Can We Fire this Pope?
Dear Editor:
When I read what the Pope said, my head spun around like Linda Blair in The Exorcist, “Pope Francis Says Pandemic Is ‘Nature’s Response’ to Human Inaction over Climate Change.” Is this Pope living in the 21st century?
The Christian Post, “Attacks against Christians in Europe reached record highs in 2019, as hostility, vandalism against churches, Christian schools and monuments sweep the continent. Violence against Christian sites is most widespread in France. In Germany, attacks against Christian churches are occurring at an average rate of two per day.”
“Nigeria is experiencing an Islamist war of the extermination of Christians. 900 churches in northern Nigeria have been destroyed by Boko Haram; 16,000 Christians have been killed there since 2015. In one single Nigerian Catholic diocese, Maiduguri, 5,000 Christians were murdered. How much bigger and more extended must this war on Christians become before the West considers it a “genocide” and acts to prevent it? The day after Christians were beheaded in Nigeria, Pope Francis admonished Western society. About beheaded Christians? No. “Put down your phones, talk during meals”, the Pope said. He did not speak a single word about the horrific execution of his Christian brothers and sisters. “
This Pope’s astounding blaming of this virus on climate change, combined with his absent moral voice on the persecution and killing of his own fellow Christians across the globe should be grounds for his dismissal. If not, where can we cast ballots to fire him and send him packing back to the Dark Ages.
Sincerely
Jeff Markowitz
Congresswoman Betty McCollum’s IsraelaPhobia Bug
Dear Editor:
Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) suffers from IsraelaPhobia. She caught this Bug years ago when she began obsessively instigating anti Israel legislation. She called Israel “apartheid”, and accepted a leadership award from the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights. “This group is at the ‘very heart’ of the Boycott movement, claims to advocate for justice and human rights, but is a coalition of extremists promoting a campaign of hate which harms Israelis and Palestinians alike.” (StandWithUs)
Her latest gig is US House Bill, “Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act” seeks to protect Palestinian children from Israelis.
So what are the facts she ignores? “A televised video is available for anyone to see of Palestinian children from ages of 3 to 5 dressed like suicide bombers, those between the ages of 10 and 13 vowing a death wish, while those the from the age of 14 preparing for suicide attacks, sometimes wishing farewell to their beaming parents.” “An estimated 10,000 children are trained in Hamas’ terrorist camps each year; at least 160 have died digging terror tunnels into Israel. A group of NGOs formed, ‘The Coalition to Save Palestinian Child Soldiers’, and is urging the public to sign an open letter to child welfare advocates condemning the use of Palestinian children as soldiers. For decades, Palestinian children ‘have fulfilled the role of combatants, human shields, rioters, laborers, support staff, and even as suicide bombers.’ UNRWA textbooks teach Arab children between the first and ninth grades to kill Israelis and martyr themselves.”
Congresswoman McCollum’s remarkable resume also includes her silence about the Muslim-on-Muslim child abuse of Afghani children made into sex slaves by Taliban warlords, the abused offspring of Yazidi women raped by ISIS’ Caliphate in Iraq and Syria and child soldiers in Africa. Let us wish McCollum a speedy recovery from her IsraelaPhobia before she harms more ‘Palestinian’ children by falsely blaming Israel instead of protecting them from the real abusers—Arab adults, parents and leaders who use them as human weapons, teach them to kill themselves and Jews as an act of holy martyrdom, who hate Israel more than they love their children.
Sincerely
Ginette Weiner
Feud Btwn Cuomo & BeBlasio
Dear Editor:
Due to the ongoing feud between Governor Andrew Cuomo and NYC Mayor Bill DeBlasio, NYC subway and bus riders continue to be the losers. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board is made up of 17 voting members. Their votes impact how the $51 billion MTA 2020–2024 Five Year Capital Program spending priorities, contract awards, fares and service operations are determined. This effects millions of New Yorkers who ride NYC Transit bus, subway, Staten Island Railway, MTA bus, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads.
Cuomo nominates six of those board members. He names the Board chair and CEO . In reality, he controls the MTA. De Blasio nominates four. Suburban County Executives from Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Putnam each nominate one. Westchester, Dutchess, Orange and Rockland share one vote.
NYC currently has only two of its four votes due to two vacancies. Ms. Veronica Vanterpool and Mr. Carl Weisbrod resigned earlier this year. De Blasio nominated NYC Department of Aging Commissioner Ms. Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez to replace Weisbrod and NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities Mr. Victor Calise to replace Vanterpool.
Why hasn’t Cuomo allowed De Blasio’s two nominations to go forward? NYC deserves four full time votes on the MTA Board. Cuomo continues to live by the old Sicilian proverb, “vengeance is a dish best served cold.” As a result of his inaction, eight million NYC residents continue to be left out in the cold when it comes to MTA management.
Sincerely,
Larry Penner
(Larry Penner is a transportation historian, writer and advocate who previously worked 31 years for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for the MTA, NYC Transit bus and subway, Staten Island Rail Road, Long Island and Metro North Rail Roads, MTA Bus, New Jersey Transit along with 30 other transit agencies in NY & NJ).
