Readers discuss presidential candidates and the burkini ban.
Bashing the Other Is Not an Argument
I sat down to read the point-counterpoint views of Rabbi Seymour Rosenbloom and Richard Tems hoping they would tell us why voting for their candidate is the better choice for Jews and Israel (“The Jewish-American Story Dictates a Vote for Clinton,” “Trump Is the Pro-America, Pro-Israel Candidate,” Sept. 1). Instead, both spent most of their words telling us why the other candidate was undeserving of our vote.
We will only win votes for our respective candidates if we can articulate why our choices for president are the best by citing concrete evidence to support our positions for a candidate, rather than against the other. I hope between now and the election we see more views to help us make the most informed decision for our preferred candidates.
Nancy Kurtzman | Wynnewood
The French Have Their Reasons
This past week my wife and I returned from Paris and as you might imagine, the burkini was a hot topic among the French (“Tempest in a Swimsuit,” Sept. 1). We were in a city about 45 minutes north of Paris and spent a day with a French friend who is a prominent businessperson and has never been in politics. We asked him for his perspective on the issue.
Bear in mind we had just traveled from our hotel near the Champs-Elysées and were subjected to many Muslim beggars on the street, as well as an Eiffel Tower surrounded by a fence with lots of security. Burkas were very common. Also bear in mind the incidents of terror in France over the last few months.
Our friend told us that from a French perspective, the burkini ban was a statement about two issues: The garment represents the oppression of women, a well-known phenomenon in some Muslim countries, and wearing a burkini is not a reflection of French culture. Many Muslims come to France from the French-speaking former colonies, but they will not assimilate once in France. This is not a story with a happy ending, and the burkini issue seems to bring it front and center.
Matt Segal | Cary, N.C.
Trump Defender’s Logic Suspect
I am stunned that Richard Tems’ rationale for voting for Trump is that he has led the Israel Day parade, his daughter keeps kosher and he hires a lot of Jews, so he can’t be an anti-Semite (“Trump Is the Pro-America, Pro-Israel Candidate,” Sept. 1). Now those are solid reasons to vote for a man who has threatened mass deportation of 11 million people in a “humane and efficient” way!
Trump’s plan to round up and forcefully deport massive numbers of people should resonate with horrifying familiarity. How any Jewish person could rationally vote for him is beyond comprehension.
Ivy L. Bryan | Lafayette Hill
