Antisemitism, illegal apartments, bias on Long Island, plastic water bottles

Why hate? After all, we’re all Americans

I applaud Randi F. Marshall’s column that asks, “Where are all my non-Jewish friends?” [Opinion, Nov. 3]. It seems that part of our current American culture is to hate — someone or some group. How did we get to this ugly place?

Lady Liberty invites “your tired, your poor . . . yearning to breathe free.” Indigenous tribes and African slaves were here long before most of the rest of our ancestral immigrant families, yet we are all Americans.

Unfortunately, many people still think Jews killed Jesus, who was a rabbi. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, ordered Jesus put to death to quell his power as “king of the Jews.”

We have an opportunity now and in the coming holidays to make a concerted effort to help our nation from rapidly descending into a point of complete chaos. We can help promote the peace and joy that we want for ourselves and our planet and to pass on to our loved ones.

Let all your friends know that you care for them, especially ones who you think must be hurting now.

— Marjorie Thomas, Blue Point

Randi F. Marshall’s liberal friends appear to be missing in action. To me, real supporters of Israel are found on the right — evangelicals, supporters of former President Donald Trump, and conservatives. They are the real supporters of Israel, not faux anti-hate groups. You reap what you sow when you rely solely on your progressive friends.

— Leonard J. Marino, Northport

Let me state loud and clear that as a non-Jew, I stand with Randi F. Marshall, in particular, and all Jews in general. I also support the state of Israel’s right to defend itself against the savages called Hamas.

I wish the Israeli defense forces Godspeed in routing out and eliminating Hamas. I, too, know what happened to the Jewish people in the Holocaust, and I also say, “Never again!”

Hang in there, Randi. You have more non-Jewish support than you know.

— James Wood, North Babylon

Illegal apartments imperil firefighters

This is more than just about greedy landlords cashing in on already overburdened school districts and water and sewer utilities “Illegal apartments found in fire-damaged Hicksville home,” Our Towns, Nov. 7]. It’s about a much more precious resource — our firefighters, who are largely volunteers.

Illegal apartments are over-occupied spaces that all too often are composed of illegal partitions and non-code-compliant natural gas and electrical work. And they often lack safe exits. The Town of Oyster Bay building inspector said several summonses were issued.

When the fire alarm sounds, though, our firefighters answer the call despite myriad dangerous conditions. These men and women are our neighbors and friends who by day have normal lives, but when the alarm sounds, they risk their lives.

Do we not owe these brave people more? Illegal apartments are rampant, and the complaint, adjudication and enforcement process desperately needs to improve.

We were lucky with the Hicksville fire that no one was injured or worse. The number of illegal apartments, which steadily increases, is a ticking time-bomb.

— Robert Sacklow, Plainview

Decades of bias need to be remedied now

For too long, no one has discussed and examined why Long Island remains one of the most segregated areas in the country [“NY plan to combat housing bias,” News, Nov. 7].

I am an adjunct professor at Touro Law School, and this fall, associate dean Jim Montes and I are teaching a class called Under Color of Law, which examines how governmental policies going back to Reconstruction and through President Richard Nixon’s administration led to housing and lending segregation on Long Island.

Our class is for upper-level students, hopefully inspiring them to discuss this topic with their peers and to take action as part of their upcoming legal careers. Newsday’s series on housing discrimination has shown that the problems of decades of discriminatory actions and policies continue to this day and need to be remedied.

— Oscar Michelen, Albertson

Do we need all these bottles of water?

I agree with the recent letters on increasing the bottle deposit [“Raising nickel deposit is only the first step,” Letters, Nov. 7]. But are the huge numbers of cases of single-use water bottles I see loaded into cars at my local grocery warehouse really necessary?

Are water bottles necessary at home? Can you buy a filter pitcher and use that instead if you don’t like the taste of your local water?

We all love convenience,but what if people become more cognizant of how much unnecessary waste they’re producing? Many of us grew up just fine without bottled water.

— Karen Shapiro, Oceanside