the program recommended for adults. It will be livestreamed at 4 p.m. in Nov. 7. The program will explore true stories behind the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. The discussion following the presentation will be led by second-generation survivor Dr. Bernice Kerber.

“1945,” a fictional film, tells the story of an Orthodox Jew and his son who travels to a village in Hungary shortly after World War II, causing villagers to fear that they are heirs of former Jewish neighbors who were deported by the Nazis. The film screening will be presented throughout the day via livestream, with a link to be provided after registration.

To register for more programs and for more information, go to: JewishMiami.org/hew2022 and click on “Holocaust Education Week” listed under Upcoming Events.

Bea Hines can be reached at Bea.Hines@gmail.com

This story was originally published November 4, 2022 at 4:30 AM.