Some hate America, yet they stay

Some hate America, yet they stay

Recently I stopped in an Arab owned store to do some grocery shopping, as I sometimes do. The people are nice, and I mostly say “hi” and leave. Last week they had some Arab relations in the store and I could hear them talking politics. I knew some of the family and couldn’t help hearing parts of the conversation. They were bad mouthing America and how terrible we are and how we are puppets of the state of Israel.

The topic was mostly about the current situation in Egypt and how it was really mostly the fault of Israel and the U.S. I asked a few family members who I slightly knew that if this country was so bad than how were they doing such a prosperous family business and able to lead a good life in this country. I got blank stares and a nervous smile and said this is the way they felt and many American Arab felt the same way.

I brought up how the Shah of Iran fell back in 1979 and was replaced by even a worse dictator like the Ayatollah Khomeini, and I wondered how was this progress in the Middle East. Though the shah was an oppressive dictator there were still some freedoms in the country and most of the population was allowed to travel anywhere they wanted to. Khomeini and the current government turned out far worse. This group told me that I had my facts wrong. Khomeini was a good leader for the people of Iran and was supported my most of the people. Even after he died the current leaders lead a popular government with the Iranian people. The protests over in Iran were overblown in the Western news media. I just smiled back and didn’t continue the conversation and said have a good day.

Many would say I was stereotyping and should be more objective. But many Arab Americans who live here or migrate over here hate this country. Look at the Arab American Army major who shot up an army base last year. He was born and educated here and majored in psychiatry. It was well known in the army that he hated America and was against our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nothing was done about his situation because the army was afraid to offend anybody. He hasn’t even been brought to trial yet because the army is probably dragging its feet. The case disappeared from the news media.

Many Arab Americans have argued on TV that we are the ones that have set up certain dictators in the Middle East and you can tell that there is a growing anti-American feeling among the demonstrators in Egypt. America has given billions of dollars to these countries over the years, plus the oil money that goes to these countries. We have been more generous with foreign aid than any other country in the world. It is not America’s fault that much of this wealth did not get down to average Arab citizen in these countries. It was hogged by their greedy dictators who were not all totally supported by America. Their leaders had a choice and did not share the wealth with the people so stop blaming America for the whole situation in the Middle East. I fear that Egypt will eventually be taken over by a group like the Muslim Brotherhood and become like another Iran.

Gary Gergel, Youngstown

Putting Israeli rights above others

I’ve been watching Al-Jazeera online and the American media on TV in regard to the revolution in Egypt.

What astonishes me about the American media is that the most important thing they want to know is how this will affect Israel. Will they still support the sham “peace process?” In other words let Israel stall and assault the people of Palestine as much as they want while America struts across the world stage as “the honest broker.”

Let’s get this right. We want to know if we should suppress and/or subvert the democratic rights of 80 million Egyptians so that we can secure the privileges of 5 million Israelis? That is our version of stability in the Middle East. And in truth our version of democracy as well, which is not democracy at all but a kind of undercover dictatorship over other nations

Clinton, Obama and Biden are going around praising Mubarak, not because he took care of the needs of his people but because he placed the interests of the U.S. and Israel above the needs and aspirations of his own people. Any leader who does otherwise is labeled a “fanatic.” Aristide was a fanatic. So is Chavez and Evo Morales.

The Egyptians will not be deceived by smooth-talking “diplomats” with CIA plots in their back pockets. They want the truth and they want their rights.

Roger Lafontaine, Youngstown

Drop the ball and criminals walk

There are two old adages. One states, “that’s how the ball bounces”. The other references “dropping the ball”.

The individual who took Angeline Fimognari from her family and this world had an extensive record. On a pending felony charge his bond was dropped from half a million to $25,000. He took the opportunity ... then took Angeline. The “ball was dropped,” as he was given “a bounce.”

Two weeks before Thomas Repchic was shot to death and his wife wounded, one of their assailants was involved and identified in a daylight drive-by. The parties involved had multiple previous records for drug offenses and one shooter had a pending case with felony charges involving a firearm specification. There was no action. Could it be that someone was an informant? Informants may perform a valuable service, but in an instance when individuals are shooting up a neighborhood at 5 o’clock on a fall evening, whose protection is a priority — the public or the perp? Was the “ball dropped,” and who got “a bounce?”

Vivian Martin was an example of a woman who worked hard to build a business and care for her family. Her family’s pain is also evident. They are now expected to trust in the system for an inkling of justice.

Every one of these victims and their families are entitled to the same degree of expertise given the accused. The best the county has with death specification credentials. Will the “ball bounce” or “drop?”

I believe that the ball was dropped long before these and so many others hit the criminal justice system.

It is not socioeconomic. That is an affront to every parent who struggles financially, yet manages to instill principles in their children. I know many and admire them.

Vacant houses are not a cause, they are an effect. The core problem lies in houses that are occupied, where the basic needs of a child are not being met. My mother, who had 10 children of her own and was a foster mother until her age and health would no longer allow, said, “the worst sin in the world is to take a child and destroy them.”

If the mayor wants to correct the dysfunctional criminal justice system, may I suggest it be at the core. First, properly staff the YPD and give them the equipment and tools necessary to do the job. Respect the importance of our municipal judges. And provide the financial support needed to keep our criminals in cells and off the streets. We do have the resources.

To me every violent death is a tragedy and a failure. My hope is that the “ball” stops bouncing or dropping and someone finally catches it.

Maggy Lorenzi, Youngstown