Chris Pappas was right to vote for censure of Rep. Tlaib: Letters
Chris Pappas was right to vote for censure of Rep. Tlaib
Nov. 14 − To the Editor:
‘When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.’
‘The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’
‘The question is,’ said Humpty Dumpty, ‘which is to be master—that’s all.’
Subsequently, he fell off the wall and All the kings horses, etc.
Humpty’s great sin was to think that words meant what he meant them to mean, but he is wrong. Words take meaning according to how the hearer hears them.
When Robert Azzi carries on about Orientalists twisting the words of Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s (D-Michigan) he is living in a Humpty Dumpty world. When she uses the phrase “From the river to the sea,” it means exactly what people hear it to mean. Once her words are out of her mouth, she is no longer master of them. If she had meant that Palestine/Israel will be a land where Jews and Arabs will live together in peace, from the river to the sea, she would have said that. Instead, her use of the slogan in the context of recent events is heard as an endorsement of Hamas goal to destroy Israel as a Jewish state and establish a Hamas ruled state on all the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean. How could she not have known that? “Free Palestine” really means “Free of Jews.” Like Arabia is free of Jews, Iraq is free of Jews, Egypt is free of Jews, and so forth. On October 7, Hamas demonstrated to everyone with eyes that if they had the firepower they would kill every Jew in Israel who was unable to flee.
Chris Pappas was right to vote for the censure.
Saying this does not excuse Netanyahu’s use of the phrase or endorse his government’s policies toward Palestinians, his tolerance of settler violence against them, or the suffering of Palestinian non-combatants, women and children. Personally, I am aghast. I endorse the J Street view, which you can look up for a full explanation. No room to do it here. But nowhere in his article do I see Mr. Azzi condemning the actions or policies of Hamas – not for October 7, not for placing their military assets in densely populated areas and their command centers underneath a hospital, not for the fighters actively impeding their own people from fleeing the areas of heaviest fighting, not for their charter which plainly states their goal to destroy Israel. Their own actions show their own callousness toward the suffering of their own people. Safely ensconced with their families in Qatar and Beirut they welcome the martyrdom of 10,000 for what they perceive as political gain on the international front. Instead, Mr. Azzi and Rep. Tlaib point elsewhere for blame, at us. Don’t buy it.
Jeffrey Cooper
Portsmouth
Columnist's defense of Rashida Tlaib rings hollow
Nov. 14 − To the Editor:
“Actions speak louder than words.” It is a phrase most often associated with St. Anthony of Padua. We are full of words but empty of action. People frequently decry injustice, but rarely do anything about it.
We are also judged more by our actions than our words. Robert Azzi’s attempt to defend Rep Rashida Tlaib’s “River to the Sea” comments rings hollow.
Rep. Tlaib led an insurrection at the Capitol – destroying property and interrupting a government proceeding. Within weeks another violent insurrection at the White House, combined with damage to businesses in DC. Mr. Azzi denounced January 6th most emphatically, why not here? Jewish students assaulted on campus, told to hide in the attic like Anne Frank. Violent protests happening across the US. Jews afraid to practice their religion for fear of violence. Reports of antisemitism have risen 400% in just weeks. In contrast, the November 14 rally held in DC supporting Israel had hundreds of thousands of demonstrators with no violence or destruction of property.
Any relationship to “Palestinians are being denied freedom, security, justice, equality” is drowned out by the actions of Rep. Tlaib and the protesters themselves. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated “Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. It is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win his understanding: it seeks to annihilate rather than convert. Violence is immoral because it thrives on hatred rather than love. It destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible.“
Both Rep. Tlaib and Mr. Azzi have been silent on violence in the US in the past month. The Latin phrase “qui tacet consentire videtur”, or silence is consent, comes to mind. Perhaps their words would have more meaning if their actions mirrored them.
Jim Fernald
Portsmouth
More: Azzi: Cry for freedom from the river to the sea
More: England: “From the river to the sea,” what does it mean?
Understanding Rye drinking water
Nov. 7 − To the Editor:
How much should you understand about Rye drinking water? While the 2022 drought and boil water alert certainly got your attention, there is a lot more everyone should understand.
Don’t miss a great opportunity on Thursday, November 16th at 6:30 p.m, downstairs at the Rye Public Library meeting room.
“Water in Rye” will be this year’s community presentation from the Rye Civic League (RCL). Hydrologist, Danna Truslow will explain our aquifer, the different types of wells and the interaction between surface and ground water.
The RCL will then present the four different water sources in Rye and what impacts drinking water quality. Residents should take advantage of this opportunity to learn about these impacts and the different options Rye needs to consider or ignore.
The presentation can be watched on www.townhallstreams.com under Rye Public Library and the slides will be posted on the Rye Civic League website (www.ryecivicleague.org) as they are hard to read from the video camera. If you are not getting the free monthly Civic News e-mail you should sign-up on the RCL Website and check who else you know in Rye is not being informed each month.
I continuously meet long time and new residents who did not know about the free Civic News, so be neighborly and make sure your neighbors, friends and family are on the monthly Civic News distribution.
The November National Civic League Civic Action newsletter includes a Rye Civic League feature story, as they believe no other local civic organization matches the service available to Rye residents.
Steven Borne
Rye Civic League President
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Chris Pappas was right to vote for censure of Rep. Tlaib: Letters
