Republicans and Democrats have failed to call out antisemitism in their parties | Opinion

Lacking courage

Shamefully, members of Congress, mostly Republican but also some Democrats, don’t speak out forcefully condemning what are, fortunately, still fringe antisemitic segments of their respective parties. It took Hitler many years to rise from fringe to power and then a few more years for the movement to explode into the Holocaust.

Considering the relatively large Jewish population and the ever-diminishing survivor population in South Florida, where are the voices (especially non-Jewish voices) of Congress condemning nascent but burgeoning antisemitism in their political clusters?

The failure to condemn — and the silence — is deafening. I urge all voters and especially my fellow Jews, to pause to consider when voting and/or contributing.

L. Gabriel Bach,

Key Biscayne

Just ask next time

President Trump’s supporters claim he is being criticized unfairly for trying to acquire Greenland because he is, by no means, the first president to do so. Rubbish.

Previous presidents have indeed made efforts to acquire Greenland, However, Trump is the first to threaten to take it by military force. Worse, it’s a threat against Denmark, one of our closest allies. This weakens the fabric of our country’s NATO defense.

Worse yet, the claim that acquiring Greenland is necessary for our “Golden Dome” missile defense efforts has been debunked as mere pretense (a polite way of saying he is lying about it). Fortunately, Trump is backing down, apparently agreeing to a “deal” he could have gotten by simply asking.

Presumably, he will now tell Norway that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize because he has averted (by his count) a ninth conflict.

R. Thomas Farrar,

Miami

Let’s lead again

Nearly a year after the United States dismantled its humanitarian aid system, the consequences are undeniable. America’s global influence has weakened, countless lives have been lost and the financial savings promised to taxpayers never materialized.

USAID accounted for just 0.3 percent of the federal budget, about one cent of every three taxpayer dollars. Cutting it did virtually nothing to reduce spending and inflicted enormous human and strategic costs.

As a result of reductions to famine relief, public health and other humanitarian programs, hundreds of thousands of people have died. At the same time, China surpassed the United States in foreign aid contributions, filling the vacuum we left behind. When the U.S. steps back, nations turn elsewhere for leadership.

As a volunteer with the Alliance for American Leadership, I strongly support an engaged and principled American role in the world. Congress is now considering the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill that modernizes foreign assistance and strengthens national security.

I urge U.S. Sens. Ashley Moody and Rick Scott to support this legislation. In an era of growing global instability, retreat is not an option.

Victoria Bourgeon,

Fort Lauderdale

Miami’s ball

Who would have thought that two Cuban American families would play dominating roles in determining the College Football Championship?

Mario Cristobal as the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes and Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza and his undefeated Indiana Hoosiers.

Miami, the Cuban American capital of the U.S.A., exploded with excitement, passion and pride in the national spotlight in one of the most exciting and nail-biting games I have ever seen.

While it is unbelievable that exiled Cuban families would be at the pinnacle of such an American sport, one of the first games the Miami Hurricanes ever played was against the University of Havana in 1926, in the present Coral Gables Youth Club field.

Gabriel Sanchez,

Miami

Some friends!

A recent article in the New York Times reported that, even though Cubans in the U.S. have long benefited from legal privileges unavailable to immigrants from other countries (even when entering the country illegally), that has dramatically changed under President Trump, who is now deporting Cubans in record numbers.

The Cuban community has loyally supported Trump for the past 10 years and has staunchly supported the Republican Party for more than 65 years.

With all the degradation aimed at the entire Hispanic community, when will Cubans finally realize that Trump and Republicans are really not their friends?

Friends don’t deport their friends!

S. Floyd,

Gainesville

Something’s happening

I’m 91, born in the Bronx, grew up a mile from the Bronx. When I was 10 and 11, in 1943 and 1944, I saw a lot of “war movies.” One goal of these films was to get us to hate the “Japs” or the “Nazis” by showing their cruelty.

A typical scene had the Gestapo in an unmarked black car, pull up to a civilian on the street, put him in the car and treat him disrespectfully, as if this fellow human was no more than an animal, then herd him off to a concentration camp to be “disappeared.”

Lately, I’ve been hearing statements and seeing scenes in our city streets of people being talked about and treated as if they were no more than animals, civilians taken away by men in black unmarked cars and — without any court action — herded off to a concentration prison in a foreign country, whose president got his supreme court to change the constitution so he could stay in power.

Lately, I’ve had the feeling, probably unjustified, that someone is trying to make me hate my own country’s leaders and their agents.

Daniel Collins,

Hollywood

Just the ticket?

My wife and I recently enjoyed watching the Indiana vs. Miami College Football Playoff National Championship game on television. On our humble Social Security income, we could never afford or justify buying tickets to see it in person, at an estimated $4,000 to $5,000 each.

When TV announcers mentioned the exorbitant ticket prices, I immediately thought about the humanitarian issues at play. This was especially poignant as temperatures in my hometown of Denver had dropped below freezing for 72 hours. My hope is that those who can afford such expensive sports and entertainment tickets will be moved when they witness homeless people forced to camp out in such inhumane, frigid conditions.

A one-way bus ticket to Key West, for example, purchased two days in advance, costs between $200 and $250. At that price, about 20 bus tickets could be purchased for the price of a single game ticket.

As a former mayor of an Alabama city, I worry that governments and nonprofits may hesitate to support such migration trips due to an institutional focus on maintaining local “number counts,” which often serve to support their own job security, rather than the immediate humanitarian need.

Mike Sawyer,

Denver, CO

Things we miss

Almost daily, whenever I listen to any news channel or read a newspaper, I learn about another tragic event in America or around the world, or I hear about an incredibly wicked action taken by someone in the federal government or read about a crazy statement coming out of the mouth of some politician.

Crucially, we should heed the advice of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to “hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”

I wonder if some souls are missing the beautiful.

Peter M. Brooke,

Doral

This is America?

I am so confused. A couple of weeks ago, I heard President Trump encourage Iranians to continue protesting and take over institutions. Meanwhile, notably in Democratic areas, Trump sends troops to quell protests.

Hmm, America first?

George Lipp,

Cooper City