Cancelling Subscription to the NY Times
Dear Editor:
Seventy-five years after European Jewry was destroyed—principally because our people had no refuge, no place to call their own—it is painful to read calls to end Jewish self-determination in America’s “paper of record”. It is similarly difficult to read writers in the Times put Rep. Ilhan Omar’s antisemitic remarks into some kind of “context”.
But the Times’ Jew-as-dog cartoon was one too much.
Your editor’s reference to the cartoon’s content as merely “offensive” displays a willing ignorance of two millennia of antisemitism. The image was quite clearly not intended to cause offense, but rather to arouse hatred. And when people are taught to hate, bloodshed invariably follows.
My family cancelled its subscription today. We have concluded that no Jew with a modicum of self-respect, or an instinct of self-preservation, would do otherwise.
Most sincerely,
Howard H. Wiesenfeld
How Are Ride Share Companies Going to Survive?
Dear Editor,
I read your article “Carl Icahn Sold his Stake in Lyft to George Soros Before its IPO” and still wonder how these ride-share companies are even supposed to make money. And this is before we even get into the environmental disaster that these extra vehicles are causing.
Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green rang the Nasdaq opening bell remotely on Friday from a downtown Los Angeles warehouse in a ceremony attended by Lyft drivers, employees and their families, and the stock went up and down since.
Meanwhile, Icahn didn’t give a reason for his sale of his Lyft stake but was reportedly unhappy that Zimmer and Green were given super-voting shares that gave them outsized voting power at the company.
In any case, I still am curious to see how companies like Lyft and Uber progress from here. I wouldn’t expect the standardization of autonomous vehicles anytime soon, and investors had already been helping these companies make the rides their workers provide artificially cheap. As it is, I’ve wondered where people are getting this money to afford paying for these car services when a subway or bus ride costs $2.75 and a bike ride is virtually free. What happens if Lyft has to start charging significantly more?
These vehicles are not the way of the future in cities anyway. Buses and trains can move thousands of passengers at rates far more efficient than vehicles that often have one or two occupants. All of the space taken up by these vehicles adds up quickly, as do the toxic emissions that are harmful to the environment, life, and contribute to climate change.
If only our country had the same enthusiasm about walking, biking, skating, and riding buses and trains as it did for cars, then maybe we would be able to create a more just society where getting around is cheap, sustainable, and brings together the community.
Sincerely,
Amber Rasey
Thrilled About New Israeli Eatery in NYC
Dear Editor,
I’m salivating just from reading your article “Famous Israeli Chef Bringing Kosher Tastes To Hell’s Kitchen.” I can’t wait to go try some of Eyal Shani’s tasty Israeli food in Hell’s Kitchen in a few months. The place sounds so cool, and I for one can hardly wait. It’s another great chance for Israeli food and culture to spread and bring joy and fulfillment to people’s lives. People from all corners of the world come to New York, and soon they will get an authentic taste of Israeli cuisine in the middle of the Big Apple. We need more of this healthful, environmentally friendly, and delicious food.
Sincerely,
Carol Miccucio
