I am writing this letter in response to one written in the Friday, Sept. 30 2016 edition of the Roslyn Times.
The article was written by Jeff Siegel.
As I first began reading his letter, I actually thought it was a satire and would end with a punch line telling us of how he admired America.
Instead, as it turned out, he actually meant what he was saying, literally.
If countries could sue for slander, this letter would be actionable.
Siegel defames this country. He also defames Donald Trump.
Siegel begins by describing how Trump, and the America Trump represents, is a “part of me” that he expects to encounter once he is 50 miles from Port Washington.
He proceeds to denigrate the Bible Belt, Louisiana parishes, Texas towns, and upstate New York villages.
He describes how his parents and relatives, his rabbi, and movies and books inculcated this suspicion of an America barely tolerating Jews, but never accepting them.
This letter is one of the most hate-filled rants I have ever seen published in a respectable newspaper.
He states, “America to me is a narrow-minded, Christ-loving, anti-Semitic, racist, misogynistic thug.” “The America of Trump. The real America.”
I will emphatically state here that I am calling Siegel himself, a narrow-minded, Christian-hating, America-hating bigot.
He is as bigoted as any of the racists and anti-Semites he criticizes.
It is actually Jews like Siegel that provoke hatred for Jews, and then claim to be the victims.
Where should I start?
There is not enough room in a letter to the editor to give innumerable personal anecdotes. So I will defend America in general.
The United States has been the most hospitable country for Jews in history of the diaspora which began some 2,000 years ago.
The success of Jews in this country is legend.
Jewish senators and Jewish members of the House of Representatives are elected disproportionately to their numbers in the population.
Jews are overrepresented in finance and economics, medicine, the legal profession, and scientific research.
They are some of the most successful businessmen and businesswomen in the country.
They are overrepresented amongst the wealthiest of Americans.
Jewish rocks stars are worshipped as are classical music conductors and players.
They have an overwhelming presence in Hollywood. The same is true of literature and publishing.
Jews have an inordinate number of Nobel prizes.
While that is a Norwegian award, the scientific research was done here, at American universities.
University faculties also employ vast numbers of Jewish professors.
Siegel is an ingrate for the idealism and freedoms America allows all its citizens, Jews among them.
While Siegel may feel threatened when 50 miles from Port Washington, the biggest threat to Jewish existence in America is intermarriage.
I do not see how falling in love with Jews and marrying them can be called anti-Semitic.
I certainly take umbrage at the fact that he specifically takes aim at “Christ-loving” people as if there was something wrong with that.
While Siegel cannot change his parents or relatives, he better get another rabbi if that is what his rabbi taught him.
I have had innumerable great experiences in the company of absolutely wonderful “Christ-loving” people.
I was happy and proud to befriend them.
Siegel has the same anti-Christian hatred that fuels the slaughter and genocide of Christians in today’s Middle East.
Thanks for your contribution to it, Mr. Siegel.
I will now continue to refute, the usual, vapid, empty-headed charges Siegel has levelled against America.
“America is narrow-minded.” America is the most innovative, creative country to ever exist.
I would say that Israel could give it a run for the money on a per capita basis, but overall, no other country is close.
“America is a racist thug.” A fact usually ignored, is that most blacks in this country are descended from immigrants, not from slaves.
Why did they come here? Why didn’t they go to Africa? Or stay in the Caribbean?
It is because they prefer life here.
Anyone who thinks Trump is a racist should watch the video on Youtube.com of his visit to the Cleveland Heights Church.
See what Pastor Darrell Scott had to say.
See what the boxing promoter, Don King, originally from Cleveland, had to say about Trump before he introduced him to the crowd.
There was also a very heartfelt and eloquent speech by Michael Cohen, son of holocaust survivors who was invited to speak at the event.
If anti-Semitism is so terrible here, then why do Israelis and Russian Jews emigrate here? Persian Jews too?
Today, most of the genuine anti-Semitism in this country exists in the Muslim community, the black community, and on college campuses.
Not in Louisiana parishes or Texas villages per Siegel.
As for misogyny in America, I would like to mention a couple of facts. Women live longer in America than men.
They also commit suicide at a lower rate than men. They also take a larger share of the medical pie than do men.
I would say American women are the most free of any women in the world. If you disagree, show me another.
I do not compare America to some fictional utopia or to the one that lives in Siegel’s imagination.
So far I have given my own opinion. However, my views are shared by many other Jews.
Some of the most prominent are talk show hosts. Dennis Prager is absolutely enthralled with the United States.
His YouTube.com videos, eponymously named Prager University, proudly exemplify this.
Michael Medved, another talk show host, proudly calls America, again and again, “the greatest country on this green earth.”
Michael Savage, son of an immigrant, is an ardent defender of America.
No one should miss the YouTube.com video of Ezra Levant entitled, “The Donald Trump video every Jew must watch!” I intend to forward Siegel’s hateful letter to these talk show hosts to see if they would like to speak to it.
So let me ask Siegel some questions: If this is such a hateful place, why did you stay here for more than five decades?
You are free to leave. There is no Berlin Wall, iron curtain, or bamboo curtain.
Where is it better?
What country is free from racism, misogyny, and anti-Semitism?
I must apologize to other Americans who were exposed to this poison. Siegel is not representative of most Jews.
Jews have their haters and bigots too. Just like anyone else.
Unlike Siegel and his family, I would also like to express my deepest gratitude to the veterans of World War II who sacrificed life and limb to defeat Hitler and end the Holocaust.
As for me, I love it here.
I am proud to be an American and so is my family. I proudly fly the flag at my home.
God bless America.
Dr. Wayne Roth
Roslyn Heights
Readers Write: Defaming the country and Trump
