Beyond ‘antisemitism:’ Another term best describes evil acts against Jewish community | Opinion

Tough on hate

Antisemitism. Such a pristine word. Neatly packaged with the ability to swiftly roll off the tongue as if there was nothing to it. Let’s call it what it is: Jew hatred. It cuts straight to the chase.

It provides a huge enough umbrella with room for all acts of evil, from the recent horrid shooting in Australia to a school teacher on Miami Beach getting battered to college protests where Jewish students were singled out for vicious assault.

Unlike the victims of robbery or burglary, when someone is victimized due to their color and/or religion, there is little they can do to ensure it will not happen again. The year 2024 saw the highest number of anti-Jewish hate crimes ever recorded by the FBI since it started collecting such data in 1991.

People need to fight back with ferocity. Taking it on the chin, waiting for one more act of hateful violence, is a losing proposition. I am not advocating violence. I am advocating, however, retribution for those who attack people for no other reason than they are Jewish. This needs to stop, and stop now.

You have the right to hate. However, when this transitions into acts of violence, realize there will be an equal and opposite reaction. You can learn a lot from Isaac Newton, it seems.

David Magnusson,

retired Miami Police Department

assistant chief

New year’s goal

Greatness is a goal to achieve, although realization is impossible. A democratic United States is a unique governmental system with pragmatic objectives, even though its premise was and remains a lofty mission about great promises such as, “All men are created equal...” and “Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

America of the past 250 years has never been “great” because human nature isn’t perfect — man has murdered, stolen, lied, enslaved, tricked and browbeat. I love my country, cherish our democracy and respect men who died in past wars waged for freedom. Millions of Americans however, have succumbed to greed and bigotry. We should never whitewash the truth of their sins.

Make America Great Again is a cultish fantasy. Make America Good Again should be our mantra and mission. Goodness is never perfect; it’s about trying. It’s dealing with gun madness and mental illness; calling to task billionaires buying and controlling society; not accepting vengeance and ridicule spewed from the highest office; protesting unlawful deportations and executions.

Goodness is listening to the Earth warn us of devastation and using riches to help the sick, the old, the young. It’s caring about our neighbors and communities. Goodness should be our New Year’s goal.

Johnnie McDonald,

Coconut Grove

Civic duty

I applaud historian and author Marvin Dunn’s effort to overturn Miami Dade College’s decision to give away its land. Unfortunately, all those involved -- from Tallahassee to the Trustees -- made a mockery of Florida’s Sunshine Law.

Sadly, transparency laws were insufficient to save the day. However, the more serious concern is that every MDC Trustee (including the MDC President) clearly violated their fiduciary duty. Every Trustee has a legal and ethical obligation to act in MDC’s best interests by overseeing its assets, mission and reputation, among others.

Don’t let Dunn fight this fight alone. Our elected leaders should be holding the Trustees to account, but appear complicit. Our civic duty should compel everyone to step up and hold the Trustees to their fiduciary duty.

Mark Diaz,

South Miami

Believe in the ‘U’

The biggest victory of the University of Miami’s football season wasn’t seen in the box score last week — it was in the hearts of outsiders who had written us off. As a UM student, I see that our fans’ faith has endured; now the public is catching up.

Miami has always been the underdog and often known for early losing seasons. Today, “the U” is one of the world’s most powerful and fast-growing brands.

Reaching the playoffs required a near-impossible chain of events: BYU destroyed, Duke winning the ACC, SMU losing, Georgia Tech falling and Miami dominating top-25 Pitt. Odds were less than one percent. Yet fans and alums stayed steadfast.

Even after the Hurricanes’ first College Football Playoff win, critics argued the Texas A&M victory wasn’t convincing enough to prove the team can win a national championship. That misses the point: this season is about belief, not dominance. The game wasn’t just about points — it reflected the faith that has always lived at the U, beyond the campus.

Miami’s story has always been about belief. When belief meets opportunity at the U, history repeats itself.

Jacob Goroff,

Chicago, IL

Trump’s comments

Like a stopped clock, President Trump can be right a couple of times a day and still be wrong for America all day long. Mary Anna Mancuso‘s Dec. 21 op-ed, “Trump’s comments on Reiner: a test for the GOP,” spoke eloquently to my difficulty with Trump.

Like most people, I was raised on my father‘s politics, this one as a Cuban exile. I was a Ronald Reagan big-R Republican all along. Then, the Tea Party hijacked it and turned it into the MAGA mess we see today.

Mancuso is right that we should not accept this disrespect from anyone who purports to represent the American people. We must throw off the yolk of his extreme foulness and point out that the emperor truly has no clothes, nor is he 6’-2’’ and 185 either.

God bless America and God bless President Donald J. Trump. His success is America’s success, but it comes at too great a cost to our reputation.

Marcelo Yanes,

Cutler Bay

Fine print

So happy to see Florida Catholic leaders realize how inhumane the Trump administration is. Hopefully, others also realize this.

Much thought and consideration is necessary before supporting any candidate or political party. Remember, “Be careful what you wish for.”

Kathleen Leitner,

Miami Lakes

Support Ukraine

Last week, the White House, Congress and many people throughout the nation celebrated Christmas and Christian acts of love, kindness and generosity. Yet, I’ve had some troubling thoughts.

Why is President Trump not giving his wholehearted, all-out support for Ukraine?

After all, Ukraine is widely recognized as a Christian nation, with a devotion to freedom and democracy. Yet Trump seems to be much more supportive of the goals and interests of the demonstrably unkind and ungodly Russian dictator, Vladimir Putin. For much of the 20th century, Russia was an anti-religious nation.

How is that not a slap in the face to all Americans who have fought for and strongly supported democracy and Christian values for nearly 250 years?

Richard Haase,

Orlando

Street hassles

The City of Coral Gables has a penchant for installing as many “traffic-calming” circles as it can. Many of them have been squeezed into inadequate spaces, so that they are not calming, but barely navigable and frustrating. Witness the abundance of tire marks on all the curbs. Truckers driving long wheel-based vehicles had best do an aerial survey before risking travel on some of the streets with such tight circles.

The city and police should educate drivers on the rules of the road, or start writing some citations. Too many drivers with “me first” attitudes consider yield signs mere suggestions.

Dick Masington,

Coral Gables

Bait and skip

As a U.S. military veteran, I found it interesting to read that President Donald Trump wants a new class of Navy warship named after him.

For the first built ship, I would suggest the fitting name: USS Draft Dodger.

Roger Hammer,

Homestead