Anti-Semitism lurks on the left

Re “The anti-Semitic rants in my in-box,” Opinion, May 19

Nick Goldberg provides a stark reminder that antiSemitism from right-wing bigots is alive and well. The vitriolic emails he received are jarring and disturbing, but hardly surprising.

Sadly, however, it must be noted that anti-Semitism is not confined solely to the right. Equally as pernicious, and perhaps even more so because it is less overt, anti-Semitism also infects some on the left.

When leaders of mainstream movements, like two former heads of the Women’s March, praise and embrace Louis Farrakhan, or when a whole cast of left-wing academics and students that follow them proclaim that Zionists are racists, we must call this out as anti-Semitism too. Scott A. Edelman and Richard S. Hirschhaut

Los Angeles The writers are, respectively, president and director of the American Jewish Committee Los Angeles.

What Goldberg related is disturbing, but he should keep things in perspective. The L.A. Times has daily readership of between 1.3 million and 2 million people; he quoted two rants.

This reminds me of when Willie Wood and I were co-captains of the USC football team in 1959. I received a large package in the mail that was full of vile, anti-Semitic and anti-black material. (I was Jewish and Willie black.)

At a time when Willie and I were banned from 99% of the fraternities at USC because of our race, our teammates, the vast majority of whom were white Christians, elected us to lead them because of our character and work ethic.

They were right: Both of us ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

I believe then as I believe now that our country is overwhelmingly decent. Ron Mix

San Diego

Anti-Semitism hasn’t come back; it never left. Remember the president extolling neo-Nazis in Charlottesville?

Abusing minorities because of their religion and or skin color is not going away anytime soon, especially with a president who thrives on divisiveness. Bunny Landis

Oceanside