Barletta Letter Act of Character Assassination
A recent letter about U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta (R-District 11), who is running for the Senate against Democrat incumbent Bob Casey, engages in shameless political character assassination (“Unsavory Truth About Barletta,” July 12).
The letter attacks Barletta because he attended a fundraiser with “alleged” racist and anti-Semite Nigel Farage. Farage is an internationally respected statesman who founded the British UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party), which ultimately led to the impetus behind the successful Brexit vote.
In fact, in an interview with the Jewish Chronicle before a Jewish organization, which you can watch online, you can see how the audience embraces this consummate gentleman. UKIP is the only British party with a constitution that forbids racism of any kind. Unfortunately, much of the mainstream media displays a bias when disseminating information.
As Jews, we are sensitive to anti-Semitic comments, but assertions about Farage (and by association, Barletta) display a typical knee-jerk reaction akin to the proliferation of “racist” accusations so often heard today, usually directed at conservatives.
Farage’s comments show respect for Jewish organizations. Jewish groups, along with many other ethnic groups, do wield influence, and that influence is, in fact, a good thing. All groups lobby for their own best interests. Anti-Semitic to point that out? Hardly.
It’s interesting that some Jewish groups have reversed their censure of congressional candidate Scott Wallace and now endorse him because he has “educated himself” about Israel and now declares himself to be a supporter of the Jewish state. Essentially, he has been given a free pass by some Democrats in order to justify voting for a Democrat.
But these same Democrats are very quick to use the anti-Semite label when the target is a conservative. Undoubtedly, many of these people who have taken issue, unfairly, with Barletta will gladly vote for Wallace in November.
Gail Marshall | Yardley
Dog Whistles Are Real
In turning a blind eye to Republican Senate candidate Lou Barletta’s association with Nigel Farage, a supporter of his kvetches that she is “having a problem with this whole dog whistle stuff about anti-Semitism” (“Lou Barletta criticized for Nigel Farage Invite,” July 19). Allow me to enlighten her: “It … can’t be ignored that this country has a president who has turned his Twitter account into a truncheon to attack people of color, immigrants and women with unchecked impunity that has emboldened others, including youth, to do the same” (Kevin B. Blackistone, The Washington Post, July 21).
In February 2016, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump played coy about being endorsed by Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke. In July 2016, he retweeted an image of Hillary Clinton on a pile of cash with a Star of David. In August 2017, President Donald Trump said there were “fine people” among the mobs marching in the streets chanting “Jews will not replace us.”
Roy A. Davidson | Lancaster
