Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor,

Last week, Congressman Mike Lawler was confronted at a Washington bar by the son of a sitting U.S. senator, who launched into a ten-minute antisemitic tirade, including, by the Congressman’s account, the statement that he hates Jews and gays and doesn’t care if they die.

As a Jewish resident of Rockland County, I want to thank Mike Lawler.

He didn’t shrug it off. He didn’t excuse it as a drunken outburst. He stood on the steps of the Capitol the next morning and called it what it was: disgusting, dangerous, and a symptom of how normalized this hatred has become in America.

That response is consistent with his record. Mike authored the Antisemitism Awareness Act and forced it through the House. He has partnered with Rep. Josh Gottheimer on a bipartisan resolution condemning antisemitic online personalities. He has repeatedly shown up in our shuls, schools, and community centers in Rockland.

The fact is, Rockland is home to one of the largest Jewish populations in the country, and we are watching antisemitism rise on campuses, online, and now openly in our nation’s capital. We need representatives who are not afraid to stand up to Jewish hate and fight for their Jewish constituents.

Mike Lawler is one of the strongest voices against antisemitism in Washington. Thank you, Congressman.

Joy Pell

Clarkstown, NY

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To the Editor,

In the Democratic primary to challenge Mike Lawler, the candidates have made two pledges: they will not attack fellow Democrats and will support whoever wins. This is the principled race NY17 deserves. 

But it didn’t last.

A false accusation began when two news sources, and then Mike Lawler, targeted Cait Conley and misrepresented her work, all 3 claiming with no proof that Cait worked for Palantir. Then Beth Davidson took that accusation and ran with it in mailers and emails, straight to voters. We can assume she broke her pledge because she doesn’t think she can win with her own positive message without tearing down other Democrats.  

Meanwhile, Cait has run her campaign the way she’s spent her life, with integrity and service, focused on the issues that matter most to voters. NY-17 doesn’t just need someone with a different party label than Mike Lawler. It needs someone who actually leads differently. Cait Conley has the fight to meet this moment, and the integrity to lead us to a better future. 

That’s why I’ll be voting for Cait Conley in the Democratic Primary on June 23rd.

Maria Modica-Snow

Peekskill, NY